On August 30, 2026, Evan Kung closed the Bassmaster Elite season at Clayton with 109 pounds, 9 ounces of St. Lawrence River smallmouth. That four-day total set the Bassmaster record for a winning catch made up entirely of smallmouth, and a controlled deep-water drop-shot did most of the work. The result matters to local anglers because the winning pattern was built around ordinary river clues: current breaks, isolated rock, grass, and fish roaming away from obvious cover. These St. Lawrence River smallmouth drop-shot fishing tips turn that record week into a practical fall plan.
What the Record Pattern Proved
Kung worked both the St. Lawrence River and eastern Lake Ontario during the August 27 to 30 event. His key water was generally 20 to 40 feet deep. In the river, current breaks and large boulders held fish; in the lake, humps and isolated rock were important. He also caught roaming smallmouth between the obvious pieces of structure instead of stopping at every boulder.
The main presentation was a drop-shot carrying a prototype bug-style finesse bait. He used 1/2- and 3/4-ounce weights, a No. 2 hook, 10-pound braided main line, and an 8-pound fluorocarbon leader. The lesson is not that every angler needs the exact prototype. It is that depth control, a natural profile, and patience around pressured fish can matter more than a loud presentation.
Match Weight to Depth and Current
A light drop-shot feels delicate, but it becomes useless when current bows the line and moves the sinker away from the target. Start with enough weight to feel bottom and keep the bait in the strike zone. In sheltered water or shallower edges, 1/4 or 3/8 ounce may be enough. In 20 to 40 feet, wind and St. Lawrence current can make 1/2 ounce the practical starting point. Move to 3/4 ounce when the line will not stay controlled.
Heavier does not mean careless. Lower the rig until the sinker touches, keep a slight bend in the rod, and watch the line. If the rig sweeps far downstream before you regain contact, add weight. If it stays pinned and feels dead in light current, step down. The goal is the lightest weight that still gives you reliable control.
Fish Between the Obvious Targets
Big rocks draw every eye and every cast. Kung's win reinforced a better question: where do pressured bass slide after anglers have worked the obvious cover? Check the sand lane beside a boulder, the downstream pocket behind a current break, and the flat between two isolated rocks. Smallmouth often roam those less-defined spaces while feeding on gobies and baitfish.
Boat position matters. Approach from up-current when possible and let the rig enter naturally. Use short pitches or a controlled vertical presentation rather than dragging the bait through the area at high speed. When one fish bites, mark the exact depth and bottom transition before moving. St. Lawrence smallmouth frequently use a narrow band that can be easy to miss on the next pass.
Keep the Bait Subtle
The winning bug-style bait was neutrally buoyant and could move with very little rod input. Copy the behavior, not the label. Choose a soft plastic that holds a horizontal or slightly nose-down posture, then let current do part of the work. A gentle shake, a slow drag, and a long pause are enough. Constant snapping can pull the bait away from fish that are already following it.
Use baitfish colors when smallmouth are suspended or chasing forage, and switch to green pumpkin or another bottom-matching tone around gobies and rock. A 6- to 8-pound fluorocarbon leader keeps the presentation subtle in clear water. Retie after scraping zebra mussels or rough rock, because one damaged section can turn the best bite of the day into a broken leader.
Two In-Stock Drop-Shot Options
These are not copies of Kung's prototype. They are active, published, in-stock alternatives whose product pages specifically list drop-shot rigging, and both offer a soft baitfish profile for St. Lawrence smallmouth.
| Bait | Best use | Pack | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 Triple Tail Jerk Shad, Pearl Shiner |
Clear water and baitfish-focused bass | Six 5-inch baits | $5.00 |
 Triple Tail Jerk Shad, Green Pumpkin |
Rock, goby-colored forage, and stained edges | Six 5-inch baits | $5.00 |
The Pearl Shiner is the better first choice when fish are tracking suspended forage or the water is clear. Green Pumpkin gives a more bottom-oriented look around boulders and rock transitions. Nose-hook either bait when snags are limited, or use a light weedless hook when grass and broken cover demand it.
A Simple Fall Game Plan
- Begin on a current break, hump, or boulder field in 20 to 40 feet.
- Use enough drop-shot weight to maintain bottom contact without a large line bow.
- Make one pass on the obvious rock, then work the open lane and transition beside it.
- Start with Pearl Shiner for a baitfish look; switch to Green Pumpkin near bottom-oriented forage.
- Pause longer after a follower or missed bite instead of adding more action.
Kung's record was extraordinary, but the pattern behind it was disciplined and repeatable. Control the rig, look beyond the most visible cover, and give pressured smallmouth a soft plastic they can inspect without watching it race away.
Build your next river rig with the Pearl Shiner Triple Tail Jerk Shad or the Green Pumpkin version, both verified in stock at Shorette's Bait & Tackle on September 17, 2026. Tight lines.