The drop-shot is about as simple as bass fishing gets. It features a small octopus-style hook, a specially-designed weight and your choice of finesse plastics.

For the last 20 seconds or so, the constant tick-tick-tick of the weight dragging across the rocky lake bottom had been constantly interrupted by the somewhat-annoying, always incessant nipping at the bait by fish that were clearly too small to actually inhale the hook. These pesky critters were, most likely, a pack of gobies.

But the pecking had stopped. It was only a matter of time.

Tap, Tap. Thump!

The sensation shooting up the fluorocarbon line was not the result of the weight bouncing off a rock. And it certainly wasn't generated by the diminutive taps of a goby. As I lifted the rod tip skyward, the rod blank loaded into a satisfying arc. A few quick turns of the reel handle coupled with an aggressive but controlled snap of the tip and yet another battle with the bronze beast was on.

The fish tipped my hand-held digital scale at just over four pounds. A solid fish but, quite frankly, it was just above average on this incredible summer day.

Welcome to Lake Erie -- land of giant smallmouth bass and the new home of the drop-shot.

Soft-plastic goby imitations are the overwhelming bait choice for Lake Erie smallmouths.

But smallmouths? Big, mean brutes of the deep? Believe it.

The drop-shot, for those unfamiliar with it, is about as simple as bass fishing gets. It features a small octopus-style hook, a specially-designed weight and your choice of finesse plastics.

Tying up a drop-shot is easy.

First, start with a quality hook. You'll be using hooks much smaller than you're used to and quality hooks are extremely important. Use one that's tack-sharp and fish will stay stuck. Good choices include Bass Pro's XPS octopus hook, Gamakatsu's drop shot hook or Eagle Claw's Octopus Hook (model L7226BP). Hooks sizes vary slightly depending on the plastic you're attaching to the hook. For small, finesse-style worms, I'll use a size 1. For drop-shot gobies and bulkier baits, a 1/0 is needed for solid hook penetration.

Once rigged, select a bait. For Lake Erie smallmouths, there is one overwhelming choice: the goby.

Gobies are non-native fish that were introduced into the Great Lakes from the discharge of ballast water by ocean-going vessels. New exotic species are introduced into the Great Lakes at a rate of about one new species every eight months by the unregulated discharge of ballast water. Many of these species are having dramatic and devastating impacts on the Great Lakes. The goby is one of those species. These fish are small but voracious feeders and are outcompeting many native species, such as perch, for food. On the positive side, the goby has created a tremendous forage base for smallmouth bass and the brown fish are bigger and badder than ever because of it.

Gobies are a bottom-dwelling species, which is why the drop-shot is an ideal presentation. By using a drop-shot, anglers can present goby baits about a foot off the bottom and by using a heavy weight (3/8- to 1/2-ounce weights are most popular) it's possible to fish ultra-deep where big packs of heavy smallmouths live during the summer months.

The author demonstrates the effectiveness of the drop-shot rig on Lake Erie smallmouth.

Many of the fish that Ramsey and I caught while pre-fishing for Erie tournaments fell victim to the drop-shot.

"It's an awesome tool for Lake Erie because it presents the bait exactly where the bass live and in a position that mimics their preferred forage," says Ramsey. "There was a time when dragging tubes and throwing jerkbaits dominated the tournament scene on Erie. Now the drop-shot is the undisputed king."

There are many different goby imitations available. Bass Pro Shops offers a pair of soft-plastic goby imitations including a Tournament Series Goby that's available in eight colors. One of the hottest baits for 2007 has been Berkley's Gulp! Goby. Poor Boy's Baits makes an outstanding, hand-poured goby as well.

The techniques used to fish the drop-shot are simple as well. Cast it near fish-holding structures such as humps and rock piles and slowly drag it back. When the wind is blowing -- as it often is on this huge body of water -- many anglers will simply allow the wind to drift them across the area. Keep a taut line and, if you're in the right area, it's only a matter of time before the bites come.

Gobies are not the only bait suitable for fooling Erie's smallmouths. Leeches, minnows, finesse worms and Senko-style baits can also work.

"It really depends on what the bass are feeding on at that time," says Ramsey, a member of the Mercury Marine pro staff. "There are times when the bass are feeding more on smelt or young perch or shiners than they are on gobies. You always want to experiment with baits to see what's working best."

During the fall months, as the bite slows during the middle of the day, the drop-shot rig will continue to catch fish.

As fall settles in and water temperatures begin to drop, smallmouth bass will migrate shallower. The bass feed heavily as they bulk up for the winter months. And the drop-shot rig will continue to catch those fish. Simply look for fish in shallower waters and experiment with baits to see what they're feeding on.

Typically, anglers searching for smallmouth in shallow water during the fall months will employ a variety of hard-body jerkbaits, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. All are effective. But as the bite slows during the middle stages of the day, the drop-shot can shine once again.

During a recent outing on Lake Erie, Ramsey and I caught numbers of big smallmouth on drop-shot rigs in water as shallow as eight feet. Sure, fast-moving, reaction-type baits produced some fish. But as the bite slowed, the drop-shot continued to put fish in the boat -- including some of the biggest fish of the outing.

While the drop-shot rig is an ultra-simple setup, it does require some thought when selecting the tools used to fish it. A long, sensitive rod is vital. I prefer rods at least seven feet in length in a medium power with an extra-fast action. You want a soft, limber tip but plenty of backbone below that tip to quickly pick up line and hook fish in deep water. The perfect drop-shot rod for Lake Erie smallmouths is quite different than those used for spotted bass or even largemouths. You need a longer rod that's able to drive the hook home, yet with enough "give" to keep these big, aggressive fish from breaking the light line that's required.

The hookset with a drop-shot is also different. First off, you don't cross their eyes. Instead, you feel the tell-tale thump of a bite and lift the rod. If it loads up with the weight of a fish, simply rotate your body and give a quick snap upward while reeling quickly. The exposed hook will almost always find itself buried neatly in the corner of the fish's mouth.

Fluorocarbon line is a must. Most Erie drop-shotting is done with 8-pound test line. If the water is slightly stained, you can bump up to 10-pound test. If the water is ultra-clear, steping down to 6-pound can mean more bites.

Drop-shotting on Erie is primarily done with spinning tackle. When using such light line, a smooth, reliable drag isn't a commodity -- it's a necessity. Drag should be set fairly light. Generally, the big bronzebacks you tie into on Erie will be coming from open-water haunts. There won't be many weeds, logs or other obstructions. Allowing the fish to simply tire itself by fighting the length of the limber rod and the reliable operation of the drag system on your reel will prevent you from breaking fish off.

Smallmouth bass are, pound for pound, one of the strongest, meanest fish in fresh water. Lake Erie smallmouth, however, are not of this world. They're big, powerful fish with a nasty disposition. They're just as likely to pull hard for the bottom and thump repeatedly with determined head-shakes as they are to race for the surface and let loose with an aerial display that would make the Blue Angels take note.

Lake Erie is a special place indeed. It is one of -- if not the best -- smallmouth fishery in the world, and the autumn months can produce some of the year's best action. Learn the art of drop-shotting as it applies to this freshwater ocean and you'll be primed for the outing of a lifetime.