What should you look for when selecting a drop shot reel? 2024
It's a toad reply :
I have been looking for a reel for my drop shot needs. I have been thinking about the Mach I or Orra S but I'm still undecisive. I was wondering what do you guys look for in a drop shot reel?
Big Bait Fishing reply :
smooth drag ......
Bluebasser86 reply :
I like a light weight reel, and one with a fairly quick retrieve speed because you want to be able to keep up with a fish if it decides to scream towards the surface from deep water. I have not fished a Mach I, but I wouldn't fish another Abu spinning reel if someone gave it to me. I have 2 rods I use for DS, one has a Pfluegar Supreme XT 30, the other that is my main DS rod, has an Okuma RTX 25 on it.
It's a toad reply :
On 11/28/2016 at 3:58 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I like a light weight reel, and one with a fairly quick retrieve speed because you want to be able to keep up with a fish if it decides to scream towards the surface from deep water. I have not fished a Mach I, but I wouldn't fish another Abu spinning reel if someone gave it to me. I have 2 rods I use for DS, one has a Pfluegar Supreme XT 30, the other that is my main DS rod, has an Okuma RTX 25 on it.
Why don't you like Abu?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/28/2016 at 4:04 PM, It's a toad said:Why don't you like Abu?
I had an Orra, I've never owned a spinning reel that got line twist like that thing did. Didn't matter what type or brand of line, I could count on about once an hour having to cut a length of line off because of a giant knot that explode off the reel during the cast. I gave it away to a buddy who thought I was doing something wrong, then he had the same issues I had. I have several spinning reels from different companies and never had line twist and knot issues like I had with that reel.
It's a toad reply :
On 11/28/2016 at 4:09 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I had an Orra, I've never owned a spinning reel that got line twist like that thing did. Didn't matter what type or brand of line, I could count on about once an hour having to cut a length of line off because of a giant knot that explode off the reel during the cast. I gave it away to a buddy who thought I was doing something wrong, then he had the same issues I had. I have several spinning reels from different companies and never had line twist and knot issues like I had with that reel.
That makes sense
WIGuide reply :
What I look for in a dropshot reel is #1 smooth drag. You're usually using light line, unless you're using braid and even then you have a very light wire hook. I don't want a drag that's going to surge, or have inconsistent pressure when that fish tries to take off boat side. Line management is another thing I look for. I've had the opposite results that Blue had with Abu, but I have only used the Revo S and Premiers, but no matter, you don't want your line constantly getting twisted up. Dropshots are known to twist line as it is so you don't want a reel that's going to add to that. One last thing you want to consider is the line recovery, you want a reel that can move a lot of line to keep up with fish if it surges towards you.
Spankey reply :
Take your rod along with to the shop and get something that balances nice. So much stuff out there, where as to say That i like Shimano Symeyre reels, might not match up well for you. To me the rod is the most important. Length and speed. Not saying a junk reel is ok but to me a reel is the storage spot for line.
Probably incorrect because if I had a reel with a s#!+ drag system and a nice fish on id hate to loose him over that.
I guess my thoughts toward the rod importance is for hook set. But any way I'm a Shimano fan.
Fisher-O-men reply :
On 11/28/2016 at 4:09 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I had an Orra, I've never owned a spinning reel that got line twist like that thing did. Didn't matter what type or brand of line, I could count on about once an hour having to cut a length of line off because of a giant knot that explode off the reel during the cast. I gave it away to a buddy who thought I was doing something wrong, then he had the same issues I had. I have several spinning reels from different companies and never had line twist and knot issues like I had with that reel.
I am actually interested in the rationale in this statement. All spinning reels take up line from one plane and put it onto another. If you could picture toilet paper coming off of a roll via the end of the roll, that is what is happening with a spinning reel. How would one spinning reel do that differently than another? Is there another reason, other than the mechanics?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/29/2016 at 9:20 AM, Fisher-O-men said:I am actually interested in the rationale in this statement. All spinning reels take up line from one plane and put it onto another. If you could picture toilet paper coming off of a roll via the end of the roll, that is what is happening with a spinning reel. How would one spinning reel do that differently than another? Is there another reason, other than the mechanics?
I'm not a reel mechanic, but I believe it's the size of the gears. It would be a 1:1 ratio if you think of it like a toilet paper roll (1 wrap=1 revolution). someone who knows the internal workings of spinning reels will be able to explain better than I can.
Darren. reply :
Agree with others, smooth drag is quite important.
I use 1000 size Shimano Stradics for everything.
JackKlassen reply :
Drag is key. Like any reel, being lightweight will make fishing more comfortable but is not a necessity. Personally I use a Pflueger Supreme xt and a Patriarch both size 30 with 15lb. braid on my dropshot rods.
Big Bait Fishing reply :
On 11/29/2016 at 10:31 AM, JackKlassen said:Drag is key. Like any reel, being lightweight will make fishing more comfortable but is not a necessity. Personally I use a Pflueger Supreme xt and a Patriarch both size 30 with 15lb. braid on my dropshot rods.
i have a Pflueger 9525 Patriarch spooled with 10 lb. Sx1 , i hate line twist ! to me , braid is mandatory with a leader of 6 lb. Sniper . the reel is super light (5.6 oz.) and a buttery smooth drag ...
Fisher-O-men reply :
On 11/29/2016 at 9:41 AM, Bluebasser86 said:I'm not a reel mechanic, but I believe it's the size of the gears. It would be a 1:1 ratio if you think of it like a toilet paper roll (1 wrap=1 revolution). someone who knows the internal workings of spinning reels will be able to explain better than I can.
Actually one wrap would equal one revolution of the bail. That is neither here nor there. What would cause one spinning reel to cause more line twist than another? I have seen line rollers advertised as "anti-twist" which never made sense to me either. Anybody?
WRB reply :
Not only does the drag operating smoothly it must not increase in drag force when a fish runs with different spooled line capacity or temperature. Most bass anglers don't maintain thier spinning reel drags, they set and forget it until something goes wrong.
The bail roller plays an important roll with the drag and prevents line damage. Larger diameter free turning bail rollers along with multiple disk drags and larger diameter spools longer spools all help to reduce line stress. Spinning reel spools are usually larger diameter than bait casting reel spools therefor a 6:1 ratio would have higher IPT than a 6:1 baitcaster or faster line retrieve rate.
Balance has a lot to do with how you hold the rod with spinning reels, generally the reel should weigh about twice the rod weight. Shimano, Daiwa, Okuma make excellent reels. Pflueger spinning reels are contracted they no longer manufacture reels, it's a name plate only, but has a good reputation.
The Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 3rd generation spinning reel would be my choice today.
Tom
Big Bait Fishing reply :
On 11/29/2016 at 1:30 PM, WRB said:Not only does the drag operating smoothly it must not increase in drag force when a fish runs with different spooled line capacity or temperature. Most bass anglers don't maintain thier spinning reel drags, they set and forget it until something goes wrong.
The bail roller plays an important roll with the drag and prevents line damage. Larger diameter free turning bail rollers along with multiple disk drags and larger diameter spools longer spools all help to reduce line stress. Spinning reel spools are usually larger diameter than bait casting reel spools therefor a 6:1 ratio would have higher IPT than a 6:1 baitcaster or faster line retrieve rate.
Balance has a lot to do with how you hold the rod with spinning reels, generally the reel should weigh about twice the rod weight. Shimano, Daiwa, Okuma make excellent reels. Pflueger spinning reels are contracted they no longer manufacture reels, it's a name plate only, but has a good reputation.
The Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 3rd generation spinning reel would be my choice today.
Tom
i don't agree with the reel being twice the weight of the rod !! i guess most people end up buying a 7 - 9 oz. spinning reel . my reel weighs 5 .6 oz. the rod it's on weighs 4 oz. , it's a light smooth set up , wouldn't think of getting a heavier reel .
SJex reply :
On 11/28/2016 at 9:43 PM, WIGuide said:What I look for in a dropshot reel is #1 smooth drag. You're usually using light line, unless you're using braid and even then you have a very light wire hook. I don't want a drag that's going to surge, or have inconsistent pressure when that fish tries to take off boat side. Line management is another thing I look for. I've had the opposite results that Blue had with Abu, but I have only used the Revo S and Premiers, but no matter, you don't want your line constantly getting twisted up. Dropshots are known to twist line as it is so you don't want a reel that's going to add to that. One last thing you want to consider is the line recovery, you want a reel that can move a lot of line to keep up with fish if it surges towards you.
A consistent smooth drag and line management are the most important for dropshotting. Nothing worse than line twist wrecking a day out on the water.
WRB reply :
On 11/30/2016 at 12:16 AM, Big Bait Fishing said:i don't agree with the reel being twice the weight of the rod !! i guess most people end up buying a 7 - 9 oz. spinning reel . my reel weighs 5 .6 oz. the rod it's on weighs 4 oz. , it's a light smooth set up , wouldn't think of getting a heavier reel .
The Stradic Ci4+ 2500/3000 size reel weighs 6.7 oz, not a heavy reel when you add line and balances well with most of the higher end 6'10"-7' ML or 2 spinning rods. Again it depends on how you hold the rod, 1, 2 or 3 fingers in front of the reel foot makes a big difference in balance.
Tom
burrows reply :
When looking for a good drop shot reel first thing to look for is the one that starts with a shi and ends with a mano.
fishwizzard reply :
On 11/29/2016 at 9:50 AM, Darren. said:Agree with others, smooth drag is quite important.
I use 1000 size Shimano Stradics for everything.
I have some questions about this, mind if I drop you a PM?
Darren. reply :
On 11/30/2016 at 10:37 AM, Bunnielab said:I have some questions about this, mind if I drop you a PM?
Sure
Big Bait Fishing reply :
On 11/29/2016 at 9:50 AM, Darren. said:Agree with others, smooth drag is quite important.
I use 1000 size Shimano Stradics for everything.
i'm with you on the 1000 size reels !! the Pflueger Patriarch 9525 made that decision for me ...
WRB reply :
My first drop shot rod /reel was my split shot rod /reel and that was my Fenwick trout rod with Abu Cardinal 3 spinning reel 70's vintage. Caught lots of bass on that outfit. Early 90's my son started to bass with me and bought him a pair of Phoenix split shot rods with Shimano Stratic 1000 reels, he has used those outfits for over 20 years and caught lots of 6 to 7lb bass, a few 35 lb 5 bass limits, using that outfit during charity tournaments. 1000 size high quality spinning reels are a good choice for drop shot. Today I am using Don Iovino's Major craft finesse spinning rods with Shimano 2500 Ci4 Stratic reels, like the larger spool size with FC line.
My point is buy the highest quality name brand you can afford that's well balanced and the outfit will last for decades.
Tom
Big Bait Fishing reply :
On 12/1/2016 at 1:22 AM, WRB said:My first drop shot rod /reel was my split shot rod /reel and that was my Fenwick trout rod with Abu Cardinal 3 spinning reel 70's vintage. Caught lots of bass on that outfit. Early 90's my son started to bass with me and bought him a pair of Phoenix split shot rods with Shimano Stratic 1000 reels, he has used those outfits for over 20 years and caught lots of 6 to 7lb bass, a few 35 lb 5 bass limits, using that outfit during charity tournaments. 1000 size high quality spinning reels are a good choice for drop shot. Today I am using Don Iovino's Major craft finesse spinning rods with Shimano 2500 Ci4 Stratic reels, like the larger spool size with FC line.
My point is buy the highest quality name brand you can afford that's well balanced and the outfit will last for decades.
Tom
good point , always get the best reel you like that your budget can afford . even though i use long rods ( my spinning rod is 7'8'' ) i don't worry about a rod being tip heavy as one should always look into a light rod 
1BADAIR reply :
On 11/29/2016 at 1:30 PM, WRB said:The Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 3rd generation spinning reel would be my choice today.
Tom
They are nice but many people are mad that they removed the anti reverse lever now
NYWayfarer reply :
I like lighter reels that match up with the medium-light, fast action rods I use for drop-shotting.
A good drag is important as I use 4, 6 and 8lb mono when fishing this style.
I also like a reel with a fast retrieve rate. My Lew's Carbon Fire spinning reel fits all these criteria. It was favorite reel this summer.
fishwizzard reply :
On 12/2/2016 at 11:56 AM, 1BADAIR said:They are nice but many people are mad that they removed the anti reverse lever now
I was kinda weirded out by this decision too, but after thinking about it I couldn't come up with a single time I was ever like "oh thank god this reel has a reverse".
Darren. reply :
On 12/3/2016 at 5:35 AM, Bunnielab said:I was kinda weirded out by this decision too, but after thinking about it I couldn't come up with a single time I was ever like "oh thank god this reel has a reverse".
Never used anti-reverse lever myself. Never a back-reeler
type of guy. 
I let the drag do all the work!
Bluebasser86 reply :
No anti reverse is a deal breaker for me. I'd rather back reel than depend on the drag. Easier for me to adjust the amount of pressure I'm putting on the fish as I see fit.
fishwizzard reply :
I only first heard of the concept of back-reeling maybe three or four months ago, somehow I never ran across a reference to it before. I don't feel confident that I am coordinated enough to pull it off, but I I plan on trying it. I have an old Okuma 500 reel with a failing drag that I use for perch fishing. I hooked a 17" striper with it this fall and it was all I could do to keep him from spooling me while I got him under control. Next time I have the rod out I am going to try back-reeling into the fish and see how it goes.
Big Bait Fishing reply :
On 12/3/2016 at 6:30 AM, Darren. said:Never used anti-reverse lever myself. Never a back-reeler
type of guy.I let the drag do all the work!
ne neither , that's what the drag is for and why i use reels with good smooth drag ..
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