What's This New Rig Called The Drop Shot? 2024
Todd2 reply :
Ok, I haven't been asleep for the last decade...but I've never really thrown one. Maybe a time or two but I know I've never caught a fish on one. So I've been reading up the last few weeks and since I'm looking at almost a foot of fresh snow on my deck I thought I'd ask. What weights, leader length, and most importantly retrieves work best for you guys when fishing in horizontally? Thanks...
Fishes in trees reply :
In the articles section, there are several that describe a drop shot set-up. No need to re-write the stuff, just go there and read that stuff for background information. Be mindful that drop shot is just another presentation and can be used with nearly any rod & reel combo. You get to choose if what you got will work for you or if you need to bust out some cash for another rig.
Me, I keep a couple rigged and ready every time I go out. There is the "bubba" set up, with a flipping stick, bait casting reel and 20 lb line that I use when I'm fishing around gnarly cover (wood, thick vegetation, sunken thorn bushes, etc) I generally use half ounce weights for this rig, mostly because that is what is readily available where I live. If 3/4 oz drop shot weights were readily available, I'd use those.
I always have a somewhat lighter spinning rig ready to go. Currently it is a 7' Medium/tending toward MH rod with an extra fast tip. Other guys like a more flexible tip for drop shot fishing. You got to experiment to figure out what you like. I generally use a 10 lb braid/fluorocarbon leader set up. More often than not, I will use lighter weights, mostly dependent on how deep i want to fish and how much wind there is that day.
A-Jay reply :
Once you learn how to do it , and it's actually a fairly short learning curve, you'll be adding a technique that can save your day more than once.
I've had days smallmouth fishing when using a drop shot was like using Live Bait.
I don't fish it every trip, but during day time trips in summer especially, I almost always have one rigged up.
A-Jay
eyedabassman reply :
The nice thing about the drop shot is it can be fished all year!
Sam reply :
Todd, welcome to the world of finesse fishing with the drop shot.
You will learn to love it.
Check out the BassResource videos on YouTube plus anything on the drop shot.
Just remember the secrets of fishing a drop shot:
1 It is a finesse bait. Best thrown on spinning rigs.
2. Use the lightest line you can, with the understanding that the line will twist and you may have to change out spools or reels while fishing.
3. Let the current move the bait. You just hold the rig in your hand, moving it so slightly very few times, making sure the bait is off the bottom.
4. Robo Worms. Check out Robo Worms. Great drop shot baits but any plastic will work.
5. Drop the rig straight down or cast it out. Use it to keep bait off sloppy bottom. Throw it into structure or open water.
6. Secret to a drop shot is patience. Be patient. None of this "cast and move fast" stuff with a drop shot.
7. When setting the hook, just lift the rod tip.
Now the guys will go into rods, reels, line, weights and baits. All of the info is critical to learn and understand. So read all the posts; search "drop shot" in the upper right hand corner of the Forum page; search out the YouTube productions; and sooner or later you will be a master drop shotter.
Good luck and have some fun this summer with the drop shot.
ColdSVT reply :
Learn it, love it, become it!
While it isnt mt favorite way to fish it is very productive and it has saved me more than a few times
gunsmoke reply :
It's really nothing new. People have been fishing for Fluke that way for the last 30 years or so it just took awhile for some of the freshwater bass fishermen to hone in on it. It's all in the marketing friends.
Penguino reply :
Don't you need a boat to fish a dropshot? Because its a vertical presentation?
ib_of_the_damned reply :
On 3/6/2015 at 1:00 AM, Penguino said:Don't you need a boat to fish a dropshot? Because its a vertical presentation?
Not at all. I bank fish city park lakes and the drop shot is a very effective presentation for the high pressured city park lakes.
thomas15 reply :
Todd2
This winter I decided to find out about methods that I don't really know and drop shot is one of them. I did exactly what others here said, read articles on this forum and watched youtube vids. I intend to drop shot this year. I have the specialized hooks and sinkers in my box and I think it will be easy to implement. Can't wait to try it actually.
RB 77 reply :
In my opinion, it is the most productive technique out here in the clear western reservoirs. I became so reliant upon it I sold the reel off my drop shot rod to stop using it as a crutch! Haha. I still kept the rod; it was to sweet too get rid of! I still do drop shot, just not quite as much which is good and bad. The drop shot does catch big fish. It can also lose them as well on that light line. It will definitely put some numbers in the boat and get a skunk off the boat. Sam posted quite a bit of good info and like others said it's not just a vertical presentation, it's just my favorite vertical presentation.
As far as weights go I like the ball and pencil style. 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 oz. are all I use. Anything lighter or heavier usually calls for a different technique. Leader length varies between 6" to about 18" give or take. It varies mostly due to bottom composition. As far as the retrieve goes, less is more for me. In all seriousness this technique might be the biggest test of patience for me in all of bass fishing. I will literally sit there and test myself on just how long I can go without moving it! Believe me, everything going on underneath in the lake is more than enough to impart action on a bait.
ccummins reply :
Nothing really new about it. Kind of like a rig that is used a lot for walleyes. I like to use it to get in real close to banks in canals here in south Florida.
ccummins reply :
On 3/6/2015 at 1:25 AM, ib_of_the_damned said:Not at all. I bank fish city park lakes and the drop shot is a very effective presentation for the high pressured city park lakes.
I like to use it to get in real close to banks in canals here in south Florida.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
On 3/6/2015 at 1:25 AM, ib_of_the_damned said:Not at all. I bank fish city park lakes and the drop shot is a very effective presentation for the high pressured city park lakes.
Just lengthen the leader to account for the angle of the line and keep the bait up off the bottom.
WIGuide reply :
On 3/6/2015 at 1:00 AM, Penguino said:Don't you need a boat to fish a dropshot? Because its a vertical presentation?
Not at all. I actually cast it about 90% of the time I fish it.
As far as weights go, generally I'll use anything from 1/4 to 1/2. Leader length will depend on time of the year and or fish position. If you know they are suspended a few feet off the bottom, I'll opt for a longer leader to keep the bait at or above the level of the fish. If they're right on the bottom, I'll use a shorter leader. The most productive retrieve for me is very slowly. A lot of times I'll cast it out, let it sink, and tighten the slack up a bit until I can just barely feel the weight. I'll shake it subtly. If I don't get bit, I'll slowly drag it a little bit and repeat. You can also give it some slack to let the bait fall back down towards the bottom. Once you get the hang of it, you'll soon find out how productive it can be!
Todd2 reply :
A lot of good stuff. Thanks...can't wait to get out and try it.
ib_of_the_damned reply :
On 3/6/2015 at 5:41 AM, Todd2 said:A lot of good stuff. Thanks...can't wait to get out and try it.
Go grab some Roboworms and have at it!
Master Bait'r reply :
On 3/6/2015 at 8:53 AM, ib_of_the_damned said:Go grab some Roboworms and have at it!
Don't forget the bento minnows and hudd bugs! Seriously. Mix it up. Have some fun. They're down there, man. I swear.
Bass2124 reply :
I started drop shotting a year ago and it quickly became my favorite go to method when the fishing got tough and eventually became my favorite method all together. I always caught fish when nothing else worked. My most effective setup was a 3' 8lb Red Label flouro leader with a VMC spin shot and a 3/16 oz VMC tungsten cylinder drop shot weight. I'd tie on about a 16" leader from the spin shot to the drop shot weight. The spin shots are absolutely awesome as you will have no line twist and they are very sharp hooks. They do dull quickly but they are inexpensive so I changed them virtually after every trip. For bait nothing worked better for me than 4 1/2-6"zoom trick worms in green pumpkin. They worked everywhere I fished. If you ever watch Aaron Martens he always is drop shotting or reverts back to it in every bass fishing episode you see him on. It just flat out works all year long!
Todd2 reply :
Ok, finally got the boat out this evening and only had about 2 hours after work. I went to a little trolling motor only lake close to my house. My goal...catch my first drop shot fish. I went to the dam area where I usually do good on other stuff. I tried to force feed them a drop shot worm for about an hour and half before I gave up and picked up my jig rod. It took all of one cast to hook up with a nice one and backed it up with two more smaller ones. This is in the same spot I had wore out with the drop shot. So...either I don't know how to fish a drop shot (very likely) or you can't force feed bass something they don't want even if it is a drop shot. Looking forward to getting back out and trying again.
Felix77 reply :
Those two videos helped me begin my quest with the drop shot. In practice however you need to make sure you have solid contact with the bottom IMO. Aaron talks about using a 1/8oz weight. For me and my setup I find that I barely feel a thing using 1/8oz unless I am very shallow. For that I use something like a mojo rig or wacky senko.
Last year was a solid breakthrough for me when I began adding more weight more often. Once I could truly feel bottom the game changed for me. It's one of my favorites now.
The Fisher reply :
I fish from the bank and never fished drop shot before now. Thanks to some good advice from a thread I posted recently I caught my first bass on a drop shot with a roboworm. Caught a trolling male off a spawn bed yesterday too. Drop shot has been added to my arsenal.
J Francho reply :
http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot-bedding-bass.html
96ecss reply :
On 3/27/2015 at 1:44 AM, J Francho said:http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot-bedding-bass.html
Great article.
Say, who is this John Franchot guy? lol
Dave
reason162 reply :
I'll be trying out some saltwater dropshotting this season, and I'm wondering if weight really matters. One of the advantages of a DS rig, imo, is that you can present a finesse bait regardless of how heavy your weight is. You could tie a dumbbell to the end of your line and that 4" shad is going to twitch just the same.
Am I wrong in my assumption?
J Francho reply :
Not at all. I use a much heavier weight than most recommend when deep drop for smallies. In fact, that's pretty much the same rig they used on the party boats fishing saltwater wrecks.
LunkerFisher reply :
Don't forget to check your state's regulations on this rig too. In Michigan, it's illegal to drop shot in rivers.
Todd2 reply :
On 3/27/2015 at 9:52 PM, LunkerFisher said:Don't forget to check your state's regulations on this rig too. In Michigan, it's illegal to drop shot in rivers.
Any reason why?
LunkerFisher reply :
On 3/27/2015 at 10:08 PM, Todd2 said:Any reason why?
DNR says so.
J Francho reply :
It's to prevent snagging trout and salmon.
reason162 reply :
On 3/27/2015 at 8:16 PM, J Francho said:Not at all. I use a much heavier weight than most recommend when deep drop for smallies. In fact, that's pretty much the same rig they used on the party boats fishing saltwater wrecks.
Thank you.
Friend told me how in Korea all they use for Olive Flounder (very close cousin to "fluke" on the east coast and california halibut on the west) are DS rigs. They're fishing 60-80 ft in the ocean, with 2-5 oz sinkers.
Dredd reply :
Noobie question - how do you attach the dropshot sinker to your line? Do you tie a overhand knot and wedge it between the V?
ib_of_the_damned reply :
On 3/29/2015 at 5:45 AM, Dredd said:Noobie question - how do you attach the dropshot sinker to your line? Do you tie a overhand knot and wedge it between the V?
The weight does not need a knot. You just "wedge" the line in the clip and friction takes over. Also the reason being that you don't need a knot is that if the weight gets hung up you can just pull and it will pop off and you just attach another weight the same way.
MrBigFishSC reply :
On 3/26/2015 at 10:39 AM, Todd2 said:Ok, finally got the boat out this evening and only had about 2 hours after work. I went to a little trolling motor only lake close to my house. My goal...catch my first drop shot fish. I went to the dam area where I usually do good on other stuff. I tried to force feed them a drop shot worm for about an hour and half before I gave up and picked up my jig rod. It took all of one cast to hook up with a nice one and backed it up with two more smaller ones. This is in the same spot I had wore out with the drop shot. So...either I don't know how to fish a drop shot (very likely) or you can't force feed bass something they don't want even if it is a drop shot. Looking forward to getting back out and trying again.
I use drop shotting as a counter punch when other techniques aren't working. Example: we recently had several days of low pressure with clouds and spotty rain. Before the front the bite was good (as usual) but it slowed way down after a couple of days. Nothing was working so I switched to drop shotting in deeper water and found some good fish. Aaron Martens fishes this on TV most of the time but he gets beat a lot too byguys throwing something else.
Shanes7614 reply :
On 3/26/2015 at 10:39 AM, Todd2 said:Ok, finally got the boat out this evening and only had about 2 hours after work. I went to a little trolling motor only lake close to my house. My goal...catch my first drop shot fish. I went to the dam area where I usually do good on other stuff. I tried to force feed them a drop shot worm for about an hour and half before I gave up and picked up my jig rod. It took all of one cast to hook up with a nice one and backed it up with two more smaller ones. This is in the same spot I had wore out with the drop shot. So...either I don't know how to fish a drop shot (very likely) or you can't force feed bass something they don't want even if it is a drop shot. Looking forward to getting back out and trying again.
Your covering a lot more bottom with your jig presentation then while drop shotting. It's a killer technique for bedding bass in the super clear and deep lakes out in Cali and other similar places.
RoLo reply :
The concept of dropshotting is well over a hundred years old, which sprang from various saltwater rigs
such as Dropper rigs, Three-Way rigs, Hi-Lo rigs & Xmas Tree rigs.
The dropshot rig added two welcome modifications to the saltwater dropper rig:
1) It eliminated the dropper loops & dropper lines by attaching the hook directly to the main line (improved depth control)
2) The desired suspension above bottom is easily adjusted by sliding the dropshot sinker without any retying.
Roger
J Francho reply :
You also have an uninterrupted connection between the rod tip and the hook.
SirSnookalot reply :
On 3/28/2015 at 12:59 PM, reason162 said:Thank you.
Friend told me how in Korea all they use for Olive Flounder (very close cousin to "fluke" on the east coast and california halibut on the west) are DS rigs. They're fishing 60-80 ft in the ocean, with 2-5 oz sinkers.
I agree. The DS is different in saltwater, generally speaking boats are drifting with depths over 60 or 80'. Even a moderate 2.5 mph drift your going to need 2-5 oz or more depending depth to hold bottom. Even at drift with that kind of weight as Francho said there is no slack in the line.
Metal jig fish (butterfly jigging) is one of the hotter tickets these days over wrecks.
blckshirt98 reply :
I'm out on Cali, fish 100% from shore, and use a dropshot 90% of the time. A big part of that is because it's a technique I picked up early when starting to fish freshwater, and had a lot of success with it, so I never bothered to learn other techniques when I knew I'd get bit on a dropshot.
I always use a size 4 or 6 hook, a 1/4 or 3/8 bakudan weight, and small plastics (3.5-5") nose hooked for better movement in the water. Whatever plastic you use be sure to drop it right in front of you and see how the bait reacts in the water based on how you impart action. When nose hooked you really don't need more than a light tap of a fingertip or tiny flick of the wrist to get the plastic to move. It's really easy to work it aggressively like say a c-rig or t-rig bait but that'll give the plastic unnatural movement.
You really want to keep the bait out in the depth zones you want to check for as long as possible - after casting I'll spend 2-3 minutes at that depth lightly tapping the rod every so often, reel in a bit, fish that depth, reel in a bit, fish that depth, repeat, until I find where the fish are. Little fish will aggressively hit the bait, the larger fish will be very subtle where you may not even feel a tick, but a light pull on your line that will get heavier.
The hardest part is being patient with working the plastic. I've started to fish more reaction type baits like swimbaits/squarebills/vibrating jigs and noticed that once I fish those, and go back to the dropshot, it's really difficult to be patient.
MrBigFishSC reply :
Blckshirt98,
I agree with you. What is your setup? Mine is a 6'9" Dobyn's M/L with a Symetre 2500 spooled with 8 lb fluoro. I usually have 3/16 or 1/4 oz weight tied on and a #4 spinshot hook. I also use small baits. Have caught many nice fish this way.
blckshirt98 reply :
On 7/8/2015 at 7:49 AM, MrBigFishSC said:Blckshirt98,
I agree with you. What is your setup? Mine is a 6'9" Dobyn's M/L with a Symetre 2500 spooled with 8 lb fluoro. I usually have 3/16 or 1/4 oz weight tied on and a #4 spinshot hook. I also use small baits. Have caught many nice fish this way.
I'll use either a Phenix Elixir FX802-1X with a Diawa Fuego 1000A spooled with 8lb Nanofil with a 6lb leader, or, a Phenix M1 MX-S72M with a 2500 sized Shimano spooled with 15lb PowerPro with a 7lb leader. I'll use the lighter setup on places where i know there aren't as many hangups or when I know all I'll be doing is dropshotting. The other setup I'll bring if I want to do other things because I can also throw other plastics (c-rig, t-rig, senkos) and smaller crankbaits/spinnerbaits on it.
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