Dropshotting

[ventureboat]

Hey fellas. Can you give me some ideas on what to use on a drop shot? I have used small flukes, very small finesse worms. Very little success, but have caught a few. Any advice on baits to use?? Thank you in advance!

[jesse-c]

I love to drop-shot and for me lure choice depends on whether you are fishing for smallies or largemouth. Also what kind of forage the fish are keyed on. Where i live in KS we usually target smallies for a limit and largemouth for kickers except in the spring. Shad is the mai forage along with crawfish. I personally use the GYCB Shad shaped worm in natural shad and green pumkin. I fish mine somewhat different then most to. Most anglers think drop shotting is for deep water but i throw it like a tube or jig. Throw it torward the bank and use the same lift drop technique and i won 5 of 12 club tournaments doing it. Also got 3 2nds and 2 3rds. Good luck to you.

[Fishes in trees]

There are lots of ways to dropshot.  I'm not expert, but I spent some time messing around with this last year.  There were a few trips last year where drop shot fishing turned a rotten day into a decent day.

Basically there are two choices - finesse or heavy duty.  Here is what worked for me last year.  The water I fished had 3 to 7 ft visibility all year long.

Finesse: 7' med power,fast tip, spinning rod - 8 lb fluorocarbon line - 3/16 weight & a 1/0 Gamakatsu weedless finesse wide gap hood.  For baits, I would nose hook various 4"worms, small tubes, small senkos, etc.

Heavy Duty:  7'5" Kistler Argon Flippin & Pitchin rod. - 20 lb fluorocarbon - 1/2 oz weight and a Lunker City 4/0 or 5/0 Texposer hook.  For baits I would Texas rig Bass Pro Stickos, 5 to 8 inch paddle tail worms (various brands) and the Gulp sinking minnow.

The most productive bait on the heavy duty rig was the Gulp Sinking minnow in green pumpkin.  The disadvantage to this bait was that if you set it down for 15 minutes or so it would dry out and be useless.  I also went through several packs of the Chompers version of the senko called a Salty Sinker , in the Huckleberry color.

I hope this gives you a place to start.  A few years ago, In-Fisherman magazine published an article about drop shot fishing using heavier lines and weights.  They called it the Bubba Shot.  What I remember most about this article is that it went over the hows, whys and when to drop shot in excruciating detail.

I expect to drop shot alot next year.  Using half ounce or heavier weights, I like the idea of getting my bait to the bottom QUICKLY and once it is down there it is basically a weightless worm suspended a foot or so above the bottom.  My plan is to challenge myself more in the 15 to 25 foot depths, with a tool that I have some confidence in.

[Bass XL]

   Over this past season, I have gotten a lot better at drop-shotting (actually ended up winning a few tournaments on it). It's a GREAT presentation, that suprisngly, not many people do.

   Supplies: I fish my dropshot on my Kistler Magnesium rod. Its perfect for it. I fish with 6 to 8 pound fluorocarbon line. I really like fishing the light stuff, just because when Im using this presentation, it's usually clear water. Im a big fan of small baits when it comes to drop-shotting. My biggest producing bait would have to be a red 4" GYCB Cut Tail worm.

   Location: This is very simple. Ive caught fish literally everywhere on this set up. My favorite would just be fishing boat docks...big, small, deep, shallow...you name it. I also find great success on points and bridge pilings.

   I tried to sum everything up for you, but like I said, its a great presentation...one of my favorites!

[Crestliner2008]

More information, please! There are a lot of variables to take into account. To give you any kind of reasonable suggestions, we would have to know what your target species is - LM or SM, what is the forage base, what kind of water of water you are fishing - clear or stained and how deep are fishing, etc.? With those details, I'm sure a lot of suggestions will come forth.

Also, if you do a search here, on drop shotting, you will find that there are plenty of articles and threads to read up on.

[A-Rob]

Good start to this thread! I am all rigged up to work the drop shot this coming season. I mainly fish for smallies, so I was thinking about biting off part of a Gambler Giggy stick to about 4" and fishing that thing around clear water flats/rocky shoals where I know there's some fish.

I think it'll work great, but was curious to any one else's favorite plastic for a smallie?

[J Francho]

Don't get caught up with drop shotting being strictly a "finesse" rig.  Match tackle to cover, and you'll be amazed at how useful this rigging is.

Gulp! Alive minnows and leeches

Giggy Sticks (no need to trim them

Roboworms (fat, short, long)

Berkley Power Worms (4-10")

GYCB Cut Tail Worms

GYCB Shad Shaped Worm

Flukes (baby to super)

Senkos

Paca Chunks

I highlighted my favorites for smallies in open water.

[A-Rob]

Nice! I won't trim 'em. Glad to hear I am in the right direction with those Giggy sticks.

Thanks

[Hammer 4]

Some of my favorite ways is..6# line on a mf spinning rig..size 1 or 2 misqito hook, nose hook a 4 1/2" or a 6"roboworm flat tail, same with Flukes..same set up, and whacky rig a 4" senco. I actually tried a 12" worm, but got no love..lol I have caught a couple fish ds'n a ragetail lizard in shallow (4') water..

My leader varies from 6" to 2'..all depending on condition of the lakes bottom ect.

[J Francho]

Hammer, are talking about the actual leader, or the dropper line, or distance from hook to weight?

[Hammer 4]

Sorry, I should have been more specific..the distance from my hook to sinker..I don't use a leader for ds'n.

Hammer, are talking about the actual leader, or the dropper line, or distance from hook to weight?

[EastTexasBassin]

The baby ragetail craw has been my best drop shot bait for the past few months. 

[Gatorbassman]

I put a Zoom Ol Monster 11inch worm on a #1 Dropshot hook and fished that rig for nearly a month this past year. Anything can go on a dropshot.

[J Francho]

Sorry, I should have been more specific..the distance from my hook to sinker..I don't use a leader for ds'n.

Hammer, are talking about the actual leader, or the dropper line, or distance from hook to weight?

Gotcha.  I use a leader, but a very long one, about 12' of 4 to 8# fluoro leader mat'l.  There are times though, when I feel I get more bites with straight fluoro, and keep an extra spool ready with 4# line for those times when I "think" I should be getting bit, but not.  Maybe its the braid, who knows.

[rubba bubba]

I put a Zoom Ol Monster 11inch worm on a #1 Dropshot hook and fished that rig for nearly a month this past year. Anything can go on a dropshot.

How far above the weight did you run that huge worm? i.e. how far above the bottom were you working it?

Also, I too use a long leader like JF.  That way I can drop shot with my casting setup.

[Tpayneful]

Venture,

   We have a lot of success on Zoom Finese worms.  We have caught a lot of fish on Chartruse / Green Pumpkin and Chartruse in clearwater.  As for we......that is my parter and I.  The weight is 3/16oz and a 1/0 Gamakatzu finese / dropshot hook.  The leader length is 12 - 18".   Cast it to shore, jiggle it and slowly reel it in.  Pause every once in a while.  Throw it beside docks, grass or trees.  If you throw it in the middle of a brush pile you might not get it back.  It is the best techique for saving a day!

[Josh Bassman]

My leader varies from 6" to 2'..all depending on condition of the lakes bottom ect.

What do you mean by "condition of the lakes bottom"?

I'm going out fishing Monday and I'm going to do some dropshotting. I need all the help I can get. I will be fishing for spots on a deep lake... mostly long points.

[Hammer 4]

Josh, as an example..If I'm at a lake that has fairly large rocks/bolders on the bottom, I'm gonna use a 2' leader/tag..I want my bait to be hopefully laying on the rocks where the fish can see it, rather than have it fall in the cracks. My belief is the easier it is for the fish to get to, the better for me..

If the bottom has 8" grass, then I shorten the leader/tag so the bait is just on top of the grass, or whatever the bottom has..

If I wanted the bait to be ON the bottom, I would opt for a t rig, splitshot, or c rig..Also, even with a longer leader/tag, you can get your bait on the bottom if you desire, just keep more slack in the line, but it's harder to detect bites that way.  Hope that helps to answer your question.

[Josh Bassman]

Josh, as an example..If I'm at a lake that has fairly large rocks/bolders on the bottom, I'm gonna use a 2' leader/tag..I want my bait to be hopefully laying on the rocks where the fish can see it, rather than have it fall in the cracks. My belief is the easier it is for the fish to get to, the better for me..

If the bottom has 8" grass, then I shorten the leader/tag so the bait is just on top of the grass, or whatever the bottom has..

If I wanted the bait to be ON the bottom, I would opt for a t rig, splitshot, or c rig..Also, even with a longer leader/tag, you can get your bait on the bottom if you desire, just keep more slack in the line, but it's harder to detect bites that way. Hope that helps to answer your question.

Hey Hammer, Thx for the help. I went out yesterday, but my fishing buddy's boat wouldn't start. We were able to use the minn kota to get around the bay, but we couldn't get out on the main lake.

I talked to another fisherman who landed 30 fish with a dropshot and shaky head... we got 3, fishing the dock.