Line For Deep Dropshot

[Comfortably Numb]

I am fishing for bass about 30' down in a creek channel.

 

I am trying Flouro for the first time and hate it. 6'6" medium spinning rod with 6# Berkley all the way. Way too spongy and no feel (I am used to braid). I know I am missing fish that I cant feel.

 

Should I go up in Flouro size or use braid and a short flouro leader. I close my bail by hand but the line twist is rediculous too.

 

TIA

[JeziHogg]

Try some seaguar inviszx 8lb

[Gatorbassman]

The only problem with fishing braid on a dropshot rod is that the line doesn't come off the spool very smooth when dropping vertical. It always seems to catch a little. I use seaguar fluoro, as light as I think I can get away with. I also treat the line with "Line & Lure Conditioner" to make it smooth. 

[gobig]

I use 20lb power pro with a floro leader. I don't have to deal with line twist and the sensitiviy is great. I fish as deep as 80ft with this set up.

[Bluebasser86]

I use 6 or 8 pound InvisX and have no problem feeling bites in 30-40 feet of water. If you're using Vanish that stuff has a ton of stretch and is probably why you can't feel anything. 

[Sam]

So what is the secret of a drop shot?

Light line.

The lightest flourocarbon line you can get away with using.

So what is the second secret of a drop shot?

Let the bait move with the current without interference from you by lifting or movig the bait with your rod. The light test allows this to happen.

So what brand should I use?

Your choice. Just make sure it is fresh and has no knicks or cuts in it.

[Gatorbassman]

The fishing referees won't penalize you for pulling line off the reel by hand.

 

oe

LOL Yes but if you want a drop to get it down on the fish you see in the sonar you need a smooth, fast drop. Even hand lining it will slow this down. I want a frictionless drop. 

[A-Jay]

Sufix 832 briad - 10lb with the Yozuri Hybid leader of your choice  ~ 4 to 6 lb.

 

A-Jay

[Felix77]

I am convinced the key to managing Fluorocarbon is 

 

1 - Get a good limp brand.  Seaguar InvizX 8lb works very well for me.

2 - Use a line conditioner when spooling it on and treat it the night before you go out.

 

I learned this trick from a Iaconelli video.  Take a rag.  Saturate it in the KVD line conditioner or Reel Magic.  As you reel the line onto your spool make sure it is going through the line.

 

I went the majority of last season with a considerable reduction in line twist.  You will have some just from pure usage but to me it's way less if you do what I described above.

[J Francho]

6# InvisX works well for me.  Here's a nice fish I caught from nearly 40 FOW:

 

[Fishes in trees]

I think that if you are missing fish 30' down on a drop shot, it is more than likely a rod issue than a line issue.  Just my thought.  Maybe try using a heavier weight.   When I'm fishing deep I use at least 3/8 oz.  I think that the advantages of a fast drop and overall a little tighter connection to the bottom outweigh the advantages of using a lighter weight for increased sensitivity.  Actually, I think that the heavier weight is more sensitive.

 

Note that I'm not an expert by any means, I'm just a guy who experiments with a drop shot a lot, and none of my drop shot notions are set in stone.  I experiment with something different nearly every time out.

[cueball]

I agree that a heavier sinker can help when fishing vertical.  It helps keep the line more vertical and minimizes slack in the line line, this helps with sensitivity and with managing the line.  I see lots of problems with spinning reels caused by turning the handle with line not being seated properly on the roller and with loose line being cranked on to the spool.  It is lot easier to avoid this if the sinker is heavy enough to straighten out the line.

 

When fishing deep and vertical, use your electronics to your advantage.  If you are watching your sinker on the depth finder you will know when a fish is looking at your bait and the extra concentration of knowing the fish is there really helps.  At times you don't even really feel the bite, you just know by how it looks the fish must have the bait.

[S Hovanec]

it is more than likely a rod issue than a line issue

 

I was gonna say the same thing.  Even the crappiest Fluoro line will transmit bites good enough from only 30'.

 

my line of choice is 10/2 PowerPro with a 18' Halo leader on all of my dropshot rods.

[nwmike]

10 pound power pro braid with 4 to 8 pound fluro leader.I was using straight fluro for a long time but prefer braid mainline with a fluro leader.

[wnybassman]

6# InvisX works well for me.  Here's a nice fish I caught from nearly 40 FOW:

 

 

 

I use 6 or 8 pound InvisX and have no problem feeling bites in 30-40 feet of water. If you're using Vanish that stuff has a ton of stretch and is probably why you can't feel anything. 

 

And I was standing six feet from you having no problems feeling bites on 8 lb. Vanish, either.  

[TriCityBassin']

I love dropshot so I have to chime in.

I eventually went to a dedicated DS rod, a Fenwick Elite Tech Extreme Sensitivity DS rod.  Best $$$$ I ever spent but they don't make them anymore sadly.  I use Invisx #6 like most in this thread.  I have caught countless fish from 20'-41' and shallower with this set up.  I use a 1/8 weight in nearly every situation, even deep.  As long as the wind/current will let me.

 

I don't use line conditioner on my spinning reels but rarely have any line issues.  I use Invisx 6+8# on my DS, shakey rod and my slider rod.  Time to time I use the old trick of cutting everything off and idling around to pull the line behind the boat.  Definitely recommend it...plus you can kill pre tournament time by doing this, lol.  Cheap flouro will seriously tick you off, spend the money.

 

For me, the biggest impact is the rod like Fishes in Trees stated.  I can't describe it, but I have caught 4lb largies that NEVER dribbled the rod but I could tell they were on.  These are even lighter than crappie bites.  I have to say it is the rod all the way.

 

IMO, this technique is so specific that you can fish it on a "general" set up but only in certain conditions.  Very deep, very clear, very finicky fish require dedicated gear.  There is a phenomenal video online by Martens that would help a lot. 

 

Happy finessing!

[islandbass]

Another 6# invizx user.  If you're going from being accustomed to braid to using fc line, I can "see" why you might think that fc line is dead.  All you have to do is switch to mono for a bit and then switch back to fc and then you'll think, "Dang, fc is as good as braid," lol.

 

Kidding aside, 6# or 8# (and I prefer the lightest line I can get away with) ought to be sufficient and for me, and this is relative, 30' isn't all that deep.

 

For lack of a better term, I strive for a "semi-slack" line when I drop shot. This is not too loose and not too taut and enough to let the movement of the water move that bait. If the water is dead-still, then just the slightest twist needed to move the bait without moving the weight.

 

There will be times when the take won't be a definite tug but perhaps the slightest nibble that won't make even your rod tip bend, but it would be enough movement down there to send vibrations (what I can feedback) to you throught your line. And this is what, IMHO, fc line does so well.  Even at greater depths, I can feel the slightest nibble and just know that I have one and I attibute it not to my super sensitive hands, but to the way fc transmits feedback to me.

 

Perhaps it is just a matter of you getting accustomed to using fc line. The one thing that I might ask you is what is the bottom made of where you think you are missing those bites? For me if it's:

 

Rocky - No problem

Grassy - No problem

Fine Sandy Bottom or Muddy Like - It's feels more muted

 

I bet it's just a matter of time and experience gained using FC that you will become accustomed to using it.

 

Invizx rocks! (Or cabela's house brand - it's cheaper and practically the same)

[Bankbeater]

I will be another one to chime in and say its the rod.  30' is 30' whether you are fishing vert. or horizontal.  I would upgrade to a MH rod.

[skeletor6]

I would also suggest a technique specific DS rod and would strongly advocate seaguar invizx if you are going cheap or seaguar tatsu if you want the best

Kvd l&l always and the rod plays a huge role in sensitivity many of the bites are so soft and the fish may just ****** the bait and stay there, it requires very delicate sensitivity for such a technique and a good rod will solve those issues.

[J Francho]

I've found most rods in to $100 range and up to be plent sensitive.  In fact, for years, I used an old Berkley Acuflex Series One from the '90s, until I stupidly snapped the tip in a ceiling fan.  That was one cool rod!

 

I'm also skeptical of "drop shot" designated models.  I prefer an extra fast tip, and a med-light to medium power. I don't want too much power, and want to be able to get into the "bend" quickly, without sacrificing tip speed.  Think spinner bait rod tip with a crank bait rod mid section and butt.  Others I know prefer to use a parabolic style rod.  They usually use a bit more than a reel set, so that may be a factor as well.  The rods I use now are both Saint Croix Avids, AVS63MLXF and AVSMXF.  I jump up to the medium power rod when I have to resort to heavier sinkers.

 

My old Accuflex...RIP.

[skeletor6]

Generally XF rods are stiff, you want a drop shot rod to have a really soft tip so you can shake the bait not the weight.

Dropshot specific rods that are designated xf are my favorite due to their very soft tip and their ability to set the hook well without ripping it from the fishes mouth. Also the soft tip helps in bite detection as you can feel and see the detection of a bite at your tip.

My cumara cusdx72m has all the properties I look. For in a DS rod. It has the length for a perfect easy sweeping hookset and the tip is perfect it gives very easy and is plenty soft and it has the backbone to fish larger fish. It is plenty sensitive as well. To each their own I guess.

DS specific rods such as the nrx822dsr also have that very soft whippy tip which is why they are only really good for dropshotting but are great at it.

[J Francho]

Generally XF rods are stiff, you want a drop shot rod to have a really soft tip so you can shake the bait not the weight.

 

Power describes the relative stiffness of a rod, not action or taper.  Most designated "drop shot rods" are medium light to medium powered rods with a fast to x-fast tip.

[thehooligan]

Ive been using the dobyns 682 champion and phenix 6'9 m1 light. I prefer these rods because they can throw a dropshot or shakeyhead with no problem. 

 

When it comes to line, i use 10lb power pro and a 6lb flouro leader. When you use braid for 99% of your fishing then switch to full flouro its horrible. I dont mind taking the extra minute to tie a double uni or alberto knot....

[skeletor6]

A Drop Shot specific rod...such as the shimano cumara/crucial dropshot rods with the "D" designation or an NRX DSR both are drop shot specific rods. It is in the products name and uses a blank that implies a very soft tip. Even a MH crucial dropshot stick (crsdx72mh) has a very soft tip. The power is more in the midsection of the rod not the tip for these DS specific rods not the tip.

Stiffness of a tip is not in direct relationship to the power rating of a rod for the dropshot sticks I have encountered and the ones that work the best have a very soft tip. The XF action just designates the degree to which the tip bends. The steeper the degree the faster the rating and each company has its own designations of what xf, f, mf, and m, are for their rods.

The actual degree to which the tip bends into the backbone is not in direct relationship to the stiffness of the tip. The power rating of the rod usually designates how stiff a tip will be but in the case of drop shot specific rods it does not hold true because such rods are designed to have the optimal tip for dropshotting which is not a stiff tip whether it be a ml m mag medium or medium heavy stick. The drop shot shimanos are good examples of this. A cusdx68m has a much different tip characteristics tjan a cusx68m. They both are medium powered spinning rods with extra fast actions with different tip characteristics.

The same can be seen in mag medium loomis NRX models. The DSR and SYR have the same ratings but the DSR is much softer in its tip.

[J Francho]

The transition from the tip to the backbone is the "voodoo" that is not in the typical rod's binomial (power/taper) rating.  You're saying what I'm saying.  There's no such thing as a "medium tip."  Fast, x-fast, slow merely describes how quickly the blank tapers from butt to tip.  There's a lot of variables along the way down the blank, and most rods have three section, butt, midsection, and tip.  Two different med/x-fast rods can have entirely different transitions from tip to mid section.  That a company would designate one as a "dropshot" and another as "shaky head" is arbitrarily decided by their pro staff, or marketing departments.  I have yet to meet a well made $100+ medium light to medium power, x-fast spinning rod that wasn't up to the task of drop shotting.  Anything more specific, is a personal preference that is developed time on the water, not leafing through rod specs.

 

In other words, we agree - you gotta fish the dang thing!