Drop Shot On A Baitcaster

[BassinBoy]

Most guys prefer spinning rods for drop shotting... but I dont like the spinning rods I own and was wondering if anyone drop shots with a light baitcaster?

 

Anyone like it or do it?

[J Francho]

Sure, if you're fishing relatively shallow, in moderate to heavy cover, it works great.  But if you're fishing deep, open structure it's much simpler to open the bail and let the bait plummet.  Spinning reels handle light line better as well.

[Felix77]

Agree ... Glenn has an advanced drop shot video where he used heavier line, heavier sinkers and actually used it for flipping and pitching (aka Power Shotting).  I like it for those presentations.

 

[Sam]

J Francho hit it on the head, again.

 

But here is what you need to consider in addition to what J posted:

 

A drop shot is a finesse presentation with a weight the minimum  size to hold it on the bottom. So you need to select a weight that is within the paramaters of your baitcaster rod and that will hold it on the bottom.

 

Baitcaster rods are designed for heavy baits and weights and higher line test. So you need to double check the baitcaster rod's specs to make sure your drop shot is within the paramaters.

 

You need to set the magnets and balance the reel and bait before casting to avoid or minimize the backlashes from using a lighter line. If in doubt go outside and cast the rig as far as you can (or as far as you will be casting the drop shot rig), pull two arm lenghts of line off the reel and place Scotch tape across the remaining line on the reel. This will stop the backlashes from going deeper.

 

You can go a little lower on the rod's stipulated line test but you will need the weight to be able to cast without backlashes and to have just enough power to hook the fish without tearing the hook out of its mouth.

 

You can fish the drop shot on a baitcaster with no problems. You just have to be more careful than if you use a spinning rig.

 

Personally, I like the spinning set up as I use a 6 or 8 pound test and a the lightest weight I can get away with. I may go down to 4 pound test this summer to see how it performs since a number of pros use the 4 pound flourocarbon on their drop shot rigs.

 

Let us know how you rigged up your baitcaster and your results. Good luck.

[Brian Needham]

I have a 702dx finesse with a core50 ... haven't used it yet other than pitching in the yard, sub 1/4oz  and you gotta be careful with the back lashes

[papajoe222]

I'm with you on using spinning gear. I do it, but avoid it whenever possible.  Although my main drop shot combo is a spinning rig, I have a baitcaster set-up I use for drop shotting,

It consists of a 7ft. med/fast Browning rod paired with a BassPro Prolite reel spooled with 12lb. flouro. Although the heaviest weight I use is 1/8oz., most of the baits I use are bigger than normal for drop shotting.  I don't do this for ease of casting, but for those times I'm targeting big fish in a negative mood like after a cold front.  I've tried heavier weights under windy conditions to maintain bottom contact, but either because of the extra weight or the wind, I had  very limited success. 

[WRB]

I use 6 lb FC on a bait casting 2 power rod to drop shot to 40' with a 1/4 oz sinker often. Spinning is faster, but I don't like to use braid with spinning and the line twist issues are more of a problem with spinning. Lighter weight 1/8 to 3/16 oz, 3" to 5" soft plastics, I go to spinning and deal with line the issues.

Tom

[Snakehead Whisperer]

I fish a dropshot on a baitcaster pretty often. The setup I use is as follows:

 

-7.1:1 reel (free spool)

-7' MH rod

-6-10lb. copoly/flouro line

 

I also have a second ds rigged on spinning gear usually.

[Fishes in trees]

A number of years ago, In-fisherman magazine published a Rich Zaleski article about drop shotting with bait casters - they called it the "bubba shot".  It involved using a flipping/ pitching stick and 20 lb line (fluorocarbon strongly recommended.

 

Basically drop shot is just another method of presenting soft plastic.   You can go ultra finesse to mega heavy.  Although I carry a spinning drop shot rig in my boat, I turn to the bubba shot rig much more often, primarily due to the brush/cover  on the lakes I primarily fish.

[Incheon Basser]

In Japan they use baitcasting equipment for all finesse presentations. They call it "Bait Finesse" for example throw a 1/32oz small rubber jig with a 3" trailer on a 6'3" Light power Bait casting rod with 7lb line on a shallow spool Revo LTX (Japan version of the MGX but with magnetic brake) The key to this is the light power bait casting rod and the magnetic brake system on the reel. can throw just as far as a spinning reel but twice as accurate. Same goes for drop shots and neiko rigs.

[.ghoti.]

I've used a baitcast combo as my dedicated drop-shot setup for several years. For the heavier, "bubba shot" approach, almost any combo you have will do nicely. For a light line, finesse drop shot, a special rod and reel are required.

Mine is a LTB 6'9" ML-XF rod, and an Alphas, spooled with #6 clear mono. This is not the only combo that will work. There are quite a few options out there. The Japanese have lead the "bait finesse" charge, and you can find a nice selection rods and reels which would make very nice, light line, baitcast drop-shot combos. Just depends how much you're willing to spend.

I'm switching to spinning gear for drop-shotting this year, for the reason Francho mentioned.

[Fishes in trees]

A few years ago, when I was starting to get into drop shot fishing, I started with spinning tackle.  Rather than buy a new rod, I first experimented with different rods already in my arsenal.  In hindsight, many of my issues with spinning tackle and drop shot fishing were due to being a rookie at the technique.  I had issues with slack line forming loops on the spool, slack line interfering with hook sets and stuff like that.

 

So, when I decided to get a dedicated drop shot rig, I looked around for a bait casting set up, and found it with a Loomis drop shot rod.   Rogers in Liberty had the same blank in both spinning and bait casting configuration.  So I got the bait casting model and paired it with a Calcutta 50, and spooled with 8 lb fluorocarbon line.  Mixed results.  Turns out I just like a little firmer tip than the Loomis rod offered.

 

After a year or so, I went a back to spinning tackle, and not being such a newbie in the ways of drop shot fishing, my line issues went away, for the most part.  Now I carry them both all the time.

 

Turns out the Calcutta 50 will handle 20 lb fluorocarbon line great, so that got repurposed into my back up bubba drop shot reel.  Right now the Loomis drop shot rod is on the bench.

[bullett 21]

I myself drop shot with both spinner & bait caster .I prefer bait caster .To me it feels more natural in my hands.I started with spinner ,and do like it but im a baitcaster person no matter what .I grew up with bait caster reels .Not to many spinners .

I use 20lb braid size of 6lb mono for drop shot rigs on bait casters.The fall of the braid on bait caster is kinda slow.In most cases i get hit on the fall .Just keep a taught line on the drop .

[Arv]

I drop shot with a baitcaster and I like it more but thats probably because my the BC rod is more sensitive than my spinning rod. I catch fish on both though. My BC set up is a Dobyns Champ 702C with a Curado 51e spooled with 10# Sunline Sniper. The line is heavier than I would use for a strict DS set up, but its not primarily for DS.

[davew41]

Bass fishing has no real rules if you want to dropshot on a bait caster then do so.

[SissySticks]

I have dedicated drop shot rods in both spinning and baitcasting. I cast a bubba shot with baitcasting (usually with a 10" worm), and also use a separate baitcaster with 10lb. fluoro for drop shotting in heavy brush or standing timber. I also have 3 dedicated spinning DS rods that I use for less gnarly cover and lighter line/deeper water. Drop shotting vertically in deep water with a baitcaster can be a pain because of how much line you have to strip off the spool, though...

 

I agree with the original poster that most of the rods marketed as DS rods are too limber for me, but for me it isn't the tip, but the backbone that is too limber, because most of them are built for open hook/open water applications. I like a light tip so I can feel them before they feel me, but a lot of backbone because i texas rig my drop shot about 75% of the time and I also often DS heavy cover where I need the power to get the fish away from trouble fast. For me, the best possibly blank for this technique when texas rigging the DS bait is the Batson 802.75 blank, build either as a baitcaster or spinning rod.

[Bigbass37]

I have tried and I like the spinning reel so much better. More control over the bait and better casting ability.....also better sensibility. 

[BassAddict1911]

I use both but I like using the baitcaster most of the time. I use the spinning set up when im fishing vertically over the fish and fishing deep. It is just easier to get it down to the bottom with the spinning gear when fishing vertical in 25-30ft of water.

 

... just my .02

[CaptainNemo68]

I actually had problems with my baitcaster using a live bait drop shot rig. The weight imbalance on the line seemed to start a backlash in mid cast with the mag break set correctly. This is using a heavy rig setup: 7' heavy rod, Garcia C3 reel, and 30 # mono line. Regardless of the this problem, I still caught a nice Bowfin!  

[Brian Needham]

I think I am selling my baitcasting drop shot rig..... the reel is listed in the flea market.

I got the Dobyns dx702 finesse for sale  too but its not listed.

[mikeeasttn]

When Bass Pro discontiuned their Pro lIte Bait Casters I bought 1 of them and sent them to a pro reel service and he redid the reels to where they will handle 6# line and cast very light weights.

I also use a Shimano symetre spinning reel but I prefer the baitcasters as I feel I have more control espically when I have a fish on.

[Hattrick7]

I do it all the time. I fish my local lake and I just carry one rod and my tackle box.

I use a Revo SX, 7' mh rod, 15# mono. It works great. No problems casting a 4" roboworm with 1/4 oz weight. I can get it out a good 10 yards with it which is plenty for me.

I like the versatility I have to go from a crank to spinner to drop shotting all within my tackle box.

Ps I bank fish so carrying more than one rod is a pain.

[IveyRob]

Do I need a BFS reel or can I just use a good baitcast reel? Throwing a 1/4 oz mainly. 

[WRB]

1/4 no, bait casting is good. Under 1/8 oz you are looking at BFS bait casting 

or spinning. The line is the issue, under .009 it’s tricky on regular spool baitcasting reels.

Tom

[AManWearingAHat]

You can make just about anything work, but for me the feel and control is way better with a spinning rod.