Why A Drop Shot?

[Tim Kelly]

Can anyone explain why people seem to tend to use a dropshot rig vertically, especially for suspended fish? I use the DS rig quite a lot for casting and love it, but if I'm fishing vertically I tend to use a jig head in the plastic, especially if I'm off the bottom. I was watching MLF the other day and Brent Ehrler was using a DS rig vertically. I've heard many times people saying the smallies were hitting the weight, not the plastic, but if you use a jig head that can't happen. Can someone explain what I'm not understanding?

[Todd2]

I saw the same episode and thought the same thing.

[Sam]

The drop shot is designed for the rod to be pulled up in an even manner, not hard over your head.

 

The small circle or octopus hook will penetrate the fish's mouth without a problem.

 

To do this the proper way you are fishing straight down from your boat into structure on the bottom.

 

When you have a strike you just lift up the rod tip to set the hook.

 

I also fish the drop shot by casting it out and put a little more weight into this set up's hook set.

 

When fishing the drop shot in structure please consider hooking your plastic "Texas" style with the hook point buried in the plastic's top skin as an alternative to the small circle or octopus hooks.

 

Give it a shot. Works great!

[BrianinMD]

The dropshot vertically is to get the bait suspended off the bottom, basically hanging right in front of the fish. If they are in a non-eating mood this can cause them to hit it because they just can't stand seeing it. A jig would either be kept moving thru the fish or down on the bottom. At times this will work, other times it won't. This is where the dropshot comes in.

 

One thing some people do if the fish are sometimes hitting the weight is to replace it with a small jig. Giving you two shots at getting the bite.

 

Just another tool to keep in mind, there is nothing definite in getting fish to bite.

[Dwight Hottle]

Can anyone explain why people seem to tend to use a dropshot rig vertically, especially for suspended fish? I use the DS rig quite a lot for casting and love it, but if I'm fishing vertically I tend to use a jig head in the plastic, especially if I'm off the bottom. I was watching MLF the other day and Brent Ehrler was using a DS rig vertically. I've heard many times people saying the smallies were hitting the weight, not the plastic, but if you use a jig head that can't happen. Can someone explain what I'm not understanding?

 

I feel the same way. Vertical jigging, blade bait or spoon would do the same job. The only difference is the dropshot rig is almost exclusively a plastic presentation only which could be an advantage.

[Comfortably Numb]

I agree. For suspending SM I def would have used a jighead as a weight IF legal in that tourney format and state rules.

 

KVD's jerkbait had three trebles (nine hooks technically)

[rippin-lips]

As Brian mentioned already. It puts the bait right in their face when they are suspending just off the bottom. Think of that annoying fly that keeps landing on your face. You swat at it,right? Well it's the same premise with the fish.

[RoLo]

I feel the same way. Vertical jigging, blade bait or spoon would do the same job. The only difference is the dropshot rig is almost exclusively a plastic presentation only which could be an advantage.

 

I know I'm dating myself, but the ‘dropshot rig’ is the latest version of the age-old ‘dropper rig’ used for ground-fish.

Instead of attaching the hook to a dropper line, the hook is attached directly to the main line.

In a nutshell, the dropshot rig provides superior depth control, but like any rig it may be used off-label as the angler wishes.

 

Like you, I don't use the dropshot rig for suspended fish, but use it only as a bottom rig

to suspend the lure a specific distance above bottom. 

 

(Yes, smallies definitely do strike sinkers and cork bobbers in lieu of the lure)

 

Roger

[Felix77]

Did you catch the MLF lessons. He explained what he did in detail including how he used the electronics.

[Tim Kelly]

Yes, but I still don't get what the advantage of a drop shot rig is over the same bait fished on a jig head.

[annexation]

Seems like it would be easier to keep your plastic suspended in a horizontal manner with a dropshot than hanging it on a lead head.

[tomustang]

The weight is the anchor so the plastic is free moving for a different action.

[benthinkin]

shakey head on the bottom as a weight and put your dropshot above

[plumworm]

I cast a drop shot rig with a 1/4 oz. weight and shake it in place as I very slowly work it back in 6-8 inch pulls. I usually put the bait about 24" above the weight because with the " angle of the dangle" would put the bait about 12" above the bottom. It works for me in the really clear lakes in northern Wisconsin. Lm and smallies.

[Catch and Grease]

I like it a lot because it's a way to get that weightless plastic action with all the benefits of a weight and you can present the bait at the level of the bass or above them easier.

[Tim Kelly]

OK. What they were doing on the program was fishing vertically and dropping down in 30ft of water to fish that were at 20ft. Seeing the rig drop on the sonar and stopping it when it got to the fish. The DS weight was nowhere near the bottom. I'm wondering why you'd fish a drop shot rig for that circumstance, rather than the same plastic on a jig head.

[Sam]

Tim, in response to your query above I offer the following:

Drop shot weight keeps line straight and has the plastic stick straight out at 90* which is more realistic than a Texas rig with the bait facing horizontal.

[Tim Kelly]

Thanks Sam, but a plastic on a jig head is going to hang pretty horizontal too. I agree that a texas rigged one wouldn't.

[ChrisD46]

I cast a drop shot rig with a 1/4 oz. weight and shake it in place as I very slowly work it back in 6-8 inch pulls. I usually put the bait about 24" above the weight because with the " angle of the dangle" would put the bait about 12" above the bottom. It works for me in the really clear lakes in northern Wisconsin. Lm and smallies.

There is a KVD video where he uses this approach in a pool to clearly show you his horizontal drop shot technique which he works pretty darn fast I might add !

[gobig]

This is a common west coast practice. It is particularly effective on deep clear water. Done properly a dropshot presented in this manor gives a really natural look that you don't get from a jig head. Light line is critical to get the proper action and a round dropshot weight falls straight down with out deviating. 

[WIGuide]

I would think this would give you a more natural look to the bait and also prevent it from drifting off or moving very much. Using a drop shot would allow you to use more weight and it stays off away from the bait. If you're using a bigger jig head it would increase the profile of whatever soft plastic you were using on the back of it along with the fact that it might look unnatural to have a big jig head with a small finesse bait on the hook. I'm not sure if that's why or not, but it's what I could come up with. 

[Tim Kelly]

That's my only thought too, but even a 1/4oz jig head is pretty tiny and most people don't use drop shot weights that heavy fishing in lakes.

[matuka]

I'm not trying to be a wiseguy but sometimes pressured fish are more willing to eat a "naked" soft plastic than one on a jig head, either suspended or on the bottom.  To me it's that simple. Sometimes these fish won't even tip their noses down eight or ten inches to eat any lure on the bottom, but annoy them with a DS bait at their eye level and eventually they take a swing at it. My home lake as a lot of spotties, and some good ones too. They have a reputation for being aggressive, but I think they can be very moody. I'll bet most us have fished vertically on fish and watch them disappear when your offering came into they're domain. On the other hand, last week I was dropping the hounddog retriever on a stuck A-rig. And I mean about two-hundred times. I was amazed at how many fish were showing up on the graph to check out the dumb looking orange thing jumping up and down for no reason.

[WRB]

Ehlers started off catching drop shot fish near the bottom, then watching his sonar noticed the Smallies were stacked up off the bottom. MLF time is critical, why use 2 different rigs when 1 allowed him to work the entire water column and the bass were biting his rig!

Under ideal conditions he could have rigged a dart head jig, perfect for suspended bass. By the time he finds the right weight dart jig, rigs it, the smallies moves and he misses out on a hot bite.

Feed the bass what they, when and how they want it...Ehlers did and won!

Tom

[Tim Kelly]

Thank you. I think that's the best reason I've heard yet.