Drop shot from shore

[HawkeyeSmallie]

I tried a drop shot for the first time ever last night. Only fished it a little but caught a dink on a 4 inch little finesse worm. Then I got a snag and as time was limited I went to something else.

 

Anyone else fish a drop shot from the shore? Due to the angle of the line, are we more prone to snags on a rocky bottom?

 

I'm obviously new to drop shotting but I love the concept and am excited to use it more.

 

Any tips are welcomed! Thanks

[ib_of_the_damned]

All I fish from is the shore (city park lakes). Bank bound angler... I fish the drop shot from the shore all the time. It's always rigged up on my spinning rod. I use smaller hooks (gamakatsu drop shot sz 2, VMC Spinshot sz. 4, or Owner Down Shot sz 1-1/0) and have usually between 8"-16" of tag end to put the weight on. I have gone longer, but typically about a foot is what I use. 

 

To address the snagging part, I rarely get snagged up using nose hooked worms. If I feel the lake is too weedy I'll use the Owner Down Shot hook and texas rig the worm. If I do snag, I can easily bend out the hook on 7lb Sniper or the weight pops off and I just clip on another. 

 

If you are fishing rock, look to the cylindrical style weights. I prefer the tear drop shape, I don't fish around much rock.

[islandbass]

I drop shot all the time and I too am shorebound.  I would agree with you about being on shore and the angle of the line.  I fish primarily rip rap for smallies and I go in knowing getting snagged up is a given. I can breakoff and retie three times in 5 minutes or less, lol.  I've gotten around the use of costly DS weights, as much as I love to use them.  

 

As the other Ib noted (nice to see you're still around, ib) cylindrical weights and tear drop shaped I have also found to be the best for most conditions, including rocks. 

 

You're going to get addicted to drop shotting now.  It's almost all I do, lol.

 

-ib

[Dorado]

I like to drop shot from shore and use 18-24" leader (from cylindrical weight to hook). For rocky rip rap areas, use the LIGHTEST weights possible. That helps a ton.

 

This year, all I catch are channel cats off the drop shot :/ good luck!

[islandbass]

Dorado,

 

You nailed it!  Well said.

[Crestliner2008]

VMC makes a version of their "Spin Shot" hooks with a regular EWG offset worm hook. If you use pencil type weights and these hooks (Texas rigging the worm) you shouldn't have much difficulty with snagging. However, you will have to "set" the hook harder than you normally would with a standard DS hook. I'm not a fan of the standard Spin-Shots for regular DS use. I've lost way too many fish on them. The EWG Tx rigging might just help you out in this situation.

[jr231]

I have a kayak and small Jon boat. But due to a busy schedule 60% of my fishing is  from the bank.

 

anglers say dropshot from the shore in ineffective ! My results say otherwise... If I'm fearing a skunk I'm tossing a senko or a dropshot. I like using small 2/0 ewg hooks and Texas rigging the plastic making it much more weedless than the "standard" nose hook. This is especially effective in ponds with an all muck bottom, where the Texas rig and jigs are not effective.

 

Yama kut tail worm is my favorite drop shot bait. 

[Munkin]

Use a small hook e.g. 1/0 and texas rig the bait and it will hang up less. Since you are fishing from shore in shallower water line twist should not be as much of a problem. I recommend using water gremlin 1/8oz bank sinkers with the brass eye for weights as they are a lot cheaper to lose. Last thing is in water shallower than 15' I find the best leader length is from 6-18". The only time I use a longer leader is when I am graphing them in deep water. I learned this on the Classic Patterns Ike did and it has really helped.

 

Allen

[Darren.]

My 2nd oldest boy caught a gorgeous 4 pounder from

shore when I was teaching him to drop shot. Can't quite

remember how young he was, but he was in elementary

school (high school junior now).

 

His very first cast with a drop was that 4# bass. Awesome.

 

 

[fishwizzard]

I am just getting into drop shoting, I was struggling one day and made up a bastardized version from some stuff I found in my tackle bag and caught a few.  I picked up some of the Decoy drop shot hooks;

 

I hate the palomar knot in general and want to be able to swap out the drop line without retying as I move around a body of water.  These were cheaper the the Gammy ones so I figured I would give them a try, has anyone else used them? 

[HawkeyeSmallie]

Next time I go out maybe I'll lengthen the leader (or whatever you call it). Last night it was only about 6-8 inches.