LINE CHOICE FOR DROP SHOT

[padon]

ive recently started fish a lake near me that is deep and clear. more of a highland type reservoir than the typical shallower weedier lakes im used to fishing. anyway from talking to some guys familiar with the lake dropshoting is a vey productive technique.I currently use braid with flouro leader on all my spinning rods and for the small amount of time I fish a dropshot it has done fine, but I was wondering if straight fluoro would be a better choice for more serious dopshoting.

[J Francho]

For nearly a decade, I've used 6# Invisx.  Three years ago, I tried 6# Tatsu, and I like that even better.  I've just respooled 5 year old Invisx with the new Finesse 7.2 lb. line (same diameter as 6#), and so far it's a pretty good line.  Many of the attributes of Tatsu, yet at a cost closer to Invisx.  The only time I use braid and a leader for this is fishing weeds, or beds like in this article:

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/dropshot-bedding-bass.html

 

Another video:

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/how-to-dropshot-fishing.html

 

Good luck with it.  Here's a pic of my personal best smallmouth, caught on a drop shot Crosstail Shad.

 

 

Finally, here's a great resource for getting started: http://www.richz.com/fishing/blog/?page_id=552

 

[PAbasser927]

I also use braid to fluoro leader for dropshotting.  I prefer it over straight nylon of any kind because braid mitigates the effects of line twist.  With dropshot, you have the fish shaking and swinging the weight all over the place and I notice the line gets twisted up fairly quickly for me.  This could probably be remedied by using a swivel but I prefer the leader knot to a swivel.

[fishwizzard]

I am new to dropshotting and am trying straight 7lb Sniper to start with.  I am about 15 trips in and the line twist is just enough to be noticeable.  I am using weights with both halves of the swivel exposed (per Rick Z's blog), so maybe that is helping?  I am fishing it from the bank so far and often have the line semi-slack as I pop the weight over the bottom, so I am loving the straight floro so far.  I backed my spool maybe 1/2-3/4 of the way with 15lb braid, so when my main line gets too short I am going to give braid/leader a try.  

[J Francho]

You can drag your line through the grass, and reel back up through your fingers with a bit of pressure to relieve any twist.  That's what I did when I didn't have a boat.

[fishwizzard]

Just now, J Francho said:

You can drag your line through the grass, and reel back up through your fingers with a bit of pressure to relieve any twist.  That's what I did when I didn't have a boat.

I did try that once, but couldn't tell if it was doing anything.  It is also incredibly awkward to do so with the rod tip in the water, trying to do it with the tip up got hot in a hurry.  I am really really digging the technique though, so I have to figure something out if I end up wanting to use straight floro.    

[Todd2]

I'm probably breaking every drop shot law that exists. I use 8-10lb Clear Blue Original Stren, Eagle Claw plain shank hooks, and sometimes I'll just tie on a bullet weight if I'm out of DS weights. Still, it's my #1 presentation when things get tough and I rarely lose one if they're still on after my reel down and lift.

[Comfortably Numb]

I use 10-15# braid to three foot Flouro leader of your choice per water clarity.

 

Sensitivity is sooo much better than straight flouro and handle well on the spinning reel.

 

No line twist with braid either.

 

I never use less than 3/8 weight in any depth and just tie the cheap weights on. (no rocks here). 

[J Francho]

10 minutes ago, Todd2 said:

I'm probably breaking every drop shot law that exists. I use 8-10lb Clear Blue Original Stren, Eagle Claw plain shank hooks, and sometimes I'll just tie on a bullet weight if I'm out of DS weights. Still, it's my #1 presentation when things get tough and I rarely lose one if they're still on after my reel down and lift.

Not at all.  I fished it like that 30 years before it was called "drop shotting."

[islandbass]

I love invizx at the same test as J Francho and to hear Tatsu is just as good I might give it a shot the next time I need to get new line.

 

With regard to the topic, I completely love the use of straight flourocarbon.   No knot issues with the guides.

 

However, if I have pure flouro and my reel spool is low, I will take off the remaining fc line put a mono or whatever backing.  I will put at least a 2-3 times my max cast on top of the backing to delay the knot being an issue through the guides.  The conditions I face are the major influence.  I face rip rap from the shore. At times, I can be forced to break off and retie multiple times in a 10 minute time span.

 

If I used a dink 4-5' leader, I'd be forced to retie the joining knot as well and I'd be wasting my time on that instead of fishing. Hence, the need for super long "leader" if you can call it that.

 

I have personally noticed and experienced more bites with fc vs. mono or braid and with very clear water.  6# mono wasn't too far behind so I won't hesitate to use it if I don't have fc. I do appreciate braid's ability to provide excellent feed back, but sometimes it's information overload, lol.  My hands are pretty sensitive so even an ugly stik is sensitive in my hands, lol. 

 

[NHBull]

Spinning rod

10 lb 832 or Gamma

6 lb seaguar blue FC leader

 

And it bores me to death!

[WRB]

Let's define clear bass water as similar to a swimming pool clarity, you can clearly see the bottom at 10'. Next clarify bass sensitivity to fishing line visiblity and that isn't possible because we are not bass, all we can do evaluate the basses reaction to line and that varies.

About 3 years ago I tried drop shooting with Samuari 10 lb braid without a leader and compared the results using 6 lb Sniper FC without braid. I would alternate the drop shot outfits using the same worms and caught about equal numbers of bass, but missed more strikes with braid that resulted in few bass landed.

Tom 

[J Francho]

2 minutes ago, WRB said:

I would alternate the drop shot outfits using the same worms and caught about equal numbers of bass, but missed more strikes with braid that resulted in few bass landed.

 

That's interesting.  You have any thoughts as to why?

[Tywithay]

I use 6lb Tatsu. It's the best line I've found as far as abrasion resistance, lack of stretch (sensitivity), strength, and manageability. Nearly all the lakes around me have too many rocks and logs for braid.

[islandbass]

Just now, J Francho said:

 

That's interesting.  You have any thoughts as to why?

Best guess, the no stretch factor of braid, even more so with anglers who have quicker reflexes. I think we wind up yanking it away quicker than with mono.

 

I was fishing with braid for the first time on the water. I had a rattle trap on and as I was working on a pause a nice size bass approached it and open its jaws preparing to take it.

 

I saw my lure getting sucked into its mouth. It was incredible to watch.  My lure was clearly in its mouth and the bass began to close its jaws.  I got so excited and pulled back to set the hook. Well, I managed to yank the lure completely out of its mouth before its jaw fully closed. I even felt the bait hit is mouth on the way out.

 

The lure came back flying at me and I instinctively employed a Neo evasion move from the Matrix to avoid it.  I immediately realized the near 0 stretch of braid that day.

 

The bass actually looked up at me nonchalantly and then swam away.  I could have sworn I heard it say, "better luck next time, pal". 

 

 

[J Francho]

That's a tough break!

[Darren.]

Don't think there's any "standard" as much as confidence-opinions

on "best" line(s) to use.

 

My M.O. is braid + leader on all rigs, and for drop shot, I'll typically

use 6 and 8# gamma edge fluoro, as well as 6# Yo Zuri Hybrid.

 

If I were you I'd try a longer leader length. Some have experimented

with 20' sections as did Gary Yamamoto years back. His reasoning 

was that when fighting a fish near the boat he wanted the leader knot

on his reel so there was one less possible failure. I've never worried

about that, and not had any problems at all.

 

Will other stuff work, absolutely, as testified by all the responses.

[WRB]

3 hours ago, J Francho said:

 

That's interesting.  You have any thoughts as to why?

The only explanation is braid without a leader, especifcally soft Samurai,  may have more slack than either FC or mono because it's very buoyant and miss strikes when the bass rejects the worm before I detect it. With both mono and FC with a drop shot the strikes are often a resistance feel more than a tap strike like the braid feels like.

My point is braid is very visible, not transparent and that doesn't seem to affect the bass in our clear water lakes. I am not that confident using straight braid during a slow bite, but it works.

The bottom line is anglers can use whatever line they choose as long as the line doesn't adversely affect the action of the lure and is strong enough to get a solid hook set and control the bass to land it.

Tom

 

 

[WRB]

Regarding the origins of the drop shot for fresh water bass fishing dates back into the early 80's and was called stacking or down shot rigs from Japan.

Salt water anglers have been drop shotting for many decades before fresh water anglers with ganglion and dropper loop rigs for deep water fish like cod and snappers.

Stacking is 2 or more hooks on the same line with a bottom weight, down shot was the original name for drop shot rigs.

I remember thinking the drop shot rig wouldn't be effective for bass with a hook tied directly to the middle of the line, bass would reject it.

A friend of mine won a fully rigged Ranger bass fishing the Colorado River circuit lakes Mead, Mojave and Havasu using the down shot rig, that changed my mind!

Tom

[ww2farmer]

I am a braid to leader guy. Clear or dirty water. 

 

Often times for other techniques, I'll go straight braid to the hook/bait in dirty water. With a drop shot I 100% of the time use a leader, because I don't like how limp braid is, especially with the hook tied 12"-18" up the line.

[Finnz922]

I'm using 12lb SX1 with 8lb Sniper leader. Work's great for me in clear and stained water. I use the Crazy Alberto knot and as long of leader as I can. Just long enough the knot doesn't enter the line roller on my reel.

[J Francho]

14 hours ago, WRB said:

Regarding the origins of the drop shot for fresh water bass fishing dates back into the early 80's and was called stacking or down shot rigs from Japan.

Salt water anglers have been drop shotting for many decades before fresh water anglers with ganglion and dropper loop rigs for deep water fish like cod and snappers.

Stacking is 2 or more hooks on the same line with a bottom weight, down shot was the original name for drop shot rigs.

I remember thinking the drop shot rig wouldn't be effective for bass with a hook tied directly to the middle of the line, bass would reject it.

A friend of mine won a fully rigged Ranger bass fishing the Colorado River circuit lakes Mead, Mojave and Havasu using the down shot rig, that changed my mind!

Tom

We did this for as long as I can remember, for all sorts of species of fishes.  We even did the double hook thing, especially for crappie that could be suspended at different depths.  I learned it from my dad, who learned it from my grandfather, who learned it from his father.  It's not exclusively an 80s Japanese invention, rather the term "drop shot" and the variation of passing the line back through the knot is. 

15 hours ago, WRB said:

The only explanation is braid without a leader, especifcally soft Samurai,  may have more slack than either FC or mono because it's very buoyant and miss strikes when the bass rejects the worm before I detect it. With both mono and FC with a drop shot the strikes are often a resistance feel more than a tap strike like the braid feels like.

My point is braid is very visible, not transparent and that doesn't seem to affect the bass in our clear water lakes. I am not that confident using straight braid during a slow bite, but it works.

The bottom line is anglers can use whatever line they choose as long as the line doesn't adversely affect the action of the lure and is strong enough to get a solid hook set and control the bass to land it.

Tom

 

 

I once watched a local pro demonstrate DS in the tank at BPS Auburn, NY.  He was using braid and leader.  That tank can't much more than 12' deep.  He was only giving it an underhand pitch cast of about 10' out - pretty common practice if you're moving slowly over deep structure.  The bow in the line was remarkable.  So much, the speaker did not feel 30"+ steelhead in the tank grabbing the bait on the drop.  He had another set up with straight fluoro, just to show the two styles.  No bow in the line, and no issues detecting strikes.  I don't think the issue is braid and leader, but the oft recommended tine weights.  I see so many people using these tine 1/8 weights all the time.  Meanwhile, I start at 1/2 oz.  You want to feel the strikes?  You need a straight line connection from the tip of you rod to the point of the hook.  Can you get bit using lighter weights?  Of course.  Can you detect the strike?  Maybe.  Some are better than others.  I'm basing this off many, many hours of watching paint dry and water boil, while fishing a drop shot.  Yeah, not the most fun, but surely the most effective on certain deep structures.

[Todd2]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

 The bow in the line was remarkable.  So much, the speaker did not feel 30"+ steelhead in the tank grabbing the bait on the drop.  He had another set up with straight fluoro, just to show the two styles.  No bow in the line, and no issues detecting strikes.  I don't think the issue is braid and leader, but the oft recommended tine weights.  I see so many people using these tine 1/8 weights all the time.  Meanwhile, I start at 1/2 oz.  You want to feel the strikes?  You need a straight line connection from the tip of you rod to the point of the hook.  Can you get bit using lighter weights?  Of course.  Can you detect the strike?  Maybe.  

Wow..that's some good info.  I usually go lighter thinking I'll get hung less..but I was just about to order my regular 3/16 oz ds weights. I'm gonna bump it up to 3/8 or 1/2.

 

I know last weekend I was working it down some drops and lost contact just like a jig bite sometimes and that little alarm in my head went off to reel fast and sweep. Landed about a 3lber and never saw or felt any line movement. Heavier weights should help with those bites too..staying in contact..thanks.

[J Francho]

When I'm in 30+ on Lake Ontario or Erie, I'm using a 3/4 oz. gumballs.  3/8 - 1/2 oz. is a good weight.  You're really just looking to keep the bait in one place, and keep the line somewhat taught.

[webertime]

I'm a long leader guy (20ft of 7lb Gamma attached to some 10lb Braid).   Just have way fewer line twist issues, that was my biggest problems with drop shotting.  Go to drop on an Arch and have a line loop catch around a guide and the cluster that followed.  3/8-3/4 oz.  The number of times you get bit when a bait buzzes by the face of a fish is amazing.  Light weights take to long to hit bottom, lift easier in rough water and aren't as accurate in my opinion.