Drop shot help

[Dbchristian32]

I’ve been bass fishing for probably 5-6 years now. I’ve improved so much especially since I joined this site. I’ve always been most confident with Texas rigging. It was the first technique that I was successful at. I’m catching plenty of fish but I know to become a better angler I need to be more confident with different techniques. I’ve never tried the drop shot technique before. Can someone recommend a good setup to start with for a beginner? Hooks, weight, soft plastics, etc?

[FishDewd]

If you've never used it before, don't worry about soft plastics, that'll come later. What I'm going to recommend instead is you focus on something smaller than bass to get the feel for it: the humble, tasty little bluegill. Or any other perch for that matter that is found in a pond or lake. There are two hooks you can use: a dropshot hook such as those Gamakatsu makes, or my personal favorite is the spinshot hooks by VMC. Get some small ones, think in Gama they are a size 1. I forget what exact size of spinshot I have but it's pretty little. The spinshot has two distinct advantages over a traditional dropshot hook: 1.) they have a built in swivel so you can attach your mainline directly to the top eyelet. This swivel allows it to always face towards you and never get tangled up. 2.) the bottom eyelet allows you to run a completely different line than your mainline. I use a low strength line no more than 2-6 lb test. If the weight gets stuck, break it off and it saves the hook without needing to retie the whole thing like a standard dropshot hook. This is the only good use for Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon line.

 

Weight: depends on the depth and the water chop. I like to use somewhere around 1/4 oz for most applications, but sometimes you need more for deep water or if it's really choppy... lets say 3/8 or so. But I use 3/16 a lot because I fish for the bluegill in the shallows off of shore grasslines since I really know this technique well. It's finesse. Use the weights that pinch onto the line so you can tie a "lefty kreh knot" aka "the figure 8" to secure the weight on easier. Also makes it easy to change out weights.

 

Baits: since I'd like you to start out with perch, just use regular old live earthworms. Use just enough of one to slide it up the hook shank and let a bit dangle over the hook tip.

 

Pole/reels: for perch, use light action. My go-to perch dropshot rod is actually an $8 zebco dock demon since I am not usually casting it very far. Just kinda flip it next to a grassline near you. For other fish this will vary, but I'm just getting you warmed up to it here. So use what you have that has a soft tip. Reel doesn't matter whatsoever.

 

This is a great start to get the feel for how it works. Basically, it's similar to a jig working it, but a bit different. After you cast it, take out all but a tiny bit of slack. You want to be able to jiggle the bait without moving the weight. Very subtle twitches. That is key. If you're not getting any hits, drag it a few inches-few feet and repeat. But if you focus on grasslines in perchy water, they should smoke it pretty quickly. This technique is self-hooking. When the line starts to run, reel out the rest of the slack and lift up on the pole. Doesn't take much of a set at all since the hooks are so thin.

 

Master that, then move up to a stiffer rod and larger dropshot hooks in either traditional style (wacky rigged) or worm style (t-rigged) using trick worms, finesse worms, etc. I haven't tried much else soft plastic wise, but those do work.

 

 

[Dbchristian32]

Thank you so much! I couldn’t have asked for a better answer. I’ll definitely start with a smaller setup. 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I've never considered dropshotting for panfish/bream. Ive always just considerd drop shot a finesse bass method. Thank you for that.

[Darren.]

Drop shot for bass is a fantastic technique to learn.

 

ML and M rods, 1000-2500 spinning reels, 6-8#

test line or leader with braid mainline.

 

Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm!!! My most productive

dropshot bait by far.

 

1-1/0 Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot hooks.

Hook thru the nose, belly side down. Enjoy.

 

 

Dropshotting for pannies is fun.

 

I use a ML or L rod, and same reels I use for bass,

1000 size Stradics. 6# leader (or lighter).

 

Light line, braid for mainline, 

 

I use a #2 Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot hook

with a 1/8-1/4 oz weight.

 

For baits, a tasty little morsel will be panfish assasin

style minnows, like image below, and here:

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-pro-baby-shad

https://www.basspro.com/shop/SearchDisplay?categoryId=&storeId=715838534&catalogId=3074457345616676768&langId=-1&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView=&beginIndex=0&pageSize=24&searchTerm=panfish+shad#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&facetLimit:&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&

 

[NYWayfarer]

7 minutes ago, Darren. said:

 

 

 

 

Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm!!! My most productive

dropshot bait by far.

 

 

I was looking for a dropshot bait for this weekend and I forgot about these! I have a whole un-opened pack from last year.

 

I was using them on a jighead so thanks for the reminder!

[All Day Fishing]

Always use Tungsten! Its amazing! ?

[HookRz]

12 hours ago, Dbchristian32 said:

I’ve been bass fishing for probably 5-6 years now. I’ve improved so much especially since I joined this site. I’ve always been most confident with Texas rigging. It was the first technique that I was successful at. I’m catching plenty of fish but I know to become a better angler I need to be more confident with different techniques. I’ve never tried the drop shot technique before. Can someone recommend a good setup to start with for a beginner? Hooks, weight, soft plastics, etc?

Great advice! After all, in my area, the DS was a Perch rig for at least 80 years before bass anglers discovered it. The only difference is for bass we only use one hook and need a $400 special rod to make sure we feel the bite of a 4# bass where back in  the day we ran two or three baits and felt 8" perch inhale them just fine with our 5' fiberglass spinning rods. In 75' of water! 

[Crestliner2008]

This should answer most of your questions. RichZ is one of the foremost authorities on the drop shot:

 

Drop Shotting A-Z

[DropShotHotShot]

Its a fun technique, very easy to learn.

 

Gear: any spinning setup you already have, braid to a floro leader or strait floro is fine.

 

Hook, I am in love with the VMC Neko #2 hook.  you can use the original hook and run the tag end through the eyelet prior to attaching the sinker.  or they offer the same hook as a spin-shot.

 

Weight: I like a 1/2 oz cylinder dropshot weight. lead is fine, as tungsten is expensive.  but if you are ok with spending more, go for it.

 

Plastic:  Can't go wrong with the original senko, 5" for largies, 4" for smallies.  rig it wacky on the hook.

 

how to fish: either drop strait on marks or structure, or cast and retrieve slowly.

 

learn to keep the weight on the bottom while shaking the slack in your line to put action in the plastic. 

 

 

 

 

[WRB]

Try searching "drop shot", several pages and articles on this site to read.

The mistake most bass anglers makes with drop shot is over fishing it, it's as close to a dead stick rig as it gets, all you do is control slight slack line and gently shake the it.

Tom

[LCG]

The one suggestion I will add is that it is a truly finnese presentation. It has to look natural and fished slow, if you think your fishing it slow, work on doing it slower. It's highly productive. 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I have a question, I mainly river fish in ga, so 90% of where I fish has current. I have started using DS method and having success but like anything else I want to fine tune it to produce more.

 

I've been throwing 7' mf spinning gear, with 40lb power pro braid. Also been using 1/4oz bell sinker with 4/0 trokar. Lots of structure, roots, logjams, and bowfin so that's why I fish such "heavier" gear. So far it's proved to be very weedless and it's produced fish. I've been throwing a merthiolate trick worm, since thats a color I know will produce bass.

 

Anybody have any tips for current fishing the DS and could I attach a swivel between my hook and line for less line wrap and maybe more action. 

 

I mostly pitch and flip, I just wanted to try this method to slow down and stay in the strike zone longer as well as use a presentation not likely used around my parts.

[WRB]

4/0 Tokar for drop shot....whatever,

Keep in mind the larger the hook the heavier wire diameter and weight is. Yet ring to get a hook set with the 4/0 hook on line less then 10 lb test is difficult.

Treat your self to some smaller hooks, Tokars are expensive, Owner Mosqito size 1 nose hooked or #5133 size 2/0 light wire down shot hook with 6" worms rigged weedless (Texas) skin hooked.

Tom

Roboworn Fat straight tail is similar to a trick worm and red crawler should work for you.

 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

But with all the cover and current anything but braid will break. I guess it's a spin-off of power shotting not your Western "finesse" dropshot rig

 

I've just been experimenting with what I figured would work for me, why is a 4/0 trokar hook so bad? I need it to be as snagless as possible. A small nose hook just ain't gonna work in the river I'm fishing.

[blckshirt98]

For finesse all I pretty much do is dropshot and here's what I do - 

 

Rod/Reel/Line - Spinning, I use 15lb braid mainline, with 7-10lb fluoro leader (eyeball about 26-28 inches).  You can use a double uni to tie the two together, or you can use a swivel.  I like to have a fairly long section between the hook and the weight because being a shore guy the angle of the line will be steep so a 12 inch gap will only keep the bait about 5 inches off the bottom.  You don't want to fish it on the bottom, but rather imitate a lost/clueless baitfish hanging out in the open.  You also want to keep your hook away from any weeds/moss.

 

Hook - Size 2-6.  Anything that will point upright when tied with the dropshot palomar.  Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot, Gamakatsu Octopus, Owner Mosquitos (best if you're on a budget, get the bulk Pro Packs), Trokar Drop Shot (personal favorite, but also the most expensive).  Don't use the Trapper hooks, hate those things.

 

Weight - Start with a 3/8 oz lead cylinder or tungsten teardrop on calm days.  Go heavier as the wind/current starts to impact your casting distance and accuracy, or starts moving your plastic in the water when you don't want it to move.

 

Plastic - Anything with a "twitchy" tail.  Whatever plastic you use, drop it into the water in front of you and barely twitch the tip of your rod, and see how the plastic moves in relation to the amount of action of your twitch.  Sometimes even just tapping the base of the rod with your thumb of your offhand will impart the action you want.  I like the SK Dream Shots and Jackall Crosstail Shads.  Nose hook the bait, and very important, check the bait after every cast and clean off anything the exposed nose hook might have picked up.  Any little bit of gunk on the hook/bait and the fish will freak out (per Aaron Martens).

 

How to fish it - cast it out, let the weight hit the bottom, and then barely twitch the rod tip, let the rod do the work. If you tested the plastic out in the water in front of you, you'll be able to see how much movement just the tiniest twitch will impart on the plastic.  Like Tom said you're almost deadsticking it.  1-2 twitches, pause, but keep line tension.  1-2 twitches, pause, but keep line tension.  Repeat.  If the wind/current is moving your bait when you don't want it to move, go to a heavier weight.  You'll keep the lure in the same spot for up to a minute, sometimes longer.  Retrieve a few yards, repeat.  Any fish in the vicinity will be swimming up to it to investigate.  It almost feels like bait fishing at times, but it works.  I had a buddy fish a senko the other day casting to the edge of some tulies and didn't get any bites.  I asked him if he was done with the spot, threw my dropshot in the exact same spot, three casts, three fish, but I had to leave the plastic out there in the same spot for about a minute each time, before I got bit.

[FishStickHunter]

When using a drop shot find something that helps you slow down.  I like to have a cigar when using a drop shot since taking a nice puff during my pause/deadstick seems to help.

 

One day I was getting skunked and luckly my kiddo was having line twist issues.  I got fish my first fish once I picked my rod up after getting his rod fixed.  Next time he got line twist I got him fixed and as soon as I moved my rod I got a second fish.  Ended up being a very productive day once I learned how to slow it WAY down