Tried a drop shot for the first time

[scaleface]

I was out fishing points and the bass were not cooperating . Caught  four 14 inchers  on crankbaits 10  to 20 foot deep , so decided to give a drop shot a go . I did not catch a fish on it but wanted to share how I rigged the weight . I had some dropshot hooks,  the kind on a swivel   but no weights . So I slid on a 1/4 ounce bullet weight   then a bobber stop and tied a simple overhand knot on the end of the line . The little knot prevented the weight  and stop from sliding off . Zero bites but I'll try again  since I have a new drop  shot rod . Oh,  and I used a 6 inch jelly worm . 

[riverbasser]

I don't have much experiance with a DS either but I know a lot who do. I'm guilty of only trying new things when all my usual things don't work or the fishing seems tough, probably a bad habit but some days they seem to only bite one thing so you never know.

 

What was the water color like? In my mind a DS is geared toward clearer water

[scaleface]

20 minutes ago, riverbasser said:

What was the water color like? In my mind a DS is geared toward clearer water

Theres about three foot of visibility . I also tried a Texas rigged worm and a small DOA swimbait ,so Dropshot wasnt the only thing they were not hitting . I salvaged the day by hitting shallow grass with a buzzbait . This has been the summer of the buzzbait .

[Brad in Texas]

I used to use the Gamakatsu swivel hooks for drop shot riggings, liked them quite well. The theory is, at least in part, that these hooks eliminate a lot of line twist. And, the little flag-like worms can flutter around a bit more in currents, move more.

 

Anyway, I had one trip out last spring where something went wrong and I lost every bass that bit. It was so weird: I was 0 for 20 landing the bass. And, I was a very experienced drop shot user. Likely spawners that were somehow picking it up, moving it or something. I am still not absolutely certain what happened.

 

When I moved over to using Roboworm Rebarb hooks, generally either #1s or 1/0s, my results just jumped off the chart. I have days where I might miss one fish on a bad hook set. Last Saturday, I fished under a bridge near the boat ramp on my home lake, caught 6 out of 6. Never lost a fish to a bad hook set.

 

So, a bad day led to some experimentation . . . and I found my hook!

 

Brad

 

P.S. the sort of weight one uses on a drop shot is of little importance. It is "below the action" so to speak. It is just that certain shapes do better, say cylinder shapes for snaggy conditions, but other shapes, too. If you don't have a true drop shot weight, you can pinch on some lead, that, or use just about anything in your tackle box until you can get some actual DS weights.

[FishDewd]

I use the VMC swivle hooks for Ds after much trial and error. Yes, you can use the regular DS hooks... tie a knot, pass the line through, then tie a weight on... but it has disadvantages. The ones with two eyelets (spinshots) don't have those disadvantages. They move around with the fish and allow you to tie a lighter weight leader in case of a snag- I use crappy berkley vanish for this- pop the weight off, but keep the hook. Retie a weight with a figure 8 knot, pop on a new weight and off you go DS'ing once again.

 

It works in murky water trust me... I do pull it out every now and then when really, really desperate and it does catch bass. I just try not to use it for bass. I work it slower than a texas rig. Slower than a ned rig. It's by far the slowest presentation I have, but will get bit eventually. Not very exciting but it does work. It's pretty easy though. Cast out, let sit.... give some twitches every minute or so. After 5-10 minutes, drag in a few feet and repeat.

[Mobasser]

7 hours ago, scaleface said:

Theres about three foot of visibility . I also tried a Texas rigged worm and a small DOA swimbait ,so Dropshot wasnt the only thing they were not hitting . I salvaged the day by hitting shallow grass with a buzzbait . This has been the summer of the buzzbait .

Scaleface, I'm not much of a drop shorter either. Texas rig is my favorite, followed by shakey heads and split shot. I'll have to learn it at some point. I like jelly worms too

[NHBull]

Have yet to pull mine out this year.....just haven't had the patients and never really put in that situation.   Will HAVE to start as my only technique next month ?

[Mjmj]

Drop shot is a finesse bait. It will work in any color water, just like a Texas rig.  Try using a 4" bait nose hooked. Should help. Sometimes I'll go with a 6", but most of the time I'll use a 4".  Find a YouTube video on trying a drop shot hook. Most people I know won't use the hooks with swivels. There seems to be a better hookup ratio using the standard drop shot hook. They cost less too?

[JustJames]

Dropshot used to me my #1 technique to catch bass, heck DS was very first technique I learned how to catch bass (adapt from saltwater rig).

For weight, I used everything from splitshot weight to egg sinker. If you don't have DS weight in hand but got some bullet weight or small egg sinker, you can also use swivel or beads tie double overhand knot to stop the weight. If you use spinshot hook, I recommend smaller diameter line at tag end incase you snag something.

This year I think I pulled DS rig only twice. DS is not only good in clear water but murky water also work as long as you know where the bass at. I used dropshot in small pond where I know bass roaming around shoreline looking for bait. I think DS as bait and wait type, you cast it out shake shake shake and wait wait wait, move a little bit and repeat, some time it take up to 15-20 mins per cast. If you dropshot in 15-20 FOW, try super Fluke as your bait, you will be surprised.

[Brad in Texas]

More good advice, ideas.

 

As regards the swivel hooks, I greatly prefer the Gamakatsu version with the pinch-on line grip for the separate line from the bottom of the hook down to a pinch-on drop shot weight.

 

There are others with the two eyes . . . but they require a second knot to be tied, more time for this and it is so much easier to start with a long length "sinker leader" and cut off a few inches repeatedly to find the right depth for that day, where the fish want the hook in relation to the bottom.

 

For sure, using any of the swivel hooks allows one to use a lighter test line down from the hook to the sinker so that if you do get hung up, often at the sinker and not the hook, you might lose the sinker but save the hook! Money saved.

 

Brad

[JustJames]

1 hour ago, NHBull said:

Have yet to pull mine out this year.....just haven't had the patients and never really put in that situation.   Will HAVE to start as my only technique next month ?

Don't do that if you don't wanna get bore to death. I can't imagine myself using dropshot for entire day. I tried it a few days back and first thing I caught was carp.

[Krux5506]

It used to bore me until I started catching fish with it. That's how every new to me technique is. Boring until it works. But I still fish it kinda fast, I'm not leaving it in one area for 5+mins as FishDewd said - I don't have that kind of patience. I cast out, give it a couple little twitches, drag it back slowly, let it drop and repeat. 

 

Anyone try drop shotting TRD's? After they get a little gnarly after their ned rig lifespan, I've been meaning to try to re-use to drop shot. Because I'm quite a cheap skate. 

[MickD]

Split shot for weight, easy, fast, cheap, easily adjusted weight and position.  Drop shot weights are not necessary, or even the best solution.

[scaleface]

Dont think I have the patience for a five minute presentation , let alone a twenty minute one .

[JustJames]

3 minutes ago, Krux5506 said:

Anyone try drop shotting TRD's? After they get a little gnarly after their ned rig lifespan, I've been meaning to try to re-use to drop shot. Because I'm quite a cheap skate. 

I used them all TRD, Big TRD and Zinkerz. I even have finesse worm and straight tail worm that made from same Elaztech stuff just for dropshot.

[Krux5506]

10 minutes ago, JustJames said:

I used them all TRD, Big TRD and Zinkerz. I even have finesse worm and straight tail worm that made from same Elaztech stuff just for dropshot.

Now that you mention it I have tried a Zman minnow type bait for drop shot but it actually didn't last nearly as long as I thought it would for being Elaztech. Forget the name of them but they are pretty similar to the Yamamoto shad shape worm. 

[J Francho]

11 hours ago, riverbasser said:

What was the water color like? In my mind a DS is geared toward clearer water

It has nothing to do with water clarity.  If fish are deep, and you want to keep the bait suspended off the bottom, and in place, then this is the rig.  No other terminal rig can achieve these attributes.  I mean, no one says, "This water is too dirty for a senko."  You can fish any plastic, big or small, in any color, on any hook style, with any strength line.  Adjust the terminal gear for the cover, depth, and plastic you're using.

[BoatSquirrel]

Scaleface, good on you for trying something new.  One of the greatest joys in our sport is developing a new technique to the point of it becoming a confidence bait.  I agree with Brad in TX on the rebarb hook.  If you have a lake or pond that you know is full of fish, take nothing but your DS and fish it all day.  I like to use the DS for target fishing isolated wood or grass.  Drop it in, always watching the line.  Pick up.  Either the line is swimming off or go to the next target.  Best of luck with it.

[riverbasser]

10 hours ago, J Francho said:

It has nothing to do with water clarity.  If fish are deep, and you want to keep the bait suspended off the bottom, and in place, then this is the rig.  No other terminal rig can achieve these attributes.  I mean, no one says, "This water is too dirty for a senko."  You can fish any plastic, big or small, in any color, on any hook style, with any strength line.  Adjust the terminal gear for the cover, depth, and plastic you're using.

I couldn't disagree even if I wanted to. I've literally only thrown a DS maybe 5 times, thanks for the insight

[islandbass]

On 8/8/2018 at 11:16 AM, scaleface said:

I was out fishing points and the bass were not cooperating . Caught  four 14 inchers  on crankbaits 10  to 20 foot deep , so decided to give a drop shot a go . I did not catch a fish on it but wanted to share how I rigged the weight . I had some dropshot hooks,  the kind on a swivel   but no weights . So I slid on a 1/4 ounce bullet weight   then a bobber stop and tied a simple overhand knot on the end of the line . The little knot prevented the weight  and stop from sliding off . Zero bites but I'll try again  since I have a new drop  shot rod . Oh,  and I used a 6 inch jelly worm . 

Awesome! I really like your ingenuity.  I will show you another thing you can do if you didn't have the bobber stop and this is primarily for "in a pinch" moments.  I find that the cylinder and tear drop shapes are best overall and in transmitting data to you.  Use of a bullet can work but it does not do as good a job through mushiness or grass, but hey, it's better than nothing.

 

Tie on your hook and develop your tag end.  Tie a double surgeons knot at the tag end. Don't worry. It sounds complicated but it is one of the easiest knots to tie. 

1) Form a loop with your tag end.

2) Then similar to the Palomar knot, create an overhand knot as you do with the palomar.  Before you cinch down, make an additional overhand knot. You should now have a closed loop.

4) insert the loop completely through your bullet (or egg) weight

5) Wrap the loop around the the weight as you kind of do with a palomar knot. BAM! The weight is fastened. You can undo this and remove the weight by reversing the steps.

 

Remember, this is an "in a pinch" scenario. I no longer buy drop shot specific weights. One, they are not cost effective. For almost the same price of a few ds weights, I can buy a pound of pencil lead and make a ton of DS weights.  I will also use bass casting weights, which will function also in a pinch. If I don't use the loop, I will use a lightly tied and modified improved clinch knot to join the line and the bass casting weight.  Instead of the standard five wraps, I will only use 3 or maybe 4.  Also, I won't cinch/close the knot 100%. The purpose for this is to simulate how a real DS weight allows you to break away from the weight when your stuck.  The fewer wraps combined with the lightly cinched weight do this quite well as I have experimented with and discovered. Screw DS weights for the given prices. They can kiss my bass.

 

 

 

I have also been in a trying new mode this season too.  Ned rig, and a renewed vigor for both buzz and spinnerbaits.  It is a great feeling to increase and expand our learning.

[Beetlebz]

I have been having a heck of a time with finesse presentations this season. I can't get on a pattern finesse fishing to save my life. 

 

This season my finesse fishing spinning combo got 15lb braid to a yozuri hybrid 6lb leader, even using the spin-shot style hooks are twisting my line all to hell. The baits helicopter on the way up. Now I spend alot more time fishing a shakey head and a ned to avoid it. Neither have been very effective. 

 

To be honest I have alot more success down sizing and slowing power presentations than going to finesse.