Getting into drop shot rigs / Bait monkey say "spend!"

[Capriceragtop]

Hey folks,

I've been hearing drop shot is the way to go in my area right now, and I've never tried it. I picked up some drop shot weights (1/8 and 3/16 tungsten), hooks, etc. However, I have no drop shot soft plastics. Ample Zoom trick worms, senkos, etc. 

 

Thinking of starting up a lil Tackle Warehouse order, so I wanted to see if there are any recs on what I might need to drop shot properly? I've got a few hooks and plenty of line, but on the soft plastics, I was looking at Zman's Long Shotz and Trick Shotz, as I've heard they're pretty neutrally buoyant. Any other plastics, hooks, weights, etc I should consider? Do you want the lure to float, sink, or just kinda hang out? 

 

As always, thanks for the advice and wisdom!

[Oklahoma Mike]

Roboworm is a must have drop shot for me. I’ve also been using the OSP HP 3D Wacky on a drop shot and it’s quickly becoming a favorite. 
 

Tons of good ones out there but a few that I’d recommend: Don Iovino straight tail worms, OSP Dolive Gill, Jackall Flick Shake, Jackall ishad, Yamamoto Kut Tail worm, Keitech Easy Shaker, and don’t forget to include some sort of small paddletail like the Keitech 2.8”. 

[kdubracing]

My favorite is the Missile Bomb Shot. KVD Dream Shot is another good one. I didn’t like the Roboworm as much. It isn’t bad at all, just not my favorite.

[Finessegenics]

I want the bait to hang out if I’m vertically fishing, which I almost never do. I like elaztech and use several different baits from zman, mostly the Streakz and Trick Shotz but they tend to float tail up if that makes sense. It’s an okay presentation but it looks a lot more natural when the bait is truly neutrally buoyant. Only one which seems to be truly neutral that I’ve tried is the Reins Bubbling Shaker. 

The baits presentation in terms of floating or not matters less if you’re horizontal dragging, instead of vertically dropping down. With all the movement of dragging, hopping the bait towards you, I feel like the bait doesn’t have as much time to settle. So the way it acts probably matters a lot less. 
 

So will you be dragging or dropping vertically? If you’re shore bound you’re almost completely limited to dragging. 

[A-Jay]

Berkley Maxscent Flat worm.

That is all.

A-Jay

[Capriceragtop]

11 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

So will you be dragging or dropping vertically? If you’re shore bound you’re almost completely limited to dragging. 

Yep, I'm stuck walking banks for the time being. No boat, and not sure enough in my kayaking just yet!

[Choporoz]

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Berkley Maxscent Flat worm.

That is all.

A-Jay

+1

 

For no apparent reason,  I don't do well with roboworms....even when everyone around me seems to love them.  

Maxscent Flat Worms are my go to.

Curious....what hooks are you going with?  Only asking, because my hook up ratio was terrible in my early dropshot days.....better hooks made a bigger difference than which plastic....but....Reins Bubble Shaker is another solid choice

[WRB]

I don’t Believe lead weights are outlawed in TN except at Reel Foot. Tungsten weights are expensive and the drop rig is designed for the weight to be disposable when snagged.

Basically 3 hook styles for rigging sift plastics, Nose hooked, Wacky hooked and Weedless hooked. Nose hooked size 1 Gamakatsu drop shot hook, Owner Mosquito hook. Wacky you can use the same hook or a weedless hook like Owner Wacky Weedless Jungle hook size 1 (good Senko’s). Weedless Owner #5133 Down shot hook size 1/0 or 2/0 depending on worm diameter. 

Weights lighter is good in calm wind conditions, you may want to add 1/4oz for deeper water.

Palomar knot works well for all the above hooks noted. Start the line through the eye with hook point facing away, helps to end up with hook upright.

Don’t know what tackle you use? Sniper FC 7# FC is popular for the weights you have and hooks noted.

Roboworms in MMIII 6” and Oxblood /lt red flake.

Jackall Flick Shake 4.8 in Camo and Watermelon Candy should cover your needs.

Tom

 

 

[A-Jay]

20 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

 

Curious....what hooks are you going with?  Only asking, because my hook up ratio was terrible in my early dropshot days.....better hooks made a bigger difference than which plastic....but....Reins Bubble Shaker is another solid choice

 

OK ~ So Drop Shot Hooks

 I've been through quite a few makes, models and even more sizes past few seasons - I've settled on these.

Reasons are - they match my baits, they match the tackle I'm fishing them with, and 

most importantly, they HOOK & HOLD the Bass I'm Looking to Catch !

 Both the Brown & Green models.

  Supplemental info - over the past say, three or four years, much of my drop shot fishing, especially mid-late season, has migrated to using 'bigger baits'; relative term.

 Where in previous deals I was using, the standard skinny 4 & 6 inch Sculpins, Robo worms & Dream Shots - and they catch bass for sure, I started drop shotting a baby rage craw, and then a full-size craw and then 4 & 5 inch Fluke and started getting bites from more bigger fish.  But along with that, I was losing a few fish, because the hooks & manner I was using them was apparently inefficient.  First off, in some instances, my hook selection was too small.  Secondly, while I like nose hooking, seems it's not the best way when I'm targeting bigger smallies - which is ALL The TIME pretty much.  Nose hooking also picks up eel grass when it's there and the little hooks have a tendency to skin hook a lot leading them to come unpinned too much for my liking.  

 I do Tex-pose my drop shot plastic when needed but all things being equal, I prefer not to if I can.

Note *** regarding the Hooks Pictured - I use SEVERAL DIFFERENT sizes - I offered these to allow for the name, brand, type, and model number identification purposes.  

 I've ventured into using a little bigger, longer shanked hook.  

 So if you look at the Picture provided, the bottom row - those are all GREAT DROP SHOT OPTIONS and ones I still use a ton; mostly for nose hooking.  

 That whole top row of hooks are what I go to for bigger baits and when I want to 'top hook' a bait; meaning inserting the hook like you would put say a swimbait on a jighead.  Where the hook goes in the front/nose of the bait, is threaded into & down the body of the bait BUT comes out the top.   Still a drop shot, but when a fluke or a caffeine shad is rigged like this, the hook up to land ratio goes way up.  Brownies are generally impaled in the top or the roof of the mouth and they generally Do NOT come off. 

   I definitely use a little 'beefier gear', like M instead of ML and 8-10 lb fluorocarbon leader instead of 4-6 lb. The bigger Hook size demands a bit more pressure to sink it successfully, but after that, it's just a matter to playing that brown tank into the net.

 Finally a couple of deals not talked about much here is The Drop Shot Craw and the rattling ned rig.  A Rage Craw on a drop shot as done damage.

The drop shot ned deal is still a work in progress but is showing potential.

A-Jay

[MickD]

36 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

Streakz and Trick Shotz but they tend to float tail up if that makes sense. It’s an okay presentation but it looks a lot more natural when the bait is truly neutrally buoyant.

My experience and that of a friend who has used the Z-man minnows, both large and small, on drop shot has been that when the Z  is hooked very lightly in the nose it tends to go "tail-up," and we've done better when that happens.  We thought it an advantage, with the minnow looking like it's feeding head down tail up.  

[Finessegenics]

2 minutes ago, MickD said:

My experience and that of a friend who has used the Z-man minnows, both large and small, on drop shot has been that when the Z  is hooked very lightly in the nose it tends to go "tail-up," and we've done better when that happens.  We thought it an advantage, with the minnow looking like it's feeding head down tail up.  

Fair point! I’ve done well too with the streakz but never thought of the feeding minnow

[Capriceragtop]

Figured it might be easier to just post a few quick pics! However, I am completely open to correction as to what I should get. Bass Pro didn't have any Zman shotz, thus the desire to order some. Went with tungsten weights because the guy at Bass Pro, aka my pusherman, said tungsten makes a smaller splash.

[Finessegenics]

5 minutes ago, Capriceragtop said:

Figured it might be easier to just post a few quick pics! However, I am completely open to correction as to what I should get. Bass Pro didn't have any Zman shotz, thus the desire to order some. Went with tungsten weights because the guy at Bass Pro, aka my pusherman, said tungsten makes a smaller splash.

You’ve got a good selection, don’t worry. 2/0 is a little big for what I like in a dropshot hook but those Houdini Shads are big. The 2/0 Gammys will fit them well. The split shot/dropshot gammys are the only hooks I use. 
 

also I should add that since you’re shorebound and dragging the dropshot, leave a longer leader between your bait and sinker. A 12 inch leader can become a 6 inch one due to the angle you’re retrieving. 

[TnRiver46]

Don’t be afraid to slap those trick worms/senkos that you mentioned on your drop shot either. Just because you don’t think they are drop shot baits doesn’t mean the fish feel the same way. A big creature bait on a drop shot can be pretty awesome at times in the TN river when the current is swift 

[Choporoz]

@A-Jay, those Gammy Octopus hooks were one of those that I had the most trouble with.....those and Mustads...not certain if the Mustads were octopus or circle.

 

Now I use Owner (and some Decoy)

[TOXIC]

I have been dropshotting for 30 years and have tried all the techniques and the most productive for me is a spinning setup 7ft medium action fast tip, 6lb mono and a #1 gamakatsu ewg hook.  1/4 oz QuickDrop dropshot weight.  I Texas rig all of my baits.  My favorites are:

1. Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm.

2. Yamamoto Pro Senko

3. Yamamoto Kut Tail.

4. Yamamoto Cali Roll

I have caught hundreds of fish on this setup up to 7lbs.  
 

 

[Holetail]

Been using the 1/0 VMC spin shot hooks and Z man trickshotz this winter and have been having success. Hooks seem to help with line twist

[Darth-Baiter]

I’m only Texas rigging my D-shots.  3/16th lead weight. I just bought some tungsten.  I just got them a few days ago and they are almost “cute” in comparison. 
 

I use the Owner Downshot exclusively.  I keep three sizes.  2/0, 1/0 and 1 

 

My baits are all over the place. 

[MickD]

1 hour ago, Capriceragtop said:

aka my pusherman, said tungsten makes a smaller splash.

You really think that the splash makes a difference in drop shot?  With bonefish on the flats, yes, but drop shot?

[Capriceragtop]

54 minutes ago, MickD said:

You really think that the splash makes a difference in drop shot?  With bonefish on the flats, yes, but drop shot?

Honestly, no clue. The guy I speak with fishes a ton, but he does at Bass Pro, after all. Maybe he's just really good at fleecing me for mah money!

[Columbia Craw]

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Berkley Maxscent Flat worm.

That is all.

A-Jay

Enough said

[kdubracing]

3 hours ago, Capriceragtop said:

Honestly, no clue. The guy I speak with fishes a ton, but he does at Bass Pro, after all. Maybe he's just really good at fleecing me for mah money!

I use tungsten drop shot weights also. For one, you can feel the bottom a little better. But mainly it keeps lead out of the water if I lose one. 

[padon]

your hooks and weights look good . a couple baits i like are the xzone slammer {good neutral buoyancy} berkley flatworm , and reins bubbling shaker.

[Oklahoma Mike]

Some good advice in here…

 

 

[TnRiver46]

8 hours ago, TOXIC said:

I have been dropshotting for 30 years and have tried all the techniques and the most productive for me is a spinning setup 7ft medium action fast tip, 6lb mono and a #1 gamakatsu ewg hook.  1/4 oz QuickDrop dropshot weight.  I Texas rig all of my baits.  My favorites are:

1. Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm.

2. Yamamoto Pro Senko

3. Yamamoto Kut Tail.

4. Yamamoto Cali Roll

I have caught hundreds of fish on this setup up to 7lbs.  
 

 

Texas rig 100% of the time? Very interesting…….

 

I stick them better with the tiny hooks but I haven’t fished drop shot nearly as much as you, I will have to try an offset hook sometime