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

[MN Fisher]

10 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I will have to try an offset hook sometime 

Only time I use an offset for T-Rigging a DS is on 'bulky' plastic. If it's a Senko or other stickbait...Neko hook.

[WRB]

Owner #5133 Down shot hook has off set turned up hook eye designed for weedless (Texas Rig If you prefer) hooking a finesse worm. Lighter wire hook special bend that is deadly used on 5 to 10 lb line.

Tom

[ATA]

For large mouth I use 6" fat roboworm and I nose hook with Daiichii #2 or #4 mosquito hook(sometimes use 4" inn morning dawn and shad color).

For small mouth I have some special plastic little hard to get, Bass Magic finesse worm.

 

[TOXIC]

I don’t like tungsten because it gives me too much bottom feedback and because it is smaller in the same weight as lead, it tends to get hung up more often.  I would never dropshot a regular senko, too much plastic for a #1 hook.  All of my preferred baits are thin except for the Shad Shaped Worm.  It requires a bit stiffer hookset.  I cast and retrieve, drift and vertical jig a dropshot.  It’s also a great bed fishing bait.

[EWREX]

i'll let you in on a little secret... straight black zoom finesse worm. smallmouth, largemouth, crappie, pike, and every other species will eat it.

[noir522]

Strike king KVD half shell. I killed em last year on this. They have a flat bottom, fairly short, and SUSPEND PERFECTLY HORIZONTAL in the water. Just a slight twitch makes the tail flicker side to side. They are short so nose rigging is a must. 

[Cdn Angler]

On 12/28/2021 at 3:07 PM, A-Jay said:

 

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

 

Interesting and to me most of these look like what I select for wacky fishing and are described as such.  I've used a lot of drop shot specific hooks and they always seem comically small. They seem to work OK, but they suck at keeping the actual bait presented correctly, particularly the maxscent flatworm. I actually ended up putting a screwlock on a tiny hook to keep the thing in place.  I'm going to try out some of these. If any of them can do double duty then all the better. 

I've tested a bunch of drop shot baits in my pool and the results look pretty d**n similar. The KVD dreamshot, flatworm, roboworm, keitech thin leech thing, they all look great. 

 

For some reason the flatworm does in fact seem to get bit more. Why? No clue. 

 

 

[Trox]

when it comes to dropshot... roboworm in morning dawn color is an absolute confidence builder in the technique... Go with the lightest weight you can get away with

[TnRiver46]

9 hours ago, Cdn Angler said:

 

 

 

For some reason the flatworm does in fact seem to get bit more. Why? No clue. 

 

 

Cuz it’s got the stank on it, right? 

[Hammer 4]

16 minutes ago, TroxBox said:

when it comes to dropshot... roboworm in morning dawn color is an absolute confidence builder in the technique... Go with the lightest weight you can get away with

Also, give the Hologram Shad a try, caught many a bass with that.

[Capriceragtop]

8 hours ago, TroxBox said:

when it comes to dropshot... roboworm in morning dawn color is an absolute confidence builder in the technique... Go with the lightest weight you can get away with

Got out yesterday afternoon and tried a roboworn. Following another's advice since I'm banking it, my weight-to-hook leader was about 12", since I'm dragging it across the bottom.

 

Do roboworms float? Seemed like most casts, it came back with algae and other bottom refuse. Was using 1/8oz tungsten weight.

 

I've got some neutral and slightly buoyant plastics inbound, so I'm looking forward to trying it.

[TnRiver46]

33 minutes ago, Capriceragtop said:

Got out yesterday afternoon and tried a roboworn. Following another's advice since I'm banking it, my weight-to-hook leader was about 12", since I'm dragging it across the bottom.

 

Do roboworms float? Seemed like most casts, it came back with algae and other bottom refuse. Was using 1/8oz tungsten weight.

 

I've got some neutral and slightly buoyant plastics inbound, so I'm looking forward to trying it.

I’ve never bought robo worms but I’ve always heard they were hand poured which typically means yes, they float 

[padon]

44 minutes ago, Capriceragtop said:

Got out yesterday afternoon and tried a roboworn. Following another's advice since I'm banking it, my weight-to-hook leader was about 12", since I'm dragging it across the bottom.

 

Do roboworms float? Seemed like most casts, it came back with algae and other bottom refuse. Was using 1/8oz tungsten weight.

 

I've got some neutral and slightly buoyant plastics inbound, so I'm looking forward to trying it.

no robo worms dont float, Ive spent many hours experimenting with drop shot baits in my pool.( yes i have a fishing addiction) . when your dragging the bait will rise up in the water. when you stop moving try to keep just the slightest tension on the line not enough to move it just keep it tight. this will keep the worm from going to the bottom.also dont over work your bait. youd be surprised how little movement it takes by the rod to het the bait to react.