Drop Shot Question ???

[uglyasheck]

I have  been catching some fish on a drop shot and I am wanting to know if the hooks with the swivels work as good or better than tying the hook directly to the line? I am getting a lot twisted and tangle line when I catch a fish and he comes out shaking not while fishing but during a catch. Is this just a issue with using this technique?

[TOXIC]

I know exactly what you are talking about.  Although the swivel hooks may reduce line twist, I doubt they will help with the inevitable tangled tag line and weight you get with a flopping fish.  Personally unless you are casting and retrieving a dropshot and not vertical fishing it, you shouldn’t have that much line twist.  Also depends on what bait you are using and how skilled you are at rigging it.  

[A-Jay]

I have used the VMC Spin Shot drop shot hook with some success

although it's not my favorite.

Line twist when drop shotting for me mostly happens if and when

I do not rig whatever plastic I use DEAD ON STRAIGHT.

If it spins at all, even on the fall, it will totally twist up my leader and even my main line eventually. 

So I always make sure boat side after I rig and check for spin.

I've even had drop shot weights that spun.

I am a NO SPIN guy now.

A-Jay

[FryDog62]

Best way to eliminate line twist is to use a baitcaster. Unconventional but works! 

[JustJames]

Yes and unfortunately, weight on bottom would swing around when fish jump no matter what style of hook you use. If you can prevent the jump, play the fish slowly, or shorten tag end might help a little. Another way is to use bobber dropshot style so the hook would get closer to weight eliminate tag end spinning when fish jump.

[WRB]

Are you a boat or shore angler?

Drop Shot presentation was designed to be fished vertically not horizontally. 

If you cast a drop shot rig further then 45 degrees away form you problems with line twist are inevitable. IMO anglers cast a drop shot when they should be using a finesse C-Rig ( Slip Shot or Mojo rigs) are far more effective.

As noted correctly the bottom drop shot weight pulls the rigged soft plastic straight down to the bottom. If the plastic worm is rigged where it can spin it will. The spin shot style hooks help reduce line twist as the rig drops down, but not as it is retrieved or fighting a bass.

Fishing vertically the worms doesn’t tend to spin while the weight is stationary. When you pull the weight forward the can spin and the worm can spin but not around the line the swivel hook is design to prevent.

Wacky hooking worm reduce spinning on the fall and working the or retrieving the rig vertically.

Spin shot hooks are nose hooked and not weedless, limited how they are used. 

Tom

[Columbia Craw]

I have run the same rigging for 15 years with great results.  Main line (12 braid) to a tiny black barrel swivel.  I pre tie my drop shot leaders and run the hook about 30 inches below the swivel.  I cut the tag from 6 to 24 inches depending on circumstances. I almost always run a cylinder weight .

[PressuredFishing]

Line twist is inevitable with spinning tackle. Backlash is common is casting tackle. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

There are things you can do to minimize twists and tangles.  Rigging the bait straight so that it doesnt twist is a must.  I use the trokar helix hooks from time to time simply because its easier to change out, but I prefer to have a dedicated DS outfit if I have the room.  

The worst tangles are caused by fish thrashing around.  Lipping them before you bring them into the boat or bank when possible helps.

[MickD]

18 hours ago, uglyasheck said:

I am wanting to know if the hooks with the swivels work as good or better than tying the hook directly to the line?

I have used the VMC rigs and like them because I often screw up the palomar knot.  Here is a rig I've just tied on, but have not tried it yet.  A friend was using one with good success recently.  I think with the hook off on a line a few inches the lure will be more free to move and the swivel will be forced to work better.  https://www.tackledirect.com/spro-power-swivels-combo-black.html?mainc=SPR-0105-4&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuO6WBhDLARIsAIdeyDLuC7ijCOwRuzfWW9iGnjV7XztD1L132VgaZL35Epwi1W3Bul8LmwIaAsvkEALw_wcB

[Clumsy fisherman]

On 7/22/2022 at 12:02 PM, uglyasheck said:

I have  been catching some fish on a drop shot and I am wanting to know if the hooks with the swivels work as good or better than tying the hook directly to the line? I am getting a lot twisted and tangle line when I catch a fish and he comes out shaking not while fishing but during a catch. Is this just a issue with using this technique?

I tie the hook on as  shown in the video linked below. I am a land based fisherman so I always cast. I have never thought about using a swivel, maybe I should try it. I have not noticed a problem with line twist while using a drop shot, but I don't catch as many fish as most people on this board.

 

 

[5/0]

21 hours ago, WRB said:

If you cast a drop shot rig further then 45 degrees away form you problems with line twist are inevitable. IMO anglers cast a drop shot when they should be using a finesse C-Rig ( Slip Shot or Mojo rigs) are far more effective.

I almost always take a DS when fishing club tourneys. It is rare when our boaters fish vertically with the DS, they mostly cast ahead. I will be thinking the Mojo option more from now on. Used to throw it a lot in the past, but got away from it.

[WRB]

The Slip Shot rig allows the cylinder weight to slide freely with faster strikes detection.

Tom

[5/0]

12 minutes ago, WRB said:

The Slip Shot rig allows the cylinder weight to slide freely with faster strikes detection.

Tom

Bobber stop or small swivel?

[WRB]

I use 1/8 oz Black Top. Brass Pro Jo weight, 8 mm glass faceted bead peg with a Peg-It II and Owner 5133 size 1/0 for 5” and 2/0 for 6” hand poured or Roboworms worm they float off the bottom. 

A Carolina Keeper can be substituted for a pegged bead.

When you peg the weight pull the rubber into the weight side of the bead so it clicks, clipped off the opposite end. 

Weight anywhere from 24” to 36” above the hook.

Tom

 

[5/0]

6 minutes ago, WRB said:

I use 1/8 oz Black Top. Brass Pro Jo weight, 8 mm glass faceted bead peg with a Peg-It II and Owner 5133 size 1/0 for 5” and 2/0 for 6” hand poured or Roboworms worm they float off the bottom. 

A Carolina Keeper can be substituted for a pegged bead.

When you peg the weight pull the rubber into the weight side of the bead so it clicks, clipped off the opposite end. 

Weight anywhere from 24” to 36” above the hook.

Tom

 

Thanks Tom! I actually just found your post from 2013 explaining this very thing!

[uglyasheck]

On 7/22/2022 at 3:14 PM, WRB said:

Are you a boat or shore angler?

Drop Shot presentation was designed to be fished vertically not horizontally. 

If you cast a drop shot rig further then 45 degrees away form you problems with line twist are inevitable. IMO anglers cast a drop shot when they should be using a finesse C-Rig ( Slip Shot or Mojo rigs) are far more effective.

As noted correctly the bottom drop shot weight pulls the rigged soft plastic straight down to the bottom. If the plastic worm is rigged where it can spin it will. The spin shot style hooks help reduce line twist as the rig drops down, but not as it is retrieved or fighting a bass.

Fishing vertically the worms doesn’t tend to spin while the weight is stationary. When you pull the weight forward the can spin and the worm can spin but not around the line the swivel hook is design to prevent.

Wacky hooking worm reduce spinning on the fall and working the or retrieving the rig vertically.

Spin shot hooks are nose hooked and not weedless, limited how they are used. 

Tom

I fish from a boat. I am only having trouble with  fighting the fish not any other time. Thanks

On 7/22/2022 at 1:02 PM, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

Yes and unfortunately, weight on bottom would swing around when fish jump no matter what style of hook you use. If you can prevent the jump, play the fish slowly, or shorten tag end might help a little. Another way is to use bobber dropshot style so the hook would get closer to weight eliminate tag end spinning when fish jump.

Thanks I have tried this and its ok. 

[garroyo130]

Go read some Rich Z. Hes got good stuff on dropshots.

 

http://www.richz.com/fishing/articles/dropshot.html

[WRB]

If you reel your spinning reel against the drag your line will twist severely.

Tom

[Choporoz]

57 minutes ago, WRB said:

If you reel your spinning reel against the drag your line will twist severely.

Tom

I wonder if reeling against the drag ever untwists the line.....

[casts_by_fly]

50 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

I wonder if reeling against the drag ever untwists the line.....

no.  It can never get twisted in that opposite direction in the first place so that reeling against would untwist it.  Only exception I can think of would be adding 'backwards' twist spooling it on but that only applies to the first couple casts after spooling.  After that the twist should largely be gone with a couple long casts.

[Choporoz]

9 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

no.  It can never get twisted in that opposite direction in the first place so that reeling against would untwist it.  

Why not?  Not doubting you....I just can't wrap my head around why a misaligned bait couldn't cause twist in either direction.   If you are right, however,  maybe I need to design a bait with hydrodynamics such that it would spin against 'normal' twist and always be untwisting itself.   I am going to be rich.

[casts_by_fly]

12 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Why not?  Not doubting you....I just can't wrap my head around why a misaligned bait couldn't cause twist in either direction.   If you are right, however,  maybe I need to design a bait with hydrodynamics such that it would spin against 'normal' twist and always be untwisting itself.   I am going to be rich.

 

Actually you might be right.  I wasn't thinking about the bait causing the twist.  Certainly you could design two baits with opposite corkscrews in the water such that one is opposite of the twist your reeling against the drag imparts.  I'm going to have to think about this one a little more.

[JustJames]

11 hours ago, uglyasheck said:

 

Thanks I have tried this and its ok. 

Are we talking about something like this, right? Just wanna make sure we are in the same page not just conclusion of spinning at fault.

BTW thanks to you, I haven’t fish Dropshot for awhile. Just took the rig out a couple hours this evening, it wasn’t long for the first bite. I made the fish jump a couple times just to make sure I got line tangled ???.

Next time I’m on kayak, I’ll use free rig which to me have similar effect as drop shot and I can still drag it like Texas rig.

 

[uglyasheck]

8 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

Are we talking about something like this, right? Just wanna make sure we are in the same page not just conclusion of spinning at fault.

BTW thanks to you, I haven’t fish Dropshot for awhile. Just took the rig out a couple hours this evening, it wasn’t long for the first bite. I made the fish jump a couple times just to make sure I got line tangled ???.

Next time I’m on kayak, I’ll use free rig which to me have similar effect as drop shot and I can still drag it like Texas rig.

 

Yes thats it. I am not having twist from just normal fishing only when i hang a fish and fight him in and it seems the smaller fish are the worst. I fish a Zman worm and it gets to be a mess trying to get it all untangled.