Dropshot Improvements Needed

[260Bass365]

What's your line/terminal setup for dropshot? I'm headed to St Clair in a week and I'm sure I'll have some time to experiment. 

 

Swivel? I've never use one before, but I could be convinced. Knots?

 

Here's mine, but I'm looking for some recommendations because I'm not 100% satisfied:

 

Seaguar Smackdown HiVis (10) to Seaguar Gold Label (8) with a double-uni. 15 to 20 feet on the fluorocarbon. 

 

Size 1 or 2 Gamakatsu Aaron Martens G Finesse. Palomar knot on the hook, which creates a slight bit of memory when I tie it.

 

Run the tag end to roughly 3' and that becomes the lead to a 1/4 oz tungsten weight. I'm the least concerned with the weight because it's weather/structure driven. 

 

 

[A-Jay]

IMO your line/terminal dropshot setup for smallies looks fine.

Matching your hook style & size to your bait is a solid plan.

What rod & reel are you using ?

A-Jay

[MickD]

I really like the VMC Spin Shot for the hook.  I'm not great at drop shot knots , so this helps and I've never seen any occasion where I thought it didn't catch fish as well as a knot.  For the sinker I often just use a couple split shots, often cylindrical weights tied on.  Most drop shot "clamps" sooner or later lose the sinker.  Fish are often so scattered that drifting with drop shot and tubes to find them works well.

 

Make sure you take Neds in Canada Craw and 3.5 inch tubes in watermelon/red flake or similar.  Green is the best color on St. Clair.  It's the only color some use.  I've done well with 3-4 inch swimbaits in white or a goby color (drop to bottom and snap up or slow/steady retrieve, experiment with the retrieve) .

[260Bass365]

Rod is a St Croix Avid 7' 6", Reel is a Lews 3000 Mach Crush.

 

I appreciate the bait recommendations,  it'll be my first time staying in Anchor Bay but I've fished the Mile Roads about a dozen times.  I second the comment on green.

[islandbass]

Everything you mentioned seems good. In my environment length that seems most effective is 18-24” length between hook and weight as a starting point. I will adjust this accordingly, especially if I am not getting hits. 

 

My point is not that your tag end length is too long but to be willing to adjust this length if 36” isn’t working. 
 

Lastly, I try to make sure I have a variety of both sinking and floating baits.
 

Best of luck to you and report back. ?

[Big Hands]

A 3' tag end seems long to me, but I have no way to know it won't work. I do sometimes use a second hook up higher on the line, and sometimes I use a tag end as short as 4-6" or maybe up to 16". 

 

As for the line memory when tying a Palomar know, it can usually be avoided by pulling the tag  to cinch, or keeping the whole knot a little loose, then wetting the knot as you cinch it down (s-l-o-w-l-y) with short tugs at a time. 

 

Tungsten is nice, but I am much more likely to use it for Texas rig or Carolina rigs. A bit too Gucci for me to use with dropshotting rigs, but YMMV.

[1984isNOW]

7 hours ago, Big Hands said:

... A bit too Gucci for me to use with dropshotting rigs, but YMMV.

Mad funny bro, but real talk - throwing tungsten on a dropshot is definitely a whole different lifestyle haha

 

@A-Jay asked a very good question, what's your set up?

 

I would recommend also throwing some vibrant orange in the mix. I know some people will call me crazy for that, I accept this, throw some blinding orange out there and see what happens. If you can't find tiny dropshot plastics that are orange, they don't make a lot of them, don't be afraid to cut up a larger plastic or grab some orange dye. 

 

Post some pics of the big girls who eat your little orange worm so we can see how ya did.

[Darth-Baiter]

i would use the tungsten weights.  from stories, i heard that lake it is all about the boulders and rock formations?  i love the feel of tungsten on rocks.  you know what you are feeling.  

 

i pretty much always use 20lb braid with 10lb flouro.  leader length similar..tag in is about 12" for starters and i usually go shorter.  

 

and i would have a fistfull of finesse jigs..:D  good luck!!!  that is a dream lake for me.  one day!!  someday!  in my kayak.

[Junk Fisherman]

Be ready to go up to 3/8 oz or more when the wind blows.  

[WRB]

Hook to weight tag end is too long imo, 8” to 16” is more effective. I believe lead is outlawed where you fish.

Exposed hooking soft plastics in the nose or wacky hooked both with good with worms 4 1/2 to 6 1/2” long.

If your plan is long casting the drop shot rig in lieu of short casts consider the Slip Shot rig where the longer 3’ to 4’ leader length works better imo.

cylinder shape weights are good for rocky structure.

If you plan to weedless hook suggest using Owners #5133 size 2/0 Down Shot hook and soft plastics that float like Roboworms*.

When you tie on the Palomar knot on drop shot hook face the hook tip away from you as the line is 1st feed through the hook eye, then back through. When you make the overhand loop be careful not to twist the loop going over the hook, this crosses the line and damages wreaking the knot when clinch tight. If the hook is point down, run the tag end back through the top of the hook eye to flip it point up.

The rod is a MLXF, MLFor MXF? 7’6” is long for drop shot good for Slip Shot.

New anglers to drop shot tend to over work the worms, let the rod tip do the work for you!

Good fishing,

Tom

*Sculpin Oxblood lt red flake.

[Reel]

Line is OK

Hook is OK

No palomar knot - I prefer to snell the drop shot hook.  Keeps it straight and does not break

 

Tag - Like a lot said, much shorter: 12 inches.  Gobies are eaten here and the don't stray much from the bottom.  

Also tie the tungsten sinker if you don't want to loose a fortune when smallmouths jump.

[WRB]

Just tie a simple overhand knot on the end of the tag end to keep the weight from sliding off.

The only swivel on a drop shot rig is in the weight.

Tom

[PaulVE64]

On 5/23/2023 at 1:51 PM, WRB said:

Hook to weight tag end is too long imo, 8” to 16” is more effective. I believe lead is outlawed where you fish.

Exposed hooking soft plastics in the nose or wacky hooked both with good with worms 4 1/2 to 6 1/2” long.

If your plan is long casting the drop shot rig in lieu of short casts consider the Slip Shot rig where the longer 3’ to 4’ leader length works better imo.

cylinder shape weights are good for rocky structure.

If you plan to weedless hook suggest using Owners #5133 size 2/0 Down Shot hook and soft plastics that float like Roboworms*.

When you tie on the Palomar knot on drop shot hook face the hook tip away from you as the line is 1st feed through the hook eye, then back through. When you make the overhand loop be careful not to twist the loop going over the hook, this crosses the line and damages wreaking the knot when clinch tight. If the hook is point down, run the tag end back through the top of the hook eye to flip it point up.

The rod is a MLXF, MLFor MXF? 7’6” is long for drop shot good for Slip Shot.

New anglers to drop shot tend to over work the worms, let the rod tip do the work for you!

Good fishing,

Tom

*Sculpin Oxblood lt red flake.

Everything Tom said

[JMac603]

On 5/23/2023 at 1:51 PM, WRB said:

The rod is a MLXF, MLFor MXF? 7’6” is long for drop shot good for Slip Shot.

New anglers to drop shot tend to over work the worms, let the rod tip do the work for you!

I see people say this regularly and they go on to say a 6'10" - 7' is better. Is 6"-8" really making that much of a difference? I get that it takes less movement from the rod with the added length, but THAT much difference? 

 

Genuine question here. I drop shot with a 7' rod so I'm not coming from a place of "but it works for me so that can't be true."

[MickD]

Lead alternatives are mentioned in the Michigan Fishing Guide, but there is no mention of restrictions to its use in Lake St Clair or any other Michigan water.   I personally do like tungsten cylindrically shaped weights as they seem to get hung up less than other designs.  But I don't rely on the typical drop shot "pinch" wire for retention.  Biggest source of snags on St Clair for me has been the mussels.  

[J Francho]

I use a 6'3" MLXF or MXF rod depending on the weight.  You don't need added length for a vertical presentation.  Straight 6# Tatsu. Owner Mosquito hook tied with a Palomar and tag run back through.  Weights start at 1/2 oz. and may go up to 1 oz.  I do not want my rig to move out of the place I put it.  I could care less if the weight is tungsten or lead - makes no difference.  The swivel in the weight is more important to me and needs to be quality.  Baits are 3-4" plastics.  My favorites are Crosstail Shad and Roboworm Straight Tail.  They are both "do nothing" baits.

 

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