Drop shot hooks and plastics questions

[bgaviator]

I’d like to try a drop setup. I’ve watched several videos. I like Tyler’s Real Fishing on YouTube. He had a drop shot masterclass video where he talks about liking to Texas rig his drop shots. Do I need a special hook for these, or does any 3/O ewg worm hook that I’ve been using for regular Texas rigging work? 
 

Also, what’s the best plastics to try drop shot with?  I have a bunch of zoom flukes I’ve yet to catch anything with using the normal twitch twitch method. Just looking for a bait and technique that consistently produces. 
 

[Pat Brown]

I fish a drop shot on a 7'6 flipping stick with 20 lb big game and no less than a 1/2 oz sinker.  I like 1-3/0 offset worm hooks and I always t rig the plastic.  🙂👍🏼🎣

[IYAOYAS]

3 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I fish a drop shot on a 7'6 flipping stick with 20 lb big game and no less than a 1/2 oz sinker.  I like 1-3/0 offset worm hooks and I always t rig the plastic.  🙂👍🏼🎣

Thats sounds alot more like Gerald Swindle's power shot setup. For me drop shot is a super finessey presentation. I use 8 pound flouro on a medium light rod with a 1/0 or 2/0 wacky hook or finesse flipping hook and up to 1/8 ounce weight(The less the better). For those that are knot tying challenged you can use the VMC spin shot hooks that provide an attachment point for your drop weights but they can get pricey.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, IYAOYAS said:

For those that are knot tying challenged you can use the VMC spin shot hooks that provide an attachment point for your drop weights but they can get pricey.

They do work well though, and come in different styles for different rigging options. Another is the Gamakatsu Swivel Shot hooks - even more expensive, but for a Gammy hook, worth it IMO.

 

I'm also a finesse tosser for drop-shots. #2-1/0 hooks, 1/4oz is the heaviest weight I use, usually 1/8oz or 1/16oz is what I have on the tag end.

[Pat Brown]

4 minutes ago, IYAOYAS said:

Thats sounds alot more like Gerald Swindle's power shot setup. For me drop shot is a super finessey presentation. I use 8 pound flouro on a medium light rod with a 1/0 or 2/0 wacky hook or finesse flipping hook and up to 1/8 ounce weight(The less the better). For those that are knot tying challenged you can use the VMC spin shot hooks that provide an attachment point for your drop weights but they can get pricey.

 

 

I still use it very finesse and catch lots of small bass with it but if I hook an 8+ lber which is a very real possibility here - I'm usually okay.  I also have to fish it around or on heavy cover to get bites so the heavy line is merely adapting to the fish.  My son tries to fish light line for big bass around here and he's broken off every one of them and it's not really his fault or the gears fault - the line just isn't optimized for fighting bass of any size around here in the types of cover they live in.

 

👍🏼🙂

 

I reckon light line in open water situations would be amazing at times for getting more bites especially in super clear water.

[JHoss]

You're gonna get a different answer from everyone who weighs in. Here's mine.

 

I like 10-15 lb braid to 8-15 lb leader, a 1-1/0 EWG or Cover Shot hook, and 1/8-1/4 ounce weight on a M or ML 6'9"-7' spinning rod. If I'm power shotting I switch to a 7'-7/4" M-MH F casting rod and run 17-20 lb fluoro, 1/0-2/0 EWG and 1/4-3/8 ounce weight.

 

95% of the time I'm dropshotting a finesse worm of some sort, though I'm starting to play around with dice baits. 

[BassinCNY]

When I drop shot 5" flukes I usually spine thread them on a 3/0 offset round bend worm hook. I use the offset hook because I'll switch between the fluke and a weedless rigged trick worm and I prefer the offset for that. The 3/0 ewg hook should work just fine with the fluke. It would definitely work well with a trick worm too.

[TOXIC]

So many different techniques to dropshotting.  I’ve been doing it for 30+ years and have caught 6lb smallmouth and 7lb largemouth on the same setup. 
Castaway 7ft medium action spinning rod

8lb straight mono

#1 NOT 1.0 gamakatsu ewg hook

QuickDrop 1/4oz dropshot weight 

Baits….so many different Yamamoto plastics work but #1 is the 3.75in Shad Shape Worm.

Weight in pic with baits is my alternate weight, a bass pro cheap weight.  And I only Texas rig the baits.   No nose hooking for me. 

[JHoss]

14 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

 

What is that bottom worm? 

[GaryH]

6 minutes ago, JHoss said:

What is that bottom worm? 

Looks like a Yamamoto sensei..

[WRB]

Being from the left coast drop shot is a mainstay presentation on our clear rocky sparse cover lakes in SoCal. Type of cover determines what your tackle should be.

I don’t cast a drop shot rig any further than 30’ usually more of a vertical presentation. If casting and dragging back I use the Slip shot rig.

My drop shot rigs are nose hook, wacky hooked and weedless hook finesse worms between 4” to 6”. Medium/fast spinning with 2500 size reel and 7 lb Sniper FC  line. Weight 3/32 to 1/4 oz drop shot weight.

Nose and wacky hook Owner Mosquito size 1.  
Weedless Owner #5133 size 1/0 or 2/0 depending on worm diameter.

Slip shot weedless same as drop shot hook, weight is Mojo type cylinder with Carolina keeper to adjust weight to hook length usually about 30”, 5 lb Max UG mono. Drop shot hook about 8” above the weight.

Weight depends mostly on wind and depth mostly 1/8oz.

You don’t need to put action into a drop shot slight movements work best.

Worms; Roboworms straight tails 4” to 6” 

Slip shot 4 1/2” to 6” curl tails Roboworms and 3 1/2” U.S. Bait Co Reapers and Jackall 4.8 Flick Shake wacky rigged.

Tom

PS, suggest watch the late Aaron Martens Video’s for drop shot and Glenn’s video’s.

[JHoss]

1 hour ago, GaryH said:

Looks like a Yamamoto sensei..

I don't think the sensei's have that flattened tail. 

[Siebert Outdoors]

I like the Missile Bomb Shot.  One of my favorites.   The hook I use a lot is the Owner Downshot.  Then one of my tungsten dropshot 3/16-1/4oz weights most of the time.   I use a 7'3" 6-12lb rod I built for DS's.

[GaryH]

1 hour ago, JHoss said:

I don't think the sensei's have that flattened tail. 

My eyes must be getting old. It looks like a pointed tail to me. 😁@TOXIC needs to weigh in 

[IYAOYAS]

4 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

 

 

I still use it very finesse and catch lots of small bass with it but if I hook an 8+ lber which is a very real possibility here - I'm usually okay.  I also have to fish it around or on heavy cover to get bites so the heavy line is merely adapting to the fish.  My son tries to fish light line for big bass around here and he's broken off every one of them and it's not really his fault or the gears fault - the line just isn't optimized for fighting bass of any size around here in the types of cover they live in.

 

👍🏼🙂

 

I reckon light line in open water situations would be amazing at times for getting more bites especially in super clear water.

Makes sense. I use mine on open rocky banks alot more than I do anywhere else so the lighter presentation is ok for me. 

[RRocket]

3 hours ago, JHoss said:

What is that bottom worm? 

Yamamoto California Roll? 

[TOXIC]

3 hours ago, JHoss said:

What is that bottom worm? 

Yes, it is the California roll.  I use t when they want more action than the Pro Senko has.  Which is the thinner pointy ended worm also in the picture.  I also use a scope Shad and the Yamatanuki.

[JHoss]

@TOXIC, is that a discontinued bait? Looks like it would be money, but I can't find them for sale anywhere.

[TOXIC]

Let me go look.  I’ve got a lot of them so I haven’t ordered any for a while.  

Hmmmm……I’ve found some on eBay but not on Yamamoto’s home page.  They have released so many new baits and discontinued some, I have a hard time keeping track.  There’s a couple of my old favorites that have gotten the axe, either in color or completely.  Looks like this is one.  In a pinch I have used a Kut Tail with very good results.  

[Big Hands]

My own little drop shot thing I do this time of year is to put the weight about 4-5 inches below the hook. If the hook is dancing around 1-2 feet over their bed, they may be content to give it a lot of time to vacate the area. When it's partying just a few inches above the bottom, they tend to not be so forgiving. If that's what I am doing, I will also use a very short compact bait so they can't easily drag it around by the tail. I don't bed fish often, but if I do, this is my go to rig.

============================

Mosquito light, mosquito, and wide gap drop shot are my go to hooks of choice.

 

For most drop shot fishing, I'll use baits from 2" to 5", mostly nose hooked or wacky. If the hook point is not facing up after tying a Palomar know, I will run the line back through the eye of the hook from the open throat side of the hook. It should be oriented with the point facing up. This orients the bait the way you want and may facilitate hooking them in the upper part of the mouth.

 

Two things that I do drop shot fishing, but not so much in other techniques:

 

1) Greatly restrict my impact on moving the bait to make it appear alive. It'll impart enough action on it's own from other sources.

 

2) Don't swing on them. The hooks are small and will easily pull through their mouth opening before having a chance to stick. Instead:

 

a) if they are moving off with the bait, I lower the rod tip, reel in slack, and then keep reeling while I lift 'firmly'.

 

or

 

b) if I feel a definite 'peck' but they're not necessarily moving with it, I lower the rod tip, slowly reel in a little slack while trying to detect their presence, and if I feel like they are there, keep reeling while I lift 'firmly'. If I don't quite feel them there, it doesn't necessarily mean they aren't. Sometimes they swim toward you with the bait still in their mouth. If you keep reeling, you'll feel resistance gradually increase, or it 'just feels funny'. Reel in and lift firmly so you can say hello to your new friend.

 

This improved greatly improved my 'getting a bite' to 'getting them into the boat' ratio.

[Brian11719]

I used a 1/0 ewg for a while but I've been getting away from ewg hooks lately. My current favorite is actually a newer one called the Armor Point Drop Shot Long Shank by BKK and I like the 2/0 size. It's fairly light but still heavy enough to not bend out easily and I feel like these type of hooks do a little better than an ewg. The other one that I've found that is pretty good and similar is a 1/0 vmc redline finesse neko but that one is more expensive and I actually like the BKK better because reasons.

 

For lures I like Roboworm. 6" straight tail in tequila sunrise or margarita mutilator. Also like their alive shad when they won't bite a worm. Or if the water is darker I've had a fair amount of success with an og junebug sensei from yamamoto. 1/4oz weight almost always but might go to 3/8oz if I'm in deeper water.

 

I've also noticed line can be a thing. I am beginning to see why some people like @TOXIC like straight mono but apparently I prefer to light my money on fire so I like 20lb sufix 832 to a 12lb seaguar grand max leader...or maybe the gold label leader...I'm actually convinced those 2 are the same but for some reason the grand max seems like it's on sale more often so I tend to find myself looking at that. I should also point out line / leader size will vary depending on what type of cover you fish around but if you are looking at a good amount of grass and/or zebra mussels I've found these lines do better than most of the others I've tried. 

[Munkin]

Either a nose hook small bait like the shad shape worm or a offset worm hook for straight worms. Weight is 1/8 to 1/4 and straight 8lb floro most of the time. 

 

Allen

[MN Fisher]

I nose hook frequently, but I 'cheat' a little to make them stay on longer. Get an Owner CPS in small, insert it in the nose of the bait, then run the hook through the bait and the eye of the CPS...voila, baits that can't be stolen so easily.

[Darth-Baiter]

i 100% t-rig.

 

1/0 owner cover shot, and 3/16 sinker.