Drop Shot Weight Shape

[The Next KVD]

I was wondering which do you guyz use the most. The cylinderical shape or the regular round weights?

What are the advantages to each and the disadvantages?

[Guest avid]

I use the bell shaped ones with the little wire loop on top.

Wally world.

[Crestliner2008]

Ditto avid

[ABC123]

I use the egg/tear drop shaped ones.

[islandbass]

I also prefer the tear drop shape over all. They have been hard for me to find lately, so in a pinch, cylindrical weights are my second choice.

[LooksLikeSinbad]

I like the long, skinny, cylindrical ones best

[Guest avid]

The advantage I see in the bell type are as follows.

1.  Cheap and readily avaiable

2.  the fat bottom gives a nice little "thunk" that I can feel up the rod.

This communication with the bottom is key for me.

[Tucson]

I'm afraid this puts me in the dweeb class of anglers but I just use a reusable split shot of the appropriate size.  I'm not of the expert class that requires a special weight made of tungsten-chrome vanadium or whatever.  

I tie a figure eight knot on the end of my line to keep the split shot in place.  If it gets snagged I can pull it off the snag and the splitshot will usually give it up.  Of course as soon as I'm rich I'll start using the Officially Recognized Drop Shot Weight with a name that includes "mega" "ultra" or "max"!  

[Sam]

I use them all.

Even have used bullet weights tied on when needed.

I don't think the weight makes that much difference.

If you use the ones where the line can be pulled out you can save your line and hook.

In Ike's DVD, he ties a knot on the end of the line when fishing the bell shaped weights.

That surprised me as I just pull the line through the wire loop without any knot.

I wonder if you could add a rattle by the weight to add to its attraction?

[Gatorbassman]

I have done a lot of study and testing on this subject.

There are basically three different types of dropshot sinkers that I have found. Round, Cylindrical, and Teardrop.

One of the biggest problems with dropshoting is sinker strikes. You can't hook a fish with a sinker. Anything that can be done to minimize them is critical in the success of the drop shot.

Cylindrical weights come off the bottom way to easy. Although you can still feel that it is on the bottom, one end of the weight will always come up a little with every wiggle. This stirs up the silt on the bottom and takes the bass's attention away from your lure.

Round sinker work fine for the most part but their center of gravity is off the bottom a little and will still stir up a lot of silt. They also get snagged easy.

IMO... Teardrop sinkers are the best. Their center of gravity is on the bottom of the weight. Making it hold on the bottom better, giving you better feel. It doesn't move around as much as the other two options. It is also narrow at the top. Making it less likely to snag in rocks and brush.

[Jimzee]

I'm afraid this puts me in the dweeb class of anglers but I just use a reusable split shot of the appropriate size. I'm not of the expert class that requires a special weight made of tungsten-chrome vanadium or whatever.

I tie a figure eight knot on the end of my line to keep the split shot in place. If it gets snagged I can pull it off the snag and the splitshot will usually give it up. Of course as soon as I'm rich I'll start using the Officially Recognized Drop Shot Weight with a name that includes "mega" "ultra" or "max"!

Tucson, I don't think you should be so hard on yourself. I know a guy that fishes strictly with larger splitshots when dropshotting. Believe me, he has no problem catching bass at all. Made me rethink my next purchase on dropshot weights. I have seen him boat 25-30 fish a day on this rig. I was right beside of him and not boating nearly as many using a tear-drop weight and the same worm. Something to think about. :-?

[Gatorbassman]

That gives me an Idea.   Maybe I should start selling the ones I make for myself.

[Jeff H]

I use split shot or I peg a brass bullet by Thunder Bullets with a rubber Peg-It so the tip points up.

[Guest avid]

I wonder if you could add a rattle by the weight to add to its attraction

I thought about that.  But then it occurred to me that I don't want the sinker to be an attractant at all.

It is necessary to the technique but I want the bait to be the only thing the bass is interested in.

I tried using a light jig as the weight, but it was a distraction.  

[Ghetto_Basser]

Cylinder

[islandbass]

That gives me an Idea. Maybe I should start selling the ones I make for myself.

Do you make tear drop shaped lures? I agree with your earlier post.  My preferred weight is the tear drop for the same reasons you mentioned.

[Crestliner2008]

Just one final fly in the ointment, so to speak. A lot of lakes are reservoirs in my neck of the woods now prohibit lead sinkers. Before you know it, they'll probably prohibit jigs as well! That being said, you still do not have to buy the expensive tungsten weights at over a dollar a piece. Wal-Marts usually carries steel "Bass Casting Sinkers" under the Eagle Claw brand name for about $1.50 for 6. These are the old fashion (and best) shape; tear drop with the brass swivel eye. Another alternative I've been toying with in my mind is using a bass jig as my lower weight. That way you can see what they really want; an on-bottom or off-bottom presentation. Maybe next season I'll give this whirl.  

[Tucson]

Just one final fly in the ointment, so to speak. A lot of lakes are reservoirs in my neck of the woods now prohibit lead sinkers. Before you know it, they'll probably prohibit jigs as well! That being said, you still do not have to buy the expensive tungsten weights at over a dollar a piece. Wal-Marts usually carries steel "Bass Casting Sinkers" under the Eagle Claw brand name for about $1.50 for 6. These are the old fashion (and best) shape; tear drop with the brass swivel eye. Another alternative I've been toying with in my mind is using a bass jig as my lower weight. That way you can see what they really want; an on-bottom or off-bottom presentation. Maybe next season I'll give this whirl.

I tried using a ball-head jig for a weight but it kept hanging up on bottom snags so I swithced to a hook-free weight.  Sometimes, just for variety, I'll tie on two hooks about 18-24" apart.  This rig also allows you to fish two slightly different depths.  

[islandbass]

I wonder if you could add a rattle by the weight to add to its attraction

I thought about that. But then it occurred to me that I don't want the sinker to be an attractant at all.

It is necessary to the technique but I want the bait to be the only thing the bass is interested in.

I tried using a light jig as the weight, but it was a distraction.

I did this, the first time I drop shotted by adding a jig rattle to the rig next to the weight. The first cast resulted in a hook up with a big bass that bent my pole such that the rod's tip was pointing under the dock. As soon as I gave it the first wiggle to sound off the rattle, my rod went down!

It was opening day and the dock was lined with trout anglers and all these kids gathered around such that I had little room to maneuver.  The bass spit out the hook, but I was definitely sold on both the drop shot and the use of rattles.

They probably aren't needed in clear water, but the murkier the water is, the more the use of rattles might shine.

[Gatorbassman]

That gives me an Idea. Maybe I should start selling the ones I make for myself.

Do you make tear drop shaped lures? I agree with your earlier post. My preferred weight is the tear drop for the same reasons you mentioned.

Yes, they are tear drop sinkers.

[bassmaster8100]

I use the bell shaped ones with the little wire loop on top.

Wally world.

me too, i hear alot of people talking about having probs with line twisting and the set up getting tangled up, I dunno how everybody rigs theirs but I fish a drop shot alot and I never have these probs. I tie on a swivel drop down about 6 to 8 inches i tie my hook and then the leader between the hook and the sinker and the length of that may vary depending on the situation. Those bell shaped sinkers with the little wire loop on top is the only sinkers Ive ever tried on there but they worked out for me perfect so Ive never seen the need to try anything different.

[Triton9]

i primarily use the teardrop shape, which are bettr suited for sandy or just kinda "plain" bottoms, i like to use the cylindrical ones in grass, wood and rock, that weight seems to come through those better

[Captain Cali]

Teardrop/Bell shape