Drop Shotting

[playmaker47]

ok im just getting started on this technique and ive read all the articles about it and now i have just a few questions.

1. Does anyone pitch a drop shot rig. i love pitching soft plastics and i like to think of it as my strong suit, and i was just wondering if anyone pitching it around cover with any success.

2. Most people say to use it on spinning gear, and light line, but could i use a larger line size like 20 with a baitcasting setup without hurting action or the way that it is supposed to work.

3. Can i use larger baits like 6" worms and 4" tubes and those kinds of things, other than finnese baits.

4. what size of bell sinker do you guys reccomend for the techniques i have just asked about above?

thanks for all your help guys   :)

[Shad_Master]

the whole purpose of a drop shot rig is finesse.  I find it works best as a vertical presentation, but a lot of people do cast, pitch it as well.

As for the size bait you are using, this depends on what you alread know about fish in the area.  If they are being pressured, drop-shotting can be a way to get them to bite your bait when they aren't biting someone else's.  Often this means down sizing but it does not have to be the case.  Regarding the size of the sinker, this depends on what kind of bottom you have and how deep the water is where you are fishing.  I would suggest never less than 1/4 oz and sometimes up to 1/2 oz in order to help you keep in contact with the bottom.  I would also suggest a pegged weight rather than one of those clip-on's.  They are more managble and can be moved up and down to adjust for changes in water depth.  The clip on one's tend to crimp your line and can cause you to break off easier.

[ECP1989]

1.  I fish my Drop Shot on a Spinning Reel and pitch it to get a more accurate cast. I prefer pitching because I still get far and can get it to land quitly and accurate.

2. Some people fish a Drop Shot on a Baitcasting Set Up and call it a "Bubba Shot". The only difference is what you wanna do, bigger baits, hooks, and line.

3. I don't fish a "Bubba Shot". I use 8 pound test and a Size 1 Gamakatsu Drop Shot/Split Shot hook. I have used big bulk baits like a Yamamoto 6.5" Cut Tail on the Size 1 hook and have had no problem catching fish.

4. Like metioned above the Weight Size depends on how deep of water your fishing. I ususally use a 1/4 ounce Drop Shot Sinker (the tall skinny one). If I use was using a Baitcasting Set Up I'd be using a 3/8 ounce weight.

[Nick_Barr]

1. I Love pitching a drop shot rig, i was pitching a drop shot into brush, in muddy water, in 3 feet and using a 7 brush hog on a 4/0 Hook on 15 pound test and hooked into a 3 pounder.

2. It does equally as well on both.

3.heck yes, You can even use a 12 inch worm if you want

4. 1/4 to 1/2 oz.

[5bass]

1. The only time I pitch a drop shot rig is during the spawn and right up onto the bed.Otherwise,I dont drop shot to fish the bait horizontally along the bottom,there are better rigs/baits for that.I fish the drop shot vertically over top of schools of fish that are close to the bottom.If they are suspended more than 5 feet off the bottom I wont drop shot them.Like I said,there are better baits for horizontal fishing.Drop shots get more action fished vertically when the bite is tough.You want to just leave it in the strike zone as long as you can.VERTICALLY.

2. The purpose of the lighter line is so that the fish have a harder time seeing it.They will see 20lb a whole lot faster than 8lb.....I always use 8.

3. Use whatever you want,the fish will tell you what they want,just switch until you get bit.On heavily pressured water,most times smaller is better.

4. In real deep water I will use a 1oz. every time.I want the bait to get down quickly and most of all,stay in the strike zone.The heavier weight lets you shake the bait without moving the whole rig around.

[Bass_junky]

I always pitch my drop shot, specially in very clear water. I also use my curado with 10lb pline. Pitching a dropshot helps keep line twist to a minimun on a baitcaster.  It will also allow you to cover more water until you find some bass.

Are there other techniques that may work with this approach? I'd like to hear about one that will keep your bait off the bottom at the same rate of speed, next to a hydrilla stalk, or anyother weed stalk. Also when used in rip-rap you can still keep your bait off the bottom motionless. I don't know any other bait which will do this.... I typically use 4" or smaller in clear water. I will use larger baits in stained water.

[roadwarrior]

A couple of years ago GYBC came out with a complete package for the dropshot rig. Man, at the time this was the hottest new technique around, so I jumped on board.

I think if I were fishing tournaments this would be something I would focus on, a lot. Dropshotting and flipping produce more bass in a shorter period of time than any other techniques I have every tried, but I don't like fishing either method.

All I have to say about flipping is that dropping a lure and yanking out a big fish is just not fun for me. If it were about cashing a check, well that would be another story.

Dropshotting? All I ever caught were little fish. I thought the technique was boring and although it produced a lot of fish, I never caught anything very interesting. Now, maybe I wasn't doing everything quite right and I certainly didn't devote a lot of tiime to fishing that way, but I had some success and still didn't care a thing about it.

[Nick.Culver]

For drop shoting I'm a little different. i always try to use the littest possible. If I know I'm on bottom then it's okay. I like to use a 3/16oz tungsten weight. It's smaller and it also telegraphs the bottom to you better. I usually give my bait a couple little pops and let it sit. I always start off with a really long leader and shorten it up until I find the right length if their is one for that day.