Everything I know About Dropshotting-Fundamentals

[FIN-S-R]

Let me start by saying that I am by no means an expert on catching lots of huge bass. I have managed to catch a few nice ones in my life, but as chiefly a tournament geared fisherman I am looking for the most efficient manner in which to find and stick as many fish as possible in the shortest amount of time- not that I'm anything exceptional at that either. About 5 or so years ago Jeff Kriet, an up and coming pro at the time, showed my cousin and fishing partner this new technique called the dropshot. Come to find out it wasn't all that new as an idea, the striper and catfish guys on Texoma had been filling client's bags and their own pockets using this rig for years. The new part was using it for bass, and using worm type lures. It turned what had typically been 1 or 2 squeeker fish outings on our home way over fished lake murray into outings consisting of up to 50 fish outings with multiple 3s, 4s and the occasional 5 or 6lber. Pardon the pun, but I was hooked, and have been catching all kinds of grief from the pool cue wielding types ever since. So the reason for composing this write up is that this is a technique I have found to be very effective at catching as opposed to casting practice. Note that there are some conditions that will not allow for using the technique effectively: Extremely heavy cover, Unusually muddy water, Very High wind. This technique is not perfect for all other situations, but for the most part it can be used pretty effectively, and when spookey fish or high angling pressure are encountered, it can turn a busted day into a blast. In this write up I will try to give some thoughts and examples on the theory and particular gear applications associated with drop shotting, and also discuss and explain them.

Dropshotting- a finesse technique using a weight at the end of the line which anchors in place, a hook attached higher up the same line. It can be visualized as anchoring a boat with a hook attached to the anchor rope. First let's examine the fundamentals of the rig and the environmental variables that make it effective. I have found the drop shot appeals to many species of fish such as all the bass species, sunfish, walleye, crappie, multiple species of catfish, carp, drum, gar, sandbass (whitebass), stripers, and skipjack herring just to name a few (the species I have caught on a drop shot). To me this suggests the drop shot does a very effective job of simulating live forage creatures. The fish, not just bass, but most species of fish we chase have eyes oriented toward the top of the head. This makes evaluating movement from above easier than movement directly below. You know what I mean if you have ever watched a bass turn down and on its side on a lure moving along the bottom. The presentation used with the drop shot generally causes the lure to be presented in an off the bottom manner so it is a very effective simulation of natural forage. The lure can be moved along the bottom, but also moved horizontally off the bottum depending on the distance between the hook and weight. This aspect of the drop shot is what makes it so effective for all anglers ranging from the highly skilled to the no-skilled. Unlike a crankbait or t-rigged soft plastic, a certain distance from the bottom can be maintained (in the strike zone) while moving the bait very slowly and even while stopped. This element of suspending the bait in the zone of active feeding for an extended time really sets the drop shot apart from most other techniques. It gives the fish a long time to move cautiously toward the bait without exerting a lot of energy. This aspect also makes full use of the scent dispersing products like gulp or powerbait or exude.

[surfer]

Nice write ups.  You mention a few conditions not to use a drop shot and say most other conditions it works in.  What is your ideal setting to use a drop shot?  Short grass on sand?  Sand and rocks?  Around docks?  No wind light wind?  Clouds, sun, sunset/rise?  Edges of weed lines

[Senko4life]

Great read!  You did a very good job of explaining its effectiveness.

[Catt]

My limited knowledge of a drop shot is enough to understand this technique works and is one I should use more.

Merci Beau Coup  

[senile1]

Good job, FIN-S-R.  Thanks for the write up.

[FIN-S-R]

Thanks for the kind words guys. As to the question about prime drop shot conditions, I have found that high skys and slick water with high temps in the upper 90's or low 30's (the extremes) are the times when the dropshot usually out produces other techniques although these are not necessarily the top producing times for the dropshot rig. I'll cover more on this in the next installment. I would have posted it yesterday, but I had to leave work a little early to go fish a jackpot, and yes I was throwing a dropshot.