[MonoyBasso]

Now many of you may think drop shots are for slow fishing, or hitting a dock with, but I am telling you, this here catches a ton of fish.

In those dog days of summer, I can garentee you can go catch a 15 or 20 pound bag, easily! Basically this is how you do it. Take your conventional senko, and pick a color, preferable to the weather conditions, clarity, and the lakes personal likes of colors. Throw that on a drop shot rig. A good 3 inch or 4 inch senko is perfect. Now take this and find a shoreline that has a quick drop off. You will want a shore that has alot of docks, and about 6-8 feet from the dock it is about 10-12 feet deep. You will want to randomly pitch this drop shot, and let if fall. Once at bottom crank it in a bit, and repeat. Its almost like dragging a carolina rig, but different. These bass love hanging at this area for many reasons, including in case of forage, weather conditions, and the water temp is a bit lower. Remember your best bet is outside of weeds, but rocks are also a excellent bottom. Try it out next time, you might get surprised.

The NUMBER one time is fishing this before and through rain, and mornings after a rainfall around deeper wooden structures.

Good Luck!

 

[imonembad]

I'm trying in vain to learn this techniqe but I can't get it right. I'm either hung up all the time or I can't feel my bait. What is the prefered line size? I think this has a lot to do with my problem!

Drew

 

[Jared]

A lot of drop shotters seem to use 6 to 10 lb test.

 

[grayfox]

I use a good 6 lb flourocarbon

 

[imonembad]

What does the thing feel like when you are doing it right? I can't feel any thing.
Drew

 

[gonfishin1]

If you are fishing for suspended fish it feels like someone swam up and tied a boot on to your line.
I use 6# test fluro unless getting into trees might move up to 8 never heavier than that in clear water.

 

[Guest]

How far away do you need to be from your target or zone?

I thought I was drop-shotting but from hearing what yall are saying I think I have the rig wrong. LOL Go figure....

 

[gonfishin1]

I am fishing it in clear deep water my target zone is right under my transducer. I am watching the fish come to the bait. I do pitch it in to docks also

 

[imonembad]

All right I am going to the lake tomorrow and this is all i'm bringing with me. Has anyone tried the circle hooks on the dropshot rig?

 

[gonfishin1]

I use gamas splitshot hook #6

 

[fish4funinfl]

I believe I read somewhere that ' nose ' hooking is used the most. Unless of course your in thick stuff and need to be weedless.

I have only tried drop shotting once or twice so it is a method I need to ' learn ' and ' use ' more.

 

[imonembad]

I stayed the course for a good five minutes and then picked up the spinnerbait and all was over. I suck and now is not the time to learn it.

 

[Ouachita]

I tie the hook (Stand-out brand) directly to the main line for nose hooking soft plastics, but if using it in cover it's a better idea to rig it Texas Style minus the bullet sinker. That requires a leader attached to the main line with hook at the end, besides the leader going down to the drop shot sinker. Let me back up from the sinker. It needs to be small, heavy enough to reach the strike zone quickly and stay put. The break-away DS sinkers are good so if you hang it up you only lose the sinker. The leader to the sinker can be a few pounds lighter than the main line. Leader length is determined by how high off bottom the hook will be. Adventuresome? Use a weedless jig for a sinker and double your chances of a bite. Assuming you want the worm a foot up, tie a barrel swivel to the main line, to which ties your 12" sinker leader. Now tie a fluorocarbon leader, 2-6" long, to the free end of the swivel. Rig the worm however you like. I use braid or hybrid fluorocarbon for the mainline, fluorocarbon for the hook leader. I prefer floating worms or tubes. I might rig a trick worm slider style, putting a piece of finishing nail in the head, then wacky rigging somewhere around the mid section. If the drop shot approach seems too slow I'll go to the slider presentation. Keep the mainline tight without constantly dragging the sinker. I like to jiggle the bait in place a few seconds before moving the sinker. If using a hook leader there can be delay in bite detection. If anything seems changed set it. I've gently brought the rig up just to see if anything was on it and observe a bass coming with it, worm in mouth. That's time to set it! Using thin wire ultra sharp hooks often seals the bite, the hook penetrated slightly as soon as eaten, any movement from the bass likely to bury it deeper. Thick wired hooks don't grab so easily. When using thin wire hooks, don't try crossing their eyes setting the hook. A firm sweep and hold will do it. Jim

 

[Ouachita]

A drop shot is not limited to one bait unless some law or tournament rule prohibits that. Just as when I set out jugs for catfish I tie a hook every 10 feet to locate the prime bite zone, I do something like that smaller scale with a drop shot with at least two baits tied on, say one 12" up, #2 at 24", and #3 at 36" off bottom. If I catch a bass on #3 then I'll stop resting a sinker on bottom and focus on one bait dangled vertically at that depth if bass are suspended and biting. I'll drag a sinker on bottom if the bass want it moving along, but remove the other two baits. Jim

 

[imonembad]

I'm having problems with my weight not enough or to much! I can't shake it i'm constantly draging it and it in turn has been a real drag to learn for me. I guess i'll buy some lessons from some one who pitys a fool. thanks for the tips. Drew

 

[Ouachita]

Are you fishing it straight down or cast out? Assuming no current, if straight down you need very little weight, a round 1/8 oz drop shot sinker, just enough to hit bottom quickly and make the line go slack. Tighten the line back up, then barely bounce it. You can suspend it, no rules against that, to present to suspended bass. You want as light as possible. Too big of a sinker draws attention and it gets bit.

If cast out and kept on bottom you need more weight. 1/4-1/2 oz ought to be plenty enough to keep the line fairly tight without moving the sinker until you are ready to scoot it. Round balls for sand, small gravel. I use a banana shaped 1/4-3/8 oz No-Snag Lindy sinker over rock where a round sinker would snag in cracks. In current I go to 1/2-1oz.

I've found that using the rod tip to give it motion tends to pull too much. Hold the rod tip still and hand the line. I peel a foot away from the reel and hold it out, working it slightly. Occasionally pluck the line like a banjo using a fingernail. Be sure to use a greasy attractant like Megastrike or soak the bait in pure cod liver oil.
Jim

 

[imonembad]

Thats the ? I had was I even working the bait right I gonna practice this winter and be ready to go in the spring. Thanks Drew

 

[gonfishin1]

No need to wait til spring I catch most of my winter fish drop shotting

 

[imonembad]

I'm crappie fishing, I'll mess with the bass later. Drew

 

[imonembad]

Guess what I'm back!! I'm gonna use this technique at my tourney this week end. I did well there a year ago with a finesse presention on a Texas rig but I think I can get bit better with the drop shot. My partner will t-rig exclusively I'm sure of it. so I want to follow with the drop shot I hope I can stick with it.