Drop Shotting

[bronzebackhuntr]

Ok, I'm finally gonna break down and ask for pointers. This is a technique that I have absoloutely NO confidence in. I have never even begun to get a hit on the lake with it. Any tips would be GREAT!!!

[trackertxw175]

i have found that thru trial and error 1.split shot is more economical to use on the tag end than drop shot weights 2. three way swivel is just as effective as tying a palomar knot and feeding thru eye of hook then attaching split shot. 3. this is only really cold weather technique i use outside of small jig. if it starts working in warmer temps, so will another lure. just my opinion.also smaller bait 1"-2" bass assassin or other lure works best.

[bronzebackhuntr]

I have fished it during late fall and early spring with a gulp minnow. My only thought to it is that alot of the pros were doing it on cherokee during the P.A.A event and I see the smallies and spots that get caught on lakes like Erie, Beaver, and Table Rock during Bassmaster events during the summer with it. I KNOW that it would work on deep, clear lakes like Holston and Watauga during the summer. Just trying to expand my arsenal when it comes to finesse fishing. Thanks for the info though, keep em coming guys. There has to be some juicy info out there that somebody would like to give up. Lunkerhunter where ya at????

[goinsfishin]

i'm pretty sure from lunkerhunters post earlier he is fishing a tournament but apparently he has the drop shot figured out

[31Airborne]

My 2 cents:

Spinning rig, med/fast or med-lite/fast; braid main line w/ fluoro 8-10 lb leader; Gammy 1/0 d/s hook (Owner stand-out 2/0 for bigger profile baits).

Lighter weights give you better feel for the bite; heavier weights give you better feel for the bottom.

Hook set - there isn't one. Lift-n-reel.

I have a vid that will pull this all together for u. Holler at me if you want a copy.

[bcfishin]

[BassinHomer]

Ok, I'm finally gonna break down and ask for pointers. This is a technique that I have absoloutely NO confidence in. I have never even begun to get a hit on the lake with it. Any tips would be GREAT!!!

I'm in the same boat with you here, seems to me like it would be a pain to try and figure out the correct depth and all that jazz, I will admit that I havent really spent enough time with it to be a good judge and I've been thinking of trying it this fall while the fish are holding under bait balls in the coves

[JIGSTICK]

I've caught bunches of fish on the shot and the most important thing is your electronics and how you have them set up. Say you find a few rocks on a ledge in 40' of water while idling around. Stop, turn all graphs off except for the front, turn your sensitivity up to 90ish% and drop your bait right next to the trolling motor. As the bait falls you can watch it on the graph to the bottom. Shake your rod tip with short pops with a slight amount of slack in your line, this causes the bait to move in one spot. I usually bring my bait a few feet off the bottom and shake again to see if there's anything close to it or checking it out. While reeling up I'll stop at any marks on the screen and shake a time or two. Hope this helps.

[trackertxw175]

I've caught bunches of fish on the shot and the most important thing is your electronics and how you have them set up. Say you find a few rocks on a ledge in 40' of water while idling around. Stop, turn all graphs off except for the front, turn your sensitivity up to 90ish% and drop your bait right next to the trolling motor. As the bait falls you can watch it on the graph to the bottom. Shake your rod tip with short pops with a slight amount of slack in your line, this causes the bait to move in one spot. I usually bring my bait a few feet off the bottom and shake again to see if there's anything close to it or checking it out. While reeling up I'll stop at any marks on the screen and shake a time or two. Hope this helps.

good tip.

[lunkerhunter1982]

i'm pretty sure from lunkerhunters post earlier he is fishing a tournament but apparently he has the drop shot figured out

Living where I do, if you wanna compete you have to get good with a dropshot. I am a jig man, but sometimes to catch the meat you gotta give them a snack, not a meal. I honestly will only fish it on when I have to, but it is absolutely deadly and will work when nothing else in the boat will. There is one on my deck 12 months out of the year on clear lakes.

There are two ways to fish it IMO. The first is vertically and jigstick covered the electronics portion well. When vertical fishing I prefer shorter (6-12 inch) leaders and heavier (3/16-3/8) weights. Drop it down to them, and hold the rod as still as possible while quivering the tip. Big deal with a drop shot is DO NOT overwork the durn thing.

The second way to fish it is the way I do it 90% of the time. On a highly pressured lake fish can get put off by a boat over top of them with sonar pinging all around, so I just find me a likely spot and cast that little booger. When I am casting it I use a 12-18 inch leader and a 1/8 dropshot weight. I use the 1/8 to catch suspended fish as it falls. Lately I have been sitting the boat between 45 and 60 feet deep on steep rocky points, casting into about 20 or 25, and working it out. When it settles to the bottome keep a semi-tight line and jiggle him in place for a minute. Then drag him a few feet and do it again. Most of the time it will just swim off. And on the subject of weights, I use nothing but the cylinder type weights, and I bend them like a banana. You can fish one for days through rocks like that. It really cuts down on hangups.

For rigging, the only worms I use are Roboworms. Some of Softy's stuff, or anything real soft and handpoured, will probably work. I use worms between 3 and 6 inches long. You can also use reapers, tiny flukes, and stuff like that, but I have just as much success on a roboworm as anything else made, so I stick with them. Aaron Martens is probably the best dropshot pro on Tour and he only uses roboworms too. As far as rod, any spinning rod between 6 1/2 and 7 feet 3 inches is good. I use a light action 7'1 Powell. I want a rod that will get a deep bend because of the hook I use. The only hook I use is a number 1 Gammie dropshot hook. Not a 1/0. The actual number 1. Yeah, it is little, but I have seen 10 pounders landed on it, and I have landed a bunch of 5 pound spots and smallies on it. In my experience, every time you go up a hook size you cut your bites in half, then in half again, etc. This is the most finesse of finesse techniques, and a big ole thick hook makes no sense in an itty bitty nose-hooked worm. Take your time and be patient with that hook and it will get them in the boat. For me line is 6 lb floro, although I will step up to 8 pound floro if I run out of 6. The reel is important to. You need one with a smooth drag, and set it loose as you can stand. If you jerk with that little hook you will miss well more than half of your good fish. When you get a bite, just start reeling, and when the rod loads just reel faster. That lil Gammie will sink in there and you got him.

This is all just my opinion from my experience, but if you have anything else you would like to know just ask me.

[Guest]

thatset up has been the ticket on Flannagan up The Cranesnest Branch in the weed's...grass area...works pretty good i hear

[goinsfishin]

Yep sounds like you got it figured out. I need to try this too

[bcfishin]

Thanks for the detailed answer, i believe i can use this in some of the deeper spots of the river. Thanks

[Mountainman]

I KNOW that it would work on deep, clear lakes like Holston and Watauga during the summer.

Just my :

Ive fished it a few times and have no faith in it. Ive long believed that people have to stick to their strenghts, and drop shot aint one of mine. As far as Holston & Watauga in the summer, I know I can put fish in the boat on either lake (size and quantity are variables, cuz both lakes are as fickle as hormonal lady) and it can be done without dropshot. If you wanna learn it, hey I say wear it out. But it aint for everybody. If you wanna hit holston or watauga with me sometime, Id be glad to show you some places/techniques that will produce for ya.

[31Airborne]

Bronzie - send me your snail mail addy in a PM. I will send you a DVD that will square you away.

[hawgwalker]

The DS is a new tool for me this season. Here's what I have learned so far on Champlain and lakes in the NE. I like 20lb suffix braid with a 6 or 8lb seaguar floro leader (Invizex or Tatsu). I use 2 rod lengths of leader connected to the braid with an albright knot. (saves a lot of money on expensive floro) Lately I have found the 3" senko to be a good bait mated with a gammy 1/0 drop shot hook and 1/4 or 3/8 Lunker City Bakudan Skinny Drop Shot weight. (The skinny weights work well in weed) I haven't the skill with the electronics to to the video fishing but do key on balls of bait or deep structure.

The secret is to have some success with the technique and the only way to do that is to throw it. 5 or 10 minutes at a time isn't going to cut it.

[Donnie]

Some rig pictures would be nice.

[JIGnJ()N]

Maybe this will help.

My link

[bronzebackhuntr]

Good Link Jon. Thanks man.

[2golforfish]

great read from everyone guys, i too have little confidence in a dropshot rig but i prob havent made over a dozen casts with it

[Donnie]

Thanks for the link Baby. (man calling you that made me feel awfully uncomfortable) ROFL

[Terry Battisti]

Here's a link to an article I wrote back in 2001 about the subject. It's changed quite a bit since then (i.e.: it's not solely seen as a vertical presentation anymore) but it's still pretty complete. Also, I pretty much always start out with a tag of 12 inches and go from there, adjusting as needed. I hope it helps out.

http://www.insideline.net/2001/battisti-0102-01.html

Terry

[bronzebackhuntr]

Awesome article man.

I appreciate it. With it being winter, if they aren't on the bobber or the silver buddy this is alway a good alternative.

[lunkerhunter1982]

Another nasty little trick for the dropshot in winter is to take a straight shank hook and tie it just like you would a baitfish imitation hairjig, but with no weight. Dropshot that little bad boy and hold on. You didn't hear that from me. . .

[glasstream]

Caught a few fish on drop shot myself and dont want to here anything Dwayne!