Drop Shotting 101

[Christopher Laurencio]

I have a tourney next week in a clear deep lake that I am going as a rider. The boat owner will most likely be drop shotting during the tourney. So I really never done this before, I'm a bank beater, and I know we have discussed this before but maybe someone can help. I picked up some drop shot weights two bags of 3/8 and two 1/4. I also picked up Gamagatsu drop shot hooks 1/0. I plan on using 4" senkos(smoke,green pumpkin,pearl,black) Junebug baby brush hogs and 6" Motor Oil power worms ribbon tail (I might cut them down to 5"), and small super flukes. I think I have the terminal tackle and bait needed. I plan on using 8lb. mono on spinning rod.



Heres the questions.

1) What am I missing?

2) The polomar knot, (does anyone have a good close up illustration of how to tie it)

3) I have been reading contradicting techniques on when the bite will occur. Is it on the fall or when it's on the bottom?

4) Nobody really explains the fishing part, they focus on the rig.



I know this has been talked about over and over, but any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

One more question, are dark colors or bright colors better for deep water?

 

[John Watts]

Here is a link that illustrates the Palomar knot, it's really one of the more simple knots to tie. The site has a number of other knots on it as well.
http://shoreangling4u.tripod.com/knotguide/id10.html

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Not to bust your bubble but...... do not start a tournament with a pre concieved notion or tactic.... how do you know they will be eating a drop shot rig???? how do you know they won't... be flexable... let the day, the water, the fish tell you what to do... if that don't work.. throw your drop shot rig Good luck in the tourny KB

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

KB, I agree 100% and hopefully will have the chance to try other tactics. But I still want to be prepared for this technique.



Thanks for wishin me luck,



CJL

 

[CJ Extrom]

Chris, the drop shot is a great tactic. We use it at lake george with great success 35-70ft. I use baitcasting rig with power pro and a 3ft fluorocarbon leader with 3-5" senco for smallmouth. For largemouth rig it texas with no weight along weed lines and hang on. Where is your next tournament?

 

[Josh Bertrand]

IF you guys find the bite out there to be a dropshot bite, here's some stuff that might help:

I live in central AZ, the lakes down here are extremely pressured by both pleasure boaters and fisherman. I catch dropshot fish from 5-60 feet, all year round.

When I'm fishing in 15 ft. or less, I spool up with 8# Trilene XL or BPS Excel on a 6'6" Med. spinning rod, I always tie a flourocarbon leader when fishing the flourescent blue line like that. When I go deeper than 15 ft. I spool up with either 8# flourocarbon, or 12# braid due to the lack of stretch in these lines.

For a hook I use a #1 EWG Gamakatsu. Out here, I'd say it's about a 50%-50% percentage of anglers who use the dropshot hooks like you had mentioned, and the small EWG hooks like I use. I don't feel you sacrifice any bites with the slightly larger hook, and with this hook I'm free to take my TV hookset and not rip the bait from the mouth of the fish. It also allows you to rig the bait weedless, and this comes in handy or you're fishing brush or dense grass.

I use a BPS 1/8 oz, finnesse dropshot weight, the cylindrical design keeps it from hanging up too much.

I pour my own plastic baits for dropshotting. My favorites are a 4" and 6" strail tail in pink, watermelon, and oxblood. I feel color doesn't matter too much if your fishing fairly deep water, after a certain depth the only color the worms show up as is gray anyways. If you can get your hands on any Roboworms where you're at, they are an awesome dropshot bait. But any smaller (not always smaller, but usually) finnesse plastic will do the job. I caught some good fish this summer dropshotting some 9" strait tailed worms I poured.

Josh

 

[Tom(fishfafun) Lutz]

Ok, maybe too much info too late but here goes nothing....



Dropshotting has become a great technique to get all kinds of bass going, whether deep or shallow or suspended, up against structure or weeds or out over rocks or wood or just unusual bottom changes...it doesn't matter.



My basic set-up is spinning gear, 6'6" for docks and close in work and 7' for open water fishing a little deeper. I use light reels for comfort, but that is a personal preference type thing and with all the line twist you will experience, either use a larger capacity reel or carry extra spools/line to change out at least once during a tournament.



Line is important! I find McCoys Mean Green is the best for me so far, it's green color keeps it invisible in all conditions and it's really tough stuff in anything between 6 & 10 lb test. I use all three in different conditions (6 lb fishing on deeper stuff, it gets to the bottom easier, and 8-10 when fishing a little shallower and docks/rocks for it's strength).



Also, weight type and size is important! So far I've found either 1/8 or 3/16 oz. in the long cylinder type with the clip on the end work the best. But remember to leave a little extra tag line and tie an overhand knot on it to make it harder for it to just pull off in rocks and such. You'll lose less of em.



Tieing the rig, just remember to start the line thru the hook point side of the eye and after slowly pulling the knot tight and making sure it only wraps the very end of the eye, you need to run the tag end back thru the eye from the same side you started the knot. This way the hook will lay at an upward angle on the line above the weight (VERY IMPORTANT).



Hook type or size is not as important, I've used all kinds and they all seem to work. But the one constant is to use a light hook (light wire worm or ewg hooks) or dropshot hooks. They will not mess up the action or fall of the rig.

Also, baits aren't as important. Although I use a lot of Robo Worms (4 1/2" or 6") in a few California favorite colors, you can use almost anything. Just keep changing until you find something they like.



Now, as to the bites....

A lot of the fish you're going to catch will pick the bait up on the fall, hence the importance of line test/weight size. Others want the bait shaken slightly after you reach the bottom and still others may want you to drag it slowly back to the boat with soft pumps of the rod tip. If they pick it up on the fall, you'll either see the line move off or the rod will load up. Time to set the hook. It doesn't take as much set as usual (if you're nose hooking your bait) but you will need to set a little harder if you texas rig your worm on the bigger hooks. If you get bit while shaking or slow crawling it, they will feel like a worm bite (tap,tap). Try to be a little more patient in setting, giving them time to get the hook in they're mouth. It's not jig fishing so you don't have to react as fast.



Hope some of this helps and if you have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me and I'll try to help if I can.

Good luck and have fun!



Tom

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Tom, Thanks sounds good and thanks on the actual fishing of the rig. I do have one question, I have read about the line twist and was wondering if tying a swivel would help? Or just hurt the presentation? Also would Fireline be out of the question? The reason I ask is with Fireline I can feel srikes much better than with mono when T Rigging.

In any event thanks from the east coast.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

You gotta get out of the big bait and tackle mindset.



Period.



No big baits, no heavy line...dropshotting is what finesse is all about. 6lb. max (no braids), 2 to 3 inch baits max. All the smallies that we posted from Michigan were on 3 inch robo (very thin) worms and #1 hooks not 1.0. You can rig the heavier stuff but that isn't real dropshotting.



TOXIC

 

[Tom(fishfafun) Lutz]

Some guys use a swivel (especially those that use some kind of braids and then tie on a florocarbon leader). But I refuse to mess with success!!!

To help reduce line twist, keep your bait centered on the hook, "slow" retrieve it and watch it for twisting as you reel it up. You can adjust the worm some and it will help reduce that problem. I just refuse to have to deal with the hassle of twisted line while tourney fishing as opposed to fun fishing. Bring an extra spool, when you break off and have to retie, cut some of the bad line off and when you don't have enough line left on the spool, change it to the spare. I've never found myself out of line using some pretty small reels on tourney day. And seeing as I change line so much now I've bought stock in McCoys, har!!!

If you can get some McCoys to use it'd be worth your time and trouble to get it. Also, try to find some Robo worms in MM111, Warmouth, Aaron's Magic, or Bold Bluegil, all have been great out here in California and I know they will work for you there also. (4 1/2" or 6"). No, I'm not sponsored by either, just have great results and confidence in those products....

And all this is just the beginning.

While fishing the Cal. Delta with tides and current we up size to 1/2 oz. weights and bigger CutTail worms on casting gear (12-14 lb. test)for short pitching and hammering good largemouth under docks and in front of weeds in shallow water. Shorter leader length...



Oh, BTW, that's something else that hasn't been brought up, leader length. I try to start out about 16-14 inches from hook to weight and close the gap if it will help get the bigger bites. This last weekend I was using about 8" average for my better fish but that's not always the case. Even greater lengths can be used for those suspended fish or if your fishing taller weed beds with 5 or more feet of water on top of it. Experiment, experiment and then experiment some more. Tough to do during a tourney, but if your boater is dropshotting it will leave you in a spot for longer periods of time and it will probably benefit you to do that technique also. Pay attention to his weight selection and leader length if he's on em or not, then you'll know what to do or "not" do! Different baits or colors will get the same fish if presented the way they feel comfortable in eating.



Half the fun is it's all good, just go out and have some fun with it and keep at it, you will get some good results.

Let us know how you do at the tourney and what you learn while dropshotting.



Tom

 

[Corey Carrico2]

I use 6lb Florocarbon and I generally texas rig the worm because the extremely clear and deep lake I fish has weeds otherwise I would nose hook it.



I have had the best luck with straight tail worms in the 4 inch range or less...something really soft gives the best action. My personal preference is to use a heavy weight to get the thing near the bottom quick....then shake it really really lightly WITHOUT moving the weight or the bass will inevitably hit the weight and not the worm.



I find that the drop shot is great for presenting to a specific target such as a defined weed edge, holes in weeds, rock piles, docks etc...all the stuff you will be able to see in a clear lake.



As for the bite...since I typically use a heavy weight mine tend to come right as it hits the bottom or a second or two thereafter. I do not typically get the peck peck you associate with worm fishing...for me they just start swiming with it or you get a "heavy" feeling....hooksets are free so give a nice sweeping hookset if it seems off. And watch your line...sometimes you fel nothing and it is swimming away.



I always have one rigged up on our clear lakes.



Corey

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Must be 'legal' there, huh Corey?



LOL



az

 

[Corey Carrico2]

Hey Andy, yup..its legal in Wisconsin. I wish I could use it on Diamond Lake in Michigan, would work great there also I would assume. They need to update that law...but don't get me started on Michigan and how bass fishing friendly they are. Lol...

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Thanks everbody, will be trying it out this weekend on a different clear deep lake, that's all I'm going to do is practice the dropshot this weekend. This is the lake I spoke of about a month ago regarding trout fisherman getting big smallies on live-lined herring in deep water. Everybody said on this board "DROPSHOT". So thanks for all the advice, still a great board for fishing info. I will let you all know how I do this weekend and also on the tourney. I will try and locate some robo worms, I'm also going to pick up those tiny bass assasins in 1 1/2" to try out. If I can't find the Robo worms I have some CREME brand straight tail worms. I also have the Berkley Ribbon tail worms that I intend to size down a 1/3 to about 3 1/2". I realize you guys said the straight tail is better but I think the "Ribbon Tail" from Berkley has good action with small twitches, so I will give it a shot. And of course I will try the 4" Senko.