Drop-shotting: Two techniques, one outcome (SUCCESS)

[OutdoorActionOntario]

Every angler knows about drop-shotting by now. If not, you might have been living as a castaway on an island in the South Pacific for the last several years, as this technique has come to North America from Japan and really taken the Fishing Industry by storm. A small hook, a finesse-type plastic and big bass are on the way, right?

Sure, but why limit yourself. The reality is that drop-shotting is a very versatile presentation and when you start to get creative, the fun really starts. There are two basic approaches to drop-shotting that I have made a major part of my fish-catching arsenal this summer, and both produce big numbers, as well as big fish. Since I have made it my mission to greatly enhance my drop-shotting technique this season, I have broken my drop-shotting into two categories: Finesse and Heavy-Shotting.

As the Summer turns to Fall, heavy-shotting is a great way to present big worms or creature baits and can be more productive than straight Texas-Rigging, for those who like this technique. I am a huge fan of t-rigging, having grown up in the Kawartha’s (specifically my home lake, Pigeon Lake, where it was an absolute necessity.)

However, T-rigging can hurt anglers in a few different ways. Beginners may fish the rig too slow, or too fast. Also, a T-Rig also puts the bait right on the bottom but there are times you may want your bait presented a little higher up in the water column to attract more strikes from greedy Bass who are putting on the feedbag. Then there are the little things, like should you peg your weight or leave it free to fall? Add it all up and beginner anglers should probably learn the ins and outs of drop-shotting to make the most of their limited time on the water.

So, because I am using both finesse and heavy-shotting options with regularity now and most importantly, catching porker Fish on these techniques, I wanted to share what I have learned with you this summer, starting with gear and moving on through each method:

1. Finesse; in which I use a standard drop shot rig (10 pound braid mainline with a 4-6 foot section of 8 or 10 pound flouro leader,) a 1/0 drop shot hook, nose hooking small plastics like Berkley Gulp minnows, X-Zone Slammers and smaller finesse worms like the RoboWorm, and anywhere from 3/16 oz. weights up to 3/8 oz, I do prefer tungsten because I feel a better connection to the bottom.) The line will be anywhere from 10 to 18 inches between the hook and the drop shot weight.

2. Heavy-Shotting; I still stick with 10 pound test braided main line (strictly use PowerPro, just personal preference) and I will beef up the Fluoro leader to 12 pound or even up to 14 pound test. I prefer to use 12 pound Seaguar leader material which is softer and stronger than your regular fluorocarbon lines, but I also have had success with 14 pound Sunline Sniper....even going down to 12 pound Sniper (which is still way thicker than the 12 pound Seaguar leader material fluoro -something to think about as the diameter of your line will absolutely impact what that bait is doing on the end of your drop shot rig.) When heavy-shotting, I will place the weight anywhere from 6 inches to 18 inches below the hook. I let the Fish tell me where it should be.

The main component of Heavy-shotting involves tying on an actual hook you would use when t-rig worm fishing (I like the 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hooks, can go up to 4/0 but I don't like to go bigger than this.) I also like to use 1/2 oz. tungsten weights. For the bait I like to use full size stick worms, and essentially you just rig them T-Rig style but on the drop shot set-up.

My personal favorite this summer, due to the immense success I have had with it, is the X Zone X-Stick, in various colour schemes (I like some choice when I'm fishing and having variety helps with matching the forage in whatever body of water you are in.)

The heavy-shotting tactic has been excellent for getting into some hard to reach spots for Largemouth Bass (when you are in heavy cover but need the bait off the bottom) yet I also have pulled many big Smallmouths off of rock humps across numerous lakes in eastern Ontario this summer. When I am hunting Smallies with the heavy-shot, it isn't about protecting my rig around cover, rather I use it in this scenario it because you can present larger baits (like a 5-inch stick worm, like the XZone x-stick) on the drop shot to induce bigger bites, and whereas if you simply were to nose-hook these baits on the drop shot hook, you may get some limp loose action, but I really feel that the bait performs better when T-rigged drop shot style on the larger hook because it gives the bait a very horizontal presentation without compromising the free movement you need to get from a drop-shot bait.

However, there are times when you may need to clip 1/2 to a full inch off a 5-inch worm when using them for this technique, you may notice you get more hits on the smaller profile. Let the fish tell you what they want here. My main love affair for this presentation for smallies is that I really feel you can mimic a dying minnow 20-30 feet down on a rock hump a lot better with a t-rigged drop-shot set up the way I explained it, and the results have been there for me this summer across all of Ontario.

It can also be very good on lakes where there is a lot of cut weed in the water that can occasionally foul up your rig.... this tends to happens on lakes with a lot of boat traffic plus heavy weed growth... or if you are fishing just about anywhere in the Kawartha's where the lakes are ridiculously weedy.

I know lots of pros have been doing versions of this for years now, some call it "power-shotting", throwing the heavier rig on a bait caster. A lot of these guys would use heavier weights too, like ¾ up to a full ounce. Not me, I stick around ½ ounce for all heavy-shotting applications due to personal preference. I still use a spinning outfit for all my drop-shotting, whether it be finesse or heavy-shotting....

Next week I am off to my personal Fishing Paradise east of Georgian Bay, and upon my return I have another tournament so I look forward to updating you on my angling exploits in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, remember we are coming into the best Bass fishing of the entire season - the Fall! Get those football jigs and Top Waters ready for some Big Piggy action and tight lines to everyone.

[OutdoorActionOntario]

Hey Guys and Gals please add your own drop-shotting tips or stories too please!!!

[Yannick Loranger]

Here's something I wrote for Ontario out of Doors last winter. http://www.oodmag.com/fishing/ice-fishi ... r-walleye/

[JZ]

I havent tried Power shoting yet but do a fair bit of regular dropshoting. I like a ML rod with extra fast action, 6'6 to 6'8. 10lb braid with 6 or 8lb flouro leader. I also really like the VMC spinshot usually 1/O but will use a size 2 smaller bass, walleye or panfish, huge reduction in line twist with the spinshot. Dont limit yourself to vertical fishing either, they are deadly casted into the shallows and slowly fished back to the boat. If you pull it over a drop off it will pendulum back to you and I have found that will trigger a strike. Favourite DS baits are Xzone slammer and 3" gulp minnow.

[CNs]

I havent tried Power shoting yet but do a fair bit of regular dropshoting. I like a ML rod with extra fast action, 6'6 to 6'8. 10lb braid with 6 or 8lb flouro leader. I also really like the VMC spinshot usually 2/O but will use 1/O for smaller bass, walleye or panfish, huge reduction in line twist with the spinshot. Dont limit yourself to vertical fishing either, they are deadly casted into the shallows and slowly fished back to the boat. If you pull it over a drop off it will pendulum back to you and I have found that will trigger a strike. Favourite DS baits are Xzone slammer and 3" gulp minnow.

I like the concept of the VMC spinshot. Bought several packs of them. Really reduce the line twist but my hook up ratio went way down. Switched back to Owner Mosquito hooks and my hook ratio went back up.

I use 10lb nano with a seagar flouro 10 lb leader.

Reels not important (usually Pflueger xt or Shiimano Stradics) BUT the rod

I use a Simax Great Lakes Drop shot rod. I can feel a fish breathe on the bait

[Super]

This year I gave a concentrated effort to drop shotting and to speed up my learning curve, I tied on 2 hooks.
One about 2 feet above the sinker and one hook between the top hook and the sinker.
I caught most fish on the lower hook but did catch some on the top hook.
I am just wondering why more people do not use 2 hooks.
Tungsten is the way to go but for some reason I tend to snag and loose everything more often when I use tungsten than when I use a larger heavy sinker.
David

[Wally]

Whats the difference between drop shot and three way rigs.

[lape0019]

Dropshot has the hook tied directly to the main line or at the very least, the hook and sinker are in line with the mainline.

The three was has the mainline attached to one side, a line to the sinker that is inline with the mainline and then the hook is attached to another line coming off the third part of the three way swivel...

I hope that makes sense.

Adam

[Wally]

Thanks Adam,When they say a 10 ft floro leader ,does that mean attach straight down from your braided main line with a hook and sinker at the bottom.
Does it make a different to add a floro leader vs a straight braided line ,do u use a swivel to tie them together...Wally

[SeaMonster]

Dropshotting is so 2008.
Jika rigs is where it's at now.

[lape0019]

Thanks Adam,When they say a 10 ft floro leader ,does that mean attach straight down from your braided main line with a hook and sinker at the bottom.
Does it make a different to add a floro leader vs a straight braided line ,do u use a swivel to tie them together...Wally

Not sure what they mean about the 10 foot flouro leader but I can tell you what I do. Keep in mind, dropshotting is not one of my go to techniques although it should be.

I use 20lb braid on a spinning reel. I tie a flouro leader to the braid using a uni to uni knot. The flouro is usually three to four feet long and then I tie on a vmc spinshot hook which has swivels built into it. I then tie on another piece of flouro under the hook and once I decide how long I want to leave the trailer, I tie on the sinker. In total, my flouro portion in usually between 4 to 6 feet.

There are many people here that dropshot more than I do and probably have a different take on it.

Adam

[OutdoorActionOntario]

With traditional drop shotting, best to go with Braid main line IN MY OPINION (many guys here will swear by nanofil, i don't like it myself) i use a 10 pound braided main line with anywhere from 8 to 12 pound seaguar fluorocarbon LEADER material, and I will attach the fluoro to the braided line used a SEAGUAR knot (google it, ridiculously easy to tie, and it holds very well in even extreme situations.) You get the sensitivity and hook setting strength of the braid, but the fluoro leader gives you invisibility and flexibility - "Stealth and Stretch", as I like to say... That little bit of stretch will mean you won't rip the bait out of the bass' mouth when setting the hook, the stealth will ensure you get the bite in the first place to get that hook-setting opportunity...

I will tie a 10 to 12 foot section of fluoro on to my braid and by the end of the day this will usually be down to the very last couple of feet of fluoro, usually, from re-tying and other issues that naturally occur over a fishing day.

Disclaimer, when it comes to lines and knots, you are going down the rabbit hole because every individual is going to have their own preferences. For me, I use braided main line the majority of the time due to having lost a monster a couple of years ago (snapped 12 pound mono when I tried flipping him into the boat). However, your line choices should be considered technique by technique.

For a good resource on this check out the following link - it's decent enough to give you a solid overview of what you need to be using across several different techniques: http://www.bassfishin.com/blog/fishing-line-guide/

Full disclosure it's a guideline not a bible - I do differ from some of these set-ups myself even.

One thing I will say - if you are a beginner, you don't need to be too worried about this stuff. Set your spinning rod up with 20 pound powerpro, green colour. Next, buy some 12 pound Seaguar Fluoro LEADER MATERIAL (there is a difference, this comes in a blue/yellow package and in 25 metre spools, is not overly expensive.) Get some 1/4 to 1/2 oz lead weights, some 1/0 drop shot hooks (Trokar, Gamakatsu, Owner, VMC and Mustad make quality drop shot hooks.) and you are ready to go... Rod selection is vital but that is a whole other story for a different day, lots of guys here will give you recommendations on what rod to consider using...

[lapointeric]

I'm actually interested in this topic... can I kindly request some more pictures/diagrams? Way too much text for this time of the day on a Friday...

E

[StarTzar]

I'm actually interested in this topic... can I kindly request some more pictures/diagrams? Way too much text for this time of the day on a Friday...

E

Eric,
Google Drop Shot fishing and select images ...

https://www.google.ca/search?q=drop+sho ... B267%3B320

[RJ]

6 or 8 lb Flurocarbon mainline for me. I use Pline.

1/0 or 2/0 Owner Downshot hook.

Drop shotting is as easy as Senko fishing once you figure out that spongy feel on the end of your rod is a fish...

Giver boys. Fall is when it shines!

RJ