Fishing The Drop Shot Rig!

One of the most popular techniques in bass fishing right now is the Drop Shot rig and is my go to rig when the bite is slow. The advantages of the Drop Shot rig is that the bait is always suspended, the depth is easily adjusted and it is very simple to fish.

Drop-shotting is a new technique for freshwater bass fishing and has become very popular among anglers. It’s not difficult to setup and very simple to fish. It is said that the rig originated in Japan and the rig has also been used by southern California anglers for some time.

GEAR OF CHOICE!

When I fish the Drop Shot rig, I usually bring 2 setups with me:

1. When fishing deep drop offs or deep structures I would usually go with 6.6-7 ft. medium-light action spinning rod like the Fenwick HMXS66ML combined with a Daiwa Exceler EXC1500 spooled with 4 lb. flourocarbon line.

2. Many believe that the Drop Shot rig is only used for deep water fishing. I like to use it in shallow water as well, mostly along the weed lines or tullies. When fishing near the weeds I like to go with a little heavier setup like the Fenwick HMXS70M combined with a Daiwa TD Tierra TDTR3000 spooled with 8 lb. flourocarbon line.

Whatever set up you want to use is totally up to you. These are just my preferred set up, others fish the Drop Shot with a lot heavier setups. But I like to use the lightest setup that I can get away with, especially fishing these clearwater lakes in southern California. The only advice that I can give when fishing a light line is to have your drag set properly.

RIGGING THE DROPSHOT!

On a drop shot, the lure is fished above the weight, I like to have the lure about 18-24 inches above the weight. You'll also need a small hook, size 1 light-wire hook.

To rig the drop shot, tie the hook approximately 2 1/2 to 3 feet up the line with a Palomar knot. Then, after you get the knot tied, it’s very important to take the line and bring it back through the eye of the hook one time, and pull it until it’s tight. What this does is make the hook stand out and makes it straight.

Then, with the remaining length of line, you stick the end through the drop-shot weight and pull it up. You don’t have to tie the line to the weight; it holds it automatically and also this way you can control the depth at which your lure will be suspended by sliding the weight up or down. The weight comes in a lot of sizes, I prefer the 1/2-ounce weight most of the time. Weights come in ball, teardrop or diamond shapes and you can also buy drop-shop kits that come with the necessary weights and swivels for easier rigging.

One of the only disadvantages of the Drop Shot technique is heavy line twist, and it gets hung up in heavy cover. I like to put a swivel on the weight to reduce line twist.

BAIT OF CHOICE!

Whichever bait you use, a Fluke, a worm, a grub, a tube, etc., you hook it through the nose with the hook exposed. Smaller, slim-type baits are best in clear water, such as the roboworm. There are numerous types of plastics that you use for drop-shotting, and it all depends on what the fish are biting that day. It may take a little experimenting, but you will find what’s working that day. This can be a little frustrating when fishing for bedding bass. Typically it’s best to try two or three different things and aggravate the fish until you get him to bite one of them. Sometimes you have to show them something different. You can also put a tube jig on the drop shot. Just hook it through the nose. Sometimes when I am fishing a bed, I would usually tie on an offset worm hook with a creature bait or lizards just to give the fish a bigger presentation.

There are certain worms that are built just for drop shot rigs, my personal favorite is the RoboWorm 4.5” Straight Tail worm in either MMIII or Oxblood colors. If these colors doesn’t work on your lake, then try the other wonderful colors the Robo Worm has.

BAIT PRESENTATION!

The object of drop-shotting is to make your bait move, but not the weight. When you’re bed fishing, you cast your weight past the bed, and then you pull the weight up to where you want it. The weight is past the bed, but the lure stays on the bed itself. Let the lure sink down to the bed, twitch it a little bit until you feel the weight, then stop. You can just hold it there if you want. Then just let it sink down and lay in the bed a little while.

This is what makes drop-shotting so effective -- you can always keep your bait on the strike zone. In other words, if you cast a Texas rig to a structure and a bass is there, each time you raise your rod tip up, you’re moving that bait away from the fish. That is not the case with the dropshot rig, it keeps the bait right where you want it -- in the strike zone.

Next time you go out on the water, try some drop-shotting and you will be pleasantly surprised. It has worked for many anglers, it’s simple to rig and easy to fish -- but most of all, it produces fish.