Rigging the Perfect Drop Shot Set Up

I probably hear about a drop shot more than just about any other technique. It seems like drop shot is a pretty big buzz word in the fishing industry. There are tons of different ways to rig a drop shot and a myriad of rod and reel combinations to accommodate this finesse application, but I am going to outline the drop shot set up that works best for me.

There are basically two different ways to fish a drop shot: dropping on fish directly beneath the boat (video game fishing) and casting a drop shot and finessing it back to the boat. Both have their time and place. One of the most fun ways to use modern electronics is graph until you find a school of suspended fish, then get up front with a drop shot and let your bait fall through the school hoping one will follow it to the bottom or come up for an easy meal. You can shake it, pop it, drop it, or dead stick it to try and get one of these fish to commit. The whole time you are staring at your graph almost begging a fish to bite. Often times, you can see a fish leave the school and follow your bait (hence being referred to as video game fishing).

Just like anything in the world of fishing, you must be rigged the proper way. My favorite set up for a drop shot it to use a Gamakatsu 1/0 Octopus hook and a 1/4oz. Eco Pro Tungsten Drop Shot Weight. To me, the most important part of this whole set up is getting the hook to stand out from the line so the worm will be parallel to the bottom in the water. I achieve this by tying a Palomar Knot with a fairly long tag end. I then take the tag end back through the eye of the hook. This tag end then becomes my “drop line”. Add your drop shot weight to the bottom of it and that hook will stick straight out just like it’s supposed to.

I like to keep it very simple when it comes to the choice of what plastic I recommend to use. And by keeping it simple, I mean recommending whatever you have confidence in! Straight tail worms are very popular, and I personally like the Reaction Innovations Flirt 4.95 or the Jackall Crosstail Shad but use whatever you feel will get you the most bites. Confidence is key with this presentation. It requires focus and just the right action. Less is more with a drop shot. The slightest quiver of your rod tip will make a good drop shot work shake and pulse like none other.

Drop shotting is a technique that seems to get more and more publicity every year. It is a deadly presentation that works for not only bass, but tons of other species of fish as well. Anytime you have suspended fish, a drop shot is a great tool to help put some of those fish in the boat. Just remember that every presentation is another tool in your box. There is a time for each one of those tools. You will be successful when you learn when to use each tool. But until then, practice, practice, practice!!!