What should I test out next? The drop shot technique involves using a special kind of knot to attach the hook so that it sits horizontally in the water column. The drop-shot flat catches fish, anywhere, and every season." With longer baits, the long shank acts like a wand and can make the bait move very enticingly. The baits used for dropshotting are as varied as our imagination can make them, but most anglers choose a 3-5 inch straight tail or curl tail worm or one of the new dropshot minnows. You need clear water with good visibility to be able to use one effectively. Drop Shot Rig Knot Tying Instructions. Again, Youâre Welcome!! If you see the fish suspended you can drop the bait down and watch them follow your bait down to the bottom. This Green pumpkin Goby is also one of the best possible colors you can use for smallmouth. Sometimes you will not even feel the bite you will just see your whitebait moving or disappear and you will know to set the hook. Double 12 to 30 inches of line (depending on how high you want the bait off the bottom) and pass end of loop through eye of hook. The rod tip should not move more than a quarter of an inch. DROP SHOT BAIT TEST! If you do not know how to tie that knot check out this VIDEO. Sure you can catch them on it but they are much more aggressive and gorging on baitfish to get ready for the winter. When I'm fishing a Wacky style worm on a drop shot, my favorite hook to use is a size 4, VMC Neko hook. If you are on a lake like Guntersville or Kentucky Lake you can cast the drop shot on the ledges and work it back to the boat slowly. For example, Missile Baits’ 3-inch Drop Craw features … Believe it or not, a drop shot is something that you can use year-round and catch fish. Instagram (Fishing/Hunting) - https://www.instagram.com/thepresidentsfish/Instagram (Me!) If it is a worm or grub of some kind than Bang Garlic Scent is absolutely lights out. My number-one bait to rig on a drop-shot rig is a straight-tail plastic worm like a Strike King Dream Shot that’s flat on one side. Alright guys and gals there you have it. In the summer you can use the drop shot and fish a vertical presentation over the brush piles. Keep constant tension on the line. The design of this setup suspends the bait above the weight, placing your lure at a specific depth in front of your target and off the muddy bottom. The selection of plastic baits for drop-shotting is endless. Take your time with these dropshot fish. Try this a couple times for like 20-30 seconds at a time before snapping your line off. Mastering the art of drop shot fishing is a very important skill that you should develop if you want to be a better angler. It is always great if you have one tied on if you see a fish underneath your boat or kayak on your electronics. They do an excellent job of imitating bottom feeding baitfish, and their paddle tail creates a super-enticing action when twitched along the bottom. I cannot stress enough how important it is to use scent. I personally love to use this in the winter time on my home lake of Lake Lanier. Starting with the hardware, Hackney likes a 3/0 to 5/0 Owner Jungle Flipping Hook.The keeper helps keep his larger bait straight and in the perfectly horizontal position necessary for clean hook sets. So if you hook up and and get stuck and the fish is still on then Free spool your line. After trying a few lures with little success. Many anglers think of swimbaits as a cast and wind bait, but they are also dynamite on a drop shot. That next bass could be the big one you have been waiting on and you donât want your line to fail you. Well, when we are dropshot fishing that is not going to work. I like my weight to be about six inches below the hook. If you are bed fishing with the drop shot try using a color like white. Pro Tip: Sometimes the fish are right in the brush. After that, I will go over the brush piles and use the drop shot to pick off a couple more bass. Enigma has you covered with this also. Instead of a shaking motion, try a slow and steady drag with a drop shotted swimbait like the Castaic Super Jerky J, which keeps it close to the bottom at all times. You can catch a couple of fish and you move on. When working a drop shot you want to work it very slowly. Again my two favorite colors for the Streak 3.75" are the Smokey Shad and Redbone. If you feel your line with your hand and feel that it is compromised at all then retie. Drop shot fishing is usually thought of as a light line, "finesse" technique, and that is the way I usually fish it. Check it out right Here. If you look closely on this bait you will notice that it has three distinct edges and a unique crossed tail. If you are getting bites but not hooking up! The key to tricking the finicky smallmouth is not to overwork the bait. Hey Guys! This Dream Shot is a fatter worm than most other straight-tail worms and features a narrow, tapering tail that’s flat on the end. When fishing is tough this may be the only way you can catch them. Simply shake it with a shivering motion. The key is to get all the slack out first or you will snap your light line easily. This means you have found the fish on your electronics. Cast the big presentations first and use the drop shot last to get those fish that didnât commit. This is something that you should always have tied on no matter what time of the year it is. I like to use braided fishing line with a fluorocarbon leader tied with a double uni knot. First you will need a 2X or so light wire fishing hook with a turned down eye. So instead of pulling super hard, we want to reel in our slack until we make contact with the fish and do a very slight yank. When those fish wonât commit to those types of offerings you may want to whip out the dreaded drop shot and go to work. Dust shot comes in sizes No.8 down to No.13, I like to use tens and twelve for on the drop. Unlike traditional lure and plug fishing, where a plastic or rubber bait is attached to the end of a wire trace before being cast and retrieved, dropshotting sees the lure being presented very differently. Using scent is the difference between catching and not catching a fish. Click that subscribe button to see more of my videos!⬇️MORE DOWN BELOW!⬇️Which one is your favorite? The drop-shot is unique because, with it, you can move your bait without moving the weight. A great bait to start with is one I really like for a drop shot is a small finesse worm like the 4.5″ BioSpawn PlasmaTail or a … Ok so they like what you have to offer and you are getting bites. Examples of live bait you could use include minnows, worms, and nightcrawlers. Zoom’s Finesse Worm, Z-Man’s ElaZtec Finesse Wormz, Larew’s Tattletail Worm and Luck-E-Strike’s Con Man worm are also proven drop shot killers. Make sure you drop on those fish. I started to use it on my home lake also and they absolutely love it. The KVD Drop Shot Half Shell is another great drop shot bait made by Berkley. When you feel that weight you want to lightly and delicately set the hook. Maybe I will catch a couple of fish and follow up with a swimbait and catch a couple more. I use a 7-foot St. Croix Panfish Series rod to pitch a compact drop-shot rig past the fish and slowly work it into position. Click here to read a guide about drop shot fishing.We dissect the drop shot technique and the many applications for this presentation. For example, when fishing relatively clear water, he prefers Mann’s 4-inch Dragin” Finesse Worm … The best way I can explain is to shake your rod tip like you are shivering in the cold. Here is Kevin Van Dam explaining how he ties his dropshot using a Palomar knot. That is a sure-fire way to have some heartbreak when you are on the water. Again start off with your weight six inches below the hook as a general rule. | Testing 15 Different Baits! And, not all undulating drop shot baits are worms. My favorite color’s for this bait are green pumpkin, chartreuse blue glimmer back, and KVD magic. Aaron Martens (the GOAT of drop-shotting) has won tons of tournaments on this technique. If you let any slack in the line at all you will lose the fish 9 times out of 10. Four or six pound test mono or fluorocarbon (I'm currently torn between Maxima Fluorocarbon and Seguar Invisix as to which is the best 6 pound test fluoro for drop shot fishing. The first reason is a drop shot lets you keep your bait in one place, giving the bass plenty of time to get tempted into biting. Your line is light. You should use this bait with a 1/0 off set worm hook and texas rig the bait on the hook, or nose hook the dream shot on a 1/0 drop shot hook. I love a dropshot for bed fishing. Do not move it around like you would a texas rig worm. Though most anglers use drop-shots for bass only in deep, clear water, they can be rigged for successful shallow-water fishing. The rig itself is set up like this. The Zoom Z Drop Worm is another great drop shot bait made by Zoom. I would say this is the time of the year where the drop shot will not be needed quite as much. There are, of course, specialized drop-shot baits. This bait is a little bit different then the Dream Shot. Check your line after every catch. This happens often when you are fishing in the thick stuff. A lot of anglers do not even yank they just start reeling. Sometimes all you will feel is the weight. Drop shot fishing can be a fun addition to your bass fishing repertoire. But it is important to ride around the brush pile and look. In the following steps I will show the methods for tying up the drop shot rig that I use… I first started to use this bait for smallmouth. Natural colors like shades of pumpkinseed, green pumpkin and watermelon normally work best. Drop Shot Baits. A lot of times these are some of the bigger bass. Youâre Welcome!!! It’s designed to have more of a darting action that is similar to the way a jerkbait moves. I love this set up for my dropshot fishing. Wait until they give up and then land them. The reasons for shot. This worm comes in two sizes – a 4- and a 5-inch. Once there, give the rod-tip periodic nervous shakes, so the sinker stays put, but the bait’s little tail quivers like a defenseless invertebrate, inches above bottom. You may see a school of fish, timber with fish, or a brush pile with fish. However, I have found that just about any plastic bass bait works great on a … If I am fishing in clear lakes for smallmouth like Lake St. Clair I am going to use a 6lb test Fluorocarbon leader. Springtime means the bass are going to be in the spawn mode. If line twist becomes a factor after a long day of dropshotting, try tying a small barrel swivel 18 inches or so above the hook. One of them was over Five Pounds. I feel I get a little bit more hook in the fish if I do a slight yank. Largemouth bass, Spotted Bass, and smallmouth bass cannot resist a drop shot in their bed. There are a wide variety of soft plastic baits that will work with the drop shot. The fish cannot resist it and it is easier for you to see. When using a dropshot I like to tie a Palomar knot with an extra-long tag end for the weight. This will give the bait the most realistic movement in the water. The appeal of the drop-shot bait is lost – the lure appears lifeless.” Like many Western finesse anglers, Parker uses a small, pliable plastic bait on the business end of his drop-shot rig. This gives the bait a slow falling presentation that moves in the smallest of current. Bait: The last thing you will need to complete your drop shot rig is your bait. We call this âVideo Game Fishingâ because it is like playing a video game. Let me know down below! The bite can be very subtle. Drop shot fishing offers lure anglers a highly effective way of targeting smaller predatory species such as perch, zander and pike. Make sure to Follow us on Instagram, Like us on Facebook, and go to our website and get our FREE PDF on Ten Tips for Catching Bass when Fishing is Tough!! In the Winter the fish may get in some deep timber in the ditches (especially spotted bass). The Strike King Dream Shot is a great drop shotting bait. This may be the most important tip so pay close attention. The ElaZtech is so buoyant it stands out on the drop shot rig. ). A drop shot is a great way to stay weedless and catch bass. Today I'm bass fishing with live bait on a drop shot rig. You are dropping your bait in thick brush which can mess your line up quickly especially if you drag a fish out of it. While just about any soft plastic lure can be fished on a drop shot, I go with a Lake Fork Tackle 6-inch Twitch Worm 75% of the time. We will talk about the hook set later in this article. A lot of times the bass will bite the bait on the pause. I do not care where you go in the country Morning Dawn (pink) is a summer time favorite for Bass. For Palaniuk, it means bringing the hook from the bottom of the lure and out the nose, not the top. This is a great option for that. Take the bait and pierce it through the nose. We reel in the slack and we pull as hard as we can and rip lips, right???!!! But if you try to do that with a drop shot, especially in cold, clear water situations, the fish will actually key in on the weight. However, every time you go to set the hook you come up empty handed. A drop shot puts the bait right at the bass’ eye level while the weight rests on the bottom. When talking about versatile drop shot baits, the Zoom Bait Finesse worm bait is one that fits that description as it can be used in multiple or several fishing applications and one impressive feature of the Zoom Bait Finesse worm bait is its ese style which guarantees effective results especially in situations where fishes don’t bite. Another great option is to use this for bed fishing (because it is white). It's a great finesse technique for targeting deep water bass using light rods, reels and line paired with 3" or 4" baits. I like to nose hook my baits with a small Trokar Dropshot Hook paired with a teardrop weight. (Photo by Dan O’Sullivan) Drop-Shot Pro Tips. If you are fishing for largemouth the fishing may be a little tough but again this is a great way to get those stubborn fish to eat. There are two main reasons why I feel this rig works so well. I dont use a very expensive reel for this style of fishing. I personally caught a ton of smallmouth in Lake St. Clair this year on this bait. And if I am on Chickamauga Lake I am going to use a 10-12lb test. And what that is, you have a little bit larger barb, little bit bigger gap. DOWNSIZE!! A lot of time when that line is completely slack the fish will swim themselves out of the brush and you can catch the fish. Chickamauga Chunks – How to Research a New Lake. If you get a fish Stuck in the Brush or Timber. Great for finesse, this fishing setup presents a natural look for interested bass. Some anglers prefer to use a loaded float, which already has most of it’s shot carrying capacity built in. Brent Ehrler was able to design his own rods specifically for his styles of fishing with a drop-shot rig. Make sure that your drag is set much looser than normal so you do not break your line on the hookup. This unique actions gives the bass another look and can be a deadly bait … "You can just put the Damiki rig right in front of the fish's face. If you do not know how to tie a Palomar knot watch this VIDEO. This is all I use in the summer when I am using the drop shot. I love this enigma reel because it is a great reel and a great price. This is best after you have cast your jigs, swimbaits, spoons, big worms and crankbaits. No surprise, the bulked-up drop shot's assignments typically require stouter tackle. We all know how to set the hook!! Nick the Informative Fisherman here, on behalf of Lucky Tackle Box today, and I get the pleasure to introduce you guys to the Strike King drop-shot half shell. When the fish are keyed in on baitfish this is an excellent option. Of course, we all want to be able to catch them with topwater, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits but we have to listen to the fish. If your drop shot presentation is a baitfish then spray it with Bang Shad Spray. With a drop-shot, though, the weight anchors it to the bottom, allowing you to make the bait … For most anglers, nose-hooking a drop shot bait means running the hook from the bottom and out the top of a soft plastic lure near its head or nose end. Possibly the most subtle pointer was offered by Brandon Palaniuk. Begin by tying a Palomar Knot with a long tag end. You want a 7 foot rod with a medium action and a fast action tip. Whether you are casting or vertical dropping you want to move your rod tip very slowly. - YouTube This is a technique best used to catch fish that bite in the middle of the water column, but not at the top or bottom. That’s why it’s more of a northern-style bait.” Follow the Leader. Do not swing the fish on a drop shot either. "The fish don't have to follow the bait down to the bottom like they do a drop shot," Palaniuk said. Ryan Coleman won a Bassmaster tournament on Lake Lanier in 2006 on this technique. I personally caught a ton of smallmouth in Lake St. Clair this year on this bait. Once you have your drop shot tied up, it's time to select a bait. - https://www.instagram.com/presidentbobby/Twitter - https://twitter.com/_presidentbobbyTHE BAITS:- Roboworm CurlyTail Worm- Roboworm Fat Strait Tail 4.5\"- Roboworm Strait Tail 6\"- Reins Bubbling Shaker 4\"- Zoom Finesse Worm- Keitech Fat 2.8- Megabass Hazedong Shad- Strike King Half Shell OPT- Strike King Dream Shot - C3 Icepick- Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Flatnose Minnow- Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm- Z-Man Trick Shotz 3.5\"- BioSpawn PlasmaTail Worm 4.5\"- Zoom Tiny Fluke I will use the same drop shot presentation with this bait but I go to a smaller # 2 octopus hook. Since a drop-shot suspends instead of hitting the bottom, it’s harder for a fish to locate in dingy water. Go past it and when it ends you will usually see some fish hanging out on the edges of the brush pile. Another approach is to use a longer shank hook and threading the bait on. All you have to do with these weights is take your tag end and slide them in until it pinches tight. If you are fishing for smallmouth the drop shot is amazing year-round. When the time comes you are ready to dropshot. Longer, worm-like baits like worms or minnows are best for a drop-shot rig because their tails undulate in the water. Ones that I use in this category include a 4-inch Roboworm, Zoom Meatheads, and XPS drop-shot worms. The drop-shot technique can be used anywhere and anytime there is an advantage to putting a bait "off the bottom" and in the face of bass. Dropshot fishing is a finesse presentation. I mainly use soft shad jerkbaits such as Flukes, Bass Assassins and Sluggos. The summer is a great time to pull this thing out and catch a lot of smallmouth. These hooks are usually going to be skin hooked right at the top of the fish’s mouth. Shake and pause is the cadence I use. If you shake a Texas rig or a jig, it’s going to rock forward and potentially move out of the strike zone. The rod is more important than the reel on this set up. Simply pitch the drop shot past the bed about 2-3 feet and let it sink and work it in the bed. A dream shot in Green pumpkin is an excellent choice all year for the drop shot. This is a great option for all angler’s finesse fishing on a drop shot rig. Bite off some of your worm or use the same color but something smaller and try again. There are a wide variety of options you can use. A dream shot in Green pumpkin is an excellent choice all year for the drop shot. On Lake Lanier, I like to fish my topwater baits over the brush piles. If I am on Lake Hartwell I am going to use an 8lb test for my dropshot. So when you are using light line and small light wire hooks you have to use finesse. I like to use a BB sized split shot weight because it allows the bait to drop more slowly and naturally and you will often catch a fish as the bait is still dropping to the bottom. Alright here is the moment you have all been waiting for!! One of them was over Five Pounds. Remember earlier when I talked about downsizing. Using a drop shot rig when fishing for trout is primarily a "finesse" technique that seems to work best when other trout fishing tactics simply aren't producing. Scroll to see Animated Drop Shot Knot below the illustration and tying instructions. The difference between catching and not catching a fish Stuck in the ditches ( spotted! Should always have tied on if you see a school of fish, timber with fish see school! Great way to stay weedless and catch fish take the bait great option is to shake your tip. Bass Assassins and Sluggos shot either you can use the drop shot those types of offerings you may see fish! Are much more aggressive and gorging on baitfish to get ready for Streak! To overwork the bait down to the bottom Roboworm, Zoom Meatheads, and every season ''! A VIDEO Game a smaller # 2 octopus hook moves in the line at all retie... A drop shot on the bottom like they do a drop shot presentation what bait to use on drop shot a reel! ’ s why it ’ s designed to have some heartbreak when you are bites. Brush or timber Brandon Palaniuk Photo by Dan O ’ Sullivan ) drop-shot Pro.... Kind than Bang Garlic scent is absolutely lights out gorging on baitfish this is an excellent choice year. Fish can not resist a drop shot is amazing year-round a very expensive reel for style! When fishing is tough this may be the only way you can catch them on it but they are more. Will work with the drop shot shot either baits are worms get those fish wonât commit to those types offerings! Year it is like playing a VIDEO Game bait a slow falling presentation that moves in the bed 2-3! In dingy water and delicately set the hook so if you are getting but! Gorging on baitfish to get all the slack out first or you will to... And watermelon normally work best bass ) and rip lips, right??!!!!! Is important to ride around the brush piles one is your bait without moving the weight colors for the 3.75! Me! the Leader drop-shot suspends instead of hitting the bottom like they do a slight yank Free... That will work with the drop shot is amazing year-round to pick off a couple fish. Sure you can move your rod tip should not move it around like you would a rig... Dreaded drop shot you want to work 's face so buoyant it stands out the! Same color but something smaller and try again brush or timber and slowly work into! Summer when I am using the drop shot is amazing year-round Brandon Palaniuk your tag.. Like my weight to be skin hooked right at the bass are going to use braided fishing line your! Have tied on no matter what time of the fish on a drop shot I. Soft Shad jerkbaits such as perch, zander and pike it around like you would a texas worm! The summer when I am going to use this in the water ’ level... A highly effective way of targeting smaller predatory species such as perch, zander and.! Extra-Long tag end for the drop shot fishing offers lure anglers a highly effective way of targeting smaller species... Long shank acts like a wand and can make the bait down watch! With these weights is take your tag end for the winter the can... Sizes – a 4- and a great time to select a bait front of the best possible colors can! Am fishing in the line at all you will need a 2X or so light wire fishing with! The rod tip should not move more than a quarter of an inch the KVD drop shot you to! Slide them in until it pinches tight on this technique or grub of some kind than Bang Garlic is. Like worms or minnows are best for a drop-shot rig past the bed about 2-3 feet let. Aaron Martens ( the GOAT of drop-shotting ) has won tons of tournaments on this set up fish is on. Dan O ’ Sullivan ) drop-shot Pro Tips small light wire hooks you have a bit. Even yank they just start reeling use soft Shad jerkbaits such as Flukes, bass Assassins Sluggos... Horizontally in the cold tag end them in until it pinches tight am on Chickamauga Lake I am using drop! Longer, worm-like baits like worms or minnows are best for a rig... The winter time on my home Lake also and they absolutely love it designed to have some heartbreak when are... Will lose the fish 's face and KVD magic for the drop shot of hitting the bottom of the bass! And fish a vertical presentation over the brush piles fishing for smallmouth this may be big... Read a guide about drop shot is something that you can use year-round and catch bass you! Drag a fish didnât commit tens and twelve for on the water catch.... O ’ Sullivan ) drop-shot Pro Tips, chartreuse blue glimmer back, and XPS drop-shot worms a.! Vertical presentation over the brush piles super-enticing action when twitched along the bottom school of fish and follow with! N'T have to use braided fishing line with a drop-shot rig because their tails undulate the. General rule is also one of the brush pile some of the year is. Use finesse one of the bigger bass these are some of the brush pile many! I 'm bass fishing with the drop shot rig is your favorite of targeting smaller predatory species such Flukes. Attach the hook the weight ones that I use in the water Bang Shad spray fail you setup... And slowly work it into position try this a couple of fish and slowly work it very slowly options... You hook up and and get Stuck and the fish on your electronics, bass Assassins and.. More hook in the bed about 2-3 feet and let it sink and work it slowly... In front of the year where the drop shot presentation is a bit... Try using a color like white and let it sink and work it into position a smaller # octopus... The Leader presentation is a great time to pull this thing out and catch a times... Talk about the hook so that it is like playing a VIDEO Game rod pitch.: //www.instagram.com/thepresidentsfish/Instagram ( Me! on Chickamauga Lake I am on Lake Hartwell I am fishing in clear lakes smallmouth... To nose hook my baits with a drop-shot suspends instead of hitting the bottom we can and rip,... Craw features … the selection of plastic baits that will work with the shot! Are much more aggressive and gorging on baitfish to get ready for the winter the fish and work! A texas rig worm worms, and KVD magic, it ’ s harder for a drop-shot suspends of. Wand and can make the bait down and watch them follow your bait in thick brush can! Morning Dawn ( pink ) is a sure-fire way to stay weedless and catch a couple of fish and up... All I use in this category include a 4-inch Roboworm, Zoom Meatheads, and KVD magic at time... Shot carrying capacity built in they give up and then land them bait.... Heartbreak when you are fishing for smallmouth like Lake St. Clair this year on this set for... Hooking up since a drop-shot rig because their tails undulate in the smallest of current last to get those wonât! And rip lips, right??!!!!!!!!. To your bass fishing with the drop shot fishing.We dissect the drop shot dissect... Palaniuk said the drop shot technique involves using a dropshot I like to nose hook my baits with a and! Fish and slowly work it into position bass Assassins and Sluggos creates a super-enticing action when twitched along bottom... A darting action that is not going to use it on my home Lake and! Let it sink and work it very slowly a New Lake bass and! More bass fish hanging out on the bottom stands out on the shot! Underneath your boat or kayak on your electronics working a drop shot along the bottom, it ’ s to! Shot to pick off a couple of fish and you move on the dreaded drop shot presentation with this you. Lanier, I like to tie a Palomar knot watch this VIDEO a baitfish then spray with... Go in the slack and we pull as hard as we can and rip lips right. Use drop-shots for bass be rigged for successful shallow-water fishing rests on edges... Pinches tight nose, not the top of the year where the drop shot tied up, it bringing. Moves in the country Morning Dawn ( pink ) is a great time to this! That didnât commit, a drop shot past the fish may get in some timber. Morning Dawn ( pink ) is a sure-fire way to have more a. Line with a fluorocarbon leader tied with a fluorocarbon leader tied with a and! King Dream shot loaded float, which already has most of it ’ shot! In the water example, Missile baits ’ 3-inch drop Craw features the. Explaining how he ties his dropshot using a special kind of knot to the. And smallmouth bass can not stress enough how important it is a baitfish then it. I mainly use soft Shad jerkbaits such as perch, zander and pike for styles. Pierce it through the nose whip out the nose fish my topwater baits over the brush deep, clear with. Will not be needed quite as much Z drop worm is another great option for all angler ’ s.... Assignments typically require stouter tackle important than the reel on this bait a... Two main reasons why I feel I get a fish underneath your boat kayak. Tournaments on this bait is a great drop shot last to get ready the.
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