Dropshots - A Basic Guide

A Dropshot is a staple in my arsenal just about anywhere in the country. Simple as a hook tied a length up the line from a weight. A dropshot can be used to probe Hydrilla beds way down on the famed Lake Okeechobee down in Florida. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a dropshot can also be used to explore the depths for massive Grand Traverse Bay Smallmouth. 

Setup

Being a Michigan Native, A dropshot was one of the first things I learned to use. It holds great power for tricking massive bronze fish. For clear water lakes of Michigan, my preferred setup is an 8 - 10 lb. fluorocarbon leader, about twice the length of my rod, a 7'2" medium fast graphite rod, and a 2500 sized spinning reel. The line size depends greatly on how pressured the fish are, and the water clarity.  If the fish are highly pressured in ultra clear water, I would opt for a 4 - 6 lb. leader. I generally stick to a #2 or #4 dropshot hook, nose hooked with a Strike King Baby Z-Too in Arkansas Shiner (Pictured) or The Deal, to imitate Emerald Shiner, Perch, and other small baitfish. Other good options include 6" Roboworm in Aarons Magic, and a Berkley flat worm.  I like anywhere between an 8- and 18-inch gap between my weight and hook. On most occasions, 14" is a great place to start. As a rule of thumb, cold water, 45 (Ish) degrees and below, a smaller gap is better due to the lower activity of the fish. However, don't let them fool you. A bass in cold water can and will on occasion eat a more aggressive presentation. It is all about experimentation to find your personal preference.  For weights, I like a tungsten teardrop stile weight. 1/4 oz for 8ft and under, 3/8 oz for 10-25ft, and 1/2 oz for anything over. As previously stated, experiment to find your personal preference.  The knot I most commonly use, is Palamar with a long tag end, the tag end being the distance between the weight, and hook.  Again, I stress the experimentation and time on the water to find your personal preference. 

Where

A dropshot can be fished quite literally anywhere. A good spot to start, while fishing most bodies of water is along a drop off, weed edge, or point. This can also be known as the color line, especially visible on clearwater lakes. The fish location in these areas can vary greatly from day to day, one day they may be on the top of the drop - off and even up on the flats. Another day they could be on the mid to bottom part of a drop - off. The location can even differ hour to hour. If fishing in southern river systems, such as Hartwell or Chickamauga, a dropshot is also an excellent tool to probe ledges and brush piles. 

How

Make a cast, along a drop - off, along a weed line, up or down a point, around structure. Let your weight hit the bottom. From here, there are many ways to retrieve. A basic all around, would be to gently shake the rod tip a few times while slowly dragging the bait. After a few shakes, pause for a period of time. Some days the pause can be short, some days a matter of 30 seconds to a minute could be required to trigger a bite. Make sure to either keep some tension on the line to feel the bite or keep a close eye on slack line to watch for movement. 

More in - depth information to come in video form on the YouTube this coming summer, any questions about this topic or other fishing topics? Feel free to reach out via a PM on any social, or straight from the website.