| The drop shot rig first became popular with bass | | | | long the creek channel edge or the edge of the |
| fisherman on the west coast. It was primarily used | | | | ledge watching your electronics until you find an |
| as a deep-water finesse technique for catching | | | | irregularity such as a bend in the creek, or some kind |
| finicky or pressured bass in clear deep-water lakes | | | | of structure such as a rock pile or brush pile. |
| and reservoirs. The popularity soon spread to the | | | | Lower your lure vertically into the structure or as |
| east when tournament anglers started having | | | | close as possible to the structure. Hold the rod with |
| success with this technique in other parts of the | | | | the tip at a slit angle down keeping constant pressure |
| country. | | | | on your bait. Try to hold the bait relatively still; the |
| To tie a drop shot rig start buy feeding your line | | | | motion of the waves will give your lure all the action |
| through the eye of a small thin wire hook from the | | | | it needs to be effective. Typically when the fish |
| barbed side. I like using a 1/0 hook size. Tie the hook | | | | strikes the lure all you will feel is a slight sluggish or |
| to your line using a polymer knot leaving a tag end of | | | | heavy feeling on your line. When you feel this sluggish |
| 16-20 inches long. | | | | feeling set your hook with a steady upward hook |
| Tie either a drop shot sinker or a bell sinker to the | | | | set keeping pressure on the fish. Do not set the |
| tag end. The weight of the sinker used depends on | | | | hook with a sharp snap or you will risk breaking your |
| the type of water being fished and how windy the | | | | line or pulling your lure out of the fish's mouth. |
| conditions are. You will want to use the lightest | | | | The distance between the lure and the sinker can be |
| weight you can get away with and still keep in | | | | adjusted to match the depth the fish are holding. |
| constant contact with the bottom. I usually use | | | | Experiment with the drop shot rig to fit your style of |
| between 1/8 oz. to 3/8 oz. sinkers. | | | | fishing. Some anglers are finding the drop shot rig to |
| When tied properly the hook should stand out | | | | be very effective in shallow water fishing as well. |
| horizontally to the line with the open end of the hook | | | | When fished in shallow water cast to your target |
| facing up. Most of the time I fish this rig with a small | | | | hold tension on the line and lightly shake the rod tip |
| 4 inch straight tail worm, however just about any | | | | to give your lure action. If you do not get a strike |
| small soft plastic bait will work. My advice is to | | | | reel in a little stop and repeat shaking the rod tip. |
| change baits until you find one you are confident with | | | | Sometimes in shallow water, the bass will slowly |
| using. I prefer to use a medium light or light | | | | swim off with the lure in its mouth. Keep a close |
| action-spinning rod with a fast taper. This rig works | | | | watch for line movement, if the line starts to slack, |
| best with 6lb. or 8lb. fluorocarbon line. | | | | move to the side, or you feel a slight heavy feeling |
| The drop shot is very effective when fished on | | | | set the hook with a steady pull keeping tension on |
| deep-water ledges and creek channels. Idle slowly a | | | | your line. |