Drop shot

[Rick D.]

I've been dabbling with drop shotting this past season with some success.

 

Today we had temps in the 60's and I got a hour of light to what I figured was going to be casting practice,

 

I rigged a drop shot with a 4" finese worm and gingerly worked the bank of a large wintering hole.

 

I will now add drop shot patterns to my cold water patterns. Two smallies in under 45 minutes along about a 100 yard bank.

 

Consider trying drop shot for cold water.

[Guest]

Rick

I've been working a droshot in winter for a couple of years. I'm glad to see someone else fooling with it. One area of use that is real interesting is working a lure out in strong current in water under 40 degrees. There has to be boulders or wood for the fish to hold behind, but with the dropshot I can place a 2" tube motionless behind a boulder in 4' of water and have great feel and a weightless presentation. I also like the control with a dropshot over a float n fly presentation. With the dropshot I know my lure is always a foot or so off the bottom regardless of the depth change of the river. I can fish the dropshot in 6 inches of water to 10 feet deep and not have to change a thing except add more weight if the cuurent is strong. Try using long sinkers, pencil lead or stained glass lead to fish with in rocks and not get snagged. Keep in touch.

Phil f

[Bterrill]

Don't see why drop shoting wouldn't work just as good as FnF in wintertime. Heck, you could even use FnF jig upline. Thought about this myself when wind is blowing the float around.

 

Let us know how it works out.

[kend]

The drop-shotting is more suitable for verticle presentation and for deep water fishing.

 

I've not found drop-shotting advantageous for stream fishing or fishing shallow water.

 

The typical drop-shot rig involves affixing the hook to the line above the weight.

In shallow water or stream fishing, the hook would be mostly horizontal and very near the bottom---

unlike in a vertical position, the hook is above the bottom, a greater distance.

 

Alternate rigging---stream or shallow water fishing:

Make a loop, about a foot long, in your line coming off the reel.

Join the looped line to the main line using a double-surgeons knot, trim tag end.

Cut the line about 1/3 of the way in the looped line.

 

[Alternate: join leader to main line using a double-uni knot].

 

Add a hook/lure, or the like, to the short lead.

Add a bull-shot weight, or the like, to the long tag end.

[This is a basic 3 way-rig, but without the added hardware (3-way swivel, or the like)].

 

This rig can be effectively fished in streams or skinny (shallow) water, along the bottom or under a float.

 

The techique is most effective in drift fishing streams/rivers for trout, and works excellent for smallies and walleyes.

 

I prefer using long rods in the 9-12ft range.

 

I don't pretend to be an expert,

I just fish a lot.

[Guest]

Ken

I sure wish I lived closer to you to get out fishing. Do you think the double surgeons knot weakens the line? I've fooled around with a rig similar to what you describe. I like the idea of not having to use a swivel.

One thing I've been thinking a lot about is lure overlap. The idea that you can use several different lures to achieve the same effect ( usually depth and speed control). Working in the tackle business I'm sure you have to deal with not having too much of the same thing with you when you go fishing. Usually one presentation is better than another or simpler or cheaper, but it's fun to be creative and nice that a lot of different things work. Yesterday at a small pond I caught bass on a suspending jerkbait, a light weight tube and a dropshot rig. Hope to get up to fish in your area more this year.

Phil

[Bterrill]

Ken, alot of the time in winter I am standing on a high bank in front of the wintering hole the angle would be pretty conducive to drop shot.

 

You could also use a small tube or grub at the bottom as weight- thus offering two baits.

[Rick D.]

Bterrill,

Thats the type of stream I was fishing. Stone edges on high banks of wintering pools in 4-10 ft.

 

I have had a couple guys joke at me because I've been seen fishing with my 9' & 10' steelhead spinning rod.

 

It works! So, don't knock it.

 

OH I have don't drop shot in streams with large stone to pitch off edges with 4'-6' drops.

 

Smallies come ripping out of the big stone crevices with ambush in mind. Sometimes it works better that jigging.

 

Ken, alot of the time in winter I am standing on a high bank in front of the wintering hole the angle would be pretty conducive to drop shot.

 

You could also use a small tube or grub at the bottom as weight- thus offering two baits.

 

[kend]

Ken

I sure wish I lived closer to you to get out fishing. Do you think the double surgeons knot weakens the line? I've fooled around with a rig similar to what you describe. I like the idea of not having to use a swivel.

One thing I've been thinking a lot about is lure overlap. The idea that you can use several different lures to achieve the same effect ( usually depth and speed control). Working in the tackle business I'm sure you have to deal with not having too much of the same thing with you when you go fishing. Usually one presentation is better than another or simpler or cheaper, but it's fun to be creative and nice that a lot of different things work. Yesterday at a small pond I caught bass on a suspending jerkbait, a light weight tube and a dropshot rig. Hope to get up to fish in your area more this year.

Phil

 

Phil,

There are several houses for sale in the area.

One is within a block of some prime smallie waters of the Fox.

'til you find the suitable house, "lets get together", as they say in the movies.

 

The double surgeons knot is not 100%, but provides acceptable results.

 

With any three-way system, there is always the chance of line overlapping or twisting/wrapping of one line over another, on the trailing leads---it occasionaly happens.

 

A small split-ring seems to be better than a swivel.

 

A fly-anglers "tippet-ring" is even better, over a split-ring. It is a welded ring, which does not have a place for the knot to get caught in, as with a conventional split-ring.

 

I keep a supply of the tippet rings on a snap-swivel, attached to a clip on my fishing vest.

 

TIP: suspend a fly/jig, or the like about 6" under a jigging spoon, (treble hook removed), and rigged under a float.

The jigging spoon suffices as added weight and flash.

Can be fished effectively at any depth, from shallow to deep, using a slip-float.

Excellent set-up for a beginner or novice angler.

 

Great approach for suspended fish.

 

Rattle spoons are effective in stained water.

 

Rattle beads on the line above the spoon also work.

 

Works for me.

 

I like using a Mini-Mite under the jigging spoon for crappie and bluegills.

 

Buck-tail, hair jigs, or the like, are also productive.

I frequently use them.

[Gary L]

Ken unless you are in top physical condition do not fish with Phil. He tried to drown me twice on the Kankakee fishing fast water smallies.

 

Hi Phil been a long time since we have talked.

[Mike Clifford]

Excellent points, Ken.

 

I have yet to seriously consider this approach, but after reading this thread I'm very intrigued.

 

Keep it going, by all means....

[kend]

Ken unless you are in top physical condition do not fish with Phil. He tried to drown me twice on the Kankakee fishing fast water smallies.

 

Hi Phil been a long time since we have talked.

 

Gary,

My wading deep fast water days are over.

I leave the deep fast water wading to the experts.

 

I generally wade knee to crotch deep, hence the Hodgman Guide Pants are suitable.

I don't find it necessary to wade deep moving waters, my best catches come in water less than 3ft deep.

 

When the waters of the Fox are high, bank or shore fishing is BEST.

Long rods [10-12ft] presentations are much more productive.

 

I see lots of anglers wading deeper water areas, most come up empty.

Many anglers wade right where the fish are holding, step on 'em, don't catch 'em---fish get spooked and swim off.

 

Anglers in boats cast toward shore, while shore anglers are casting as far out from shore as they can.

Go figure.

[Mike Clifford]

Some of my best spots must be fished before even stepping into the water.

Guys were a little surprised at an outing as I said "DO NOT get in the water yet. First we fish this eddie thoroughly from the bank..."

[kend]

Some of my best spots must be fished before even stepping into the water.

...........

 

You got that right.

 

When I see an angler get into the water, before fishing close to shore,

I head downstream and catch the fish he's chased away.

 

[Norm M]

I've always thought the dropshot rig was nothing more than a 3 way rig . Weight below a hook , just a matter of leader length for hook and weight .

 

Weighted properly , the 3 way was a search rig for me , I let it bounce downstream on a quartercast with a variety of baits/lures . Using it the way Phil does also makes a lot of sense to me , it's simply a matter of applying proper depth and speed control to present a bait in various current situations .

 

 

[Norm M]

It's always been amazing to me how many guys got to wade waist deep as soon as they hit the water .

 

Walking and standing where you should have been fishing is a sure way to cut way back on how many fish you catch .

 

 

Then of course there is Gary L , the "human depth finder", the guy most likely to step into the deepest spot in that locality .

[Rick D.]

Norm,

I have fished a 3-way witha swivel. I also use a weighted nymph and a streamer for steelhead in a leader pattern similiar.

 

The drop shot is different in the presentation is readily more sensitive to detect and set. It more of an in-line presentation. I like dropping into stone drops and crevices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Norm M]

Rick ,

 

I know what you mean about it being for sensitive than a regular 3 way . I think it's because of the changed angle in the weight , straight on instead of offset so to speak . It also helps in that there is no leader to the business end of the rig , it's directly connected which allows increased sensitivity .

 

If you think about it though , a jig is attached directly to the line with no offset so to speak and yet it is cast and used as a search rig . I just don't see why you wouldn't do the same with the dropshot . Let it move with the current until you find a break in the flow say a boulder or log and let the weight then sit in the slackpocket ahead or behind such piece of cover and allow the bait to hang there in the fishes range of vision . You could then be presenting a bait at a controlled depth and speed at that breakpoint which may be necessary for a less than agressive fish .

 

It may well pick you up some walleye and cats too .