10-06-2006, 02:16 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Dropshotting is simple in concept, but can take a lifetime to refine. In short, you have a weight on the bottom of your line, to take down your unweighted or lightly weighted plastic (or bait, or fly). The weight gets the offering down fast and helps you maintain "touch" with what is going on down below.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The distance between the weight and the lure is usually anywhere between 12" to 24", depending on how tight to the bottom the fish are holding and other factors. You can rig the dropper using either a loop in the line or a blood knot dropper. Some folks even use small three way swivels, but that can spoon finicky fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are lots of special dropshot hooks, designed for hooking and fishing different kinds of plastic baits. You can use grubs, tubes, stick baits (Senkos) or just about anything else you want. The key is in how you fish them. Sometimes you leave the weight on the bottom and just lightly "shivver" the line to keep the dropshotted lure wiggling and jiggling above the bottom. That can be deadly on many species.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Dropshotting is usually used in "vertical" presentations, but is also effective for casting in toward the shore and then slowly reeling and jiggling the lure down the slope until it is directly beneath your boat or tube. There will be some days when an "upslope" retrieve will work better...or even casting parallel to shore...in the "zone"...and working the rig back at the same depth.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If fishing from a tube or toon...or slowly drifting in a boat...a drop shot rig is great for bottom bouncing behind your craft to prospect for isolated fish or to find new schools. Just be sure to have enough weight to help keep the rig at a short angle behind you. That helps with feel and also reduces snagging.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Bottom-bouncing a dropshot rig with small tube jigs or flies can be deadly on perch, trout, walleyes and other species. I rig small tube jigs using regular jig hooks without any lead on them. Add a piece of worm or perch meat for extra attraction.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]To cover more of the water column, you can rig a tandem dropshot rig...with one lure at about 18" and a second up another 18" to 2 feet. If your sonar shows fish suspending a few feet off the bottom, in deeper water, you can rig the dropshot to ride as high up from the weight as you want. Remember, most fish will move up to take a bait or lure, but not many will drop below their zone. It is always better to fish above the fish than below them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Go to a good search engine and enter "drop shotting" and see how many sites you can find. Lots of them. Otherwise, do the same with "bass fishing" and look for subheadings of drop shot.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here are a couple to get you started.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.mojolures.com/"]MOJO[/url][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/drop-shot.html"]DROP SHOT RIGGING[/url][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The distance between the weight and the lure is usually anywhere between 12" to 24", depending on how tight to the bottom the fish are holding and other factors. You can rig the dropper using either a loop in the line or a blood knot dropper. Some folks even use small three way swivels, but that can spoon finicky fish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are lots of special dropshot hooks, designed for hooking and fishing different kinds of plastic baits. You can use grubs, tubes, stick baits (Senkos) or just about anything else you want. The key is in how you fish them. Sometimes you leave the weight on the bottom and just lightly "shivver" the line to keep the dropshotted lure wiggling and jiggling above the bottom. That can be deadly on many species.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Dropshotting is usually used in "vertical" presentations, but is also effective for casting in toward the shore and then slowly reeling and jiggling the lure down the slope until it is directly beneath your boat or tube. There will be some days when an "upslope" retrieve will work better...or even casting parallel to shore...in the "zone"...and working the rig back at the same depth.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If fishing from a tube or toon...or slowly drifting in a boat...a drop shot rig is great for bottom bouncing behind your craft to prospect for isolated fish or to find new schools. Just be sure to have enough weight to help keep the rig at a short angle behind you. That helps with feel and also reduces snagging.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Bottom-bouncing a dropshot rig with small tube jigs or flies can be deadly on perch, trout, walleyes and other species. I rig small tube jigs using regular jig hooks without any lead on them. Add a piece of worm or perch meat for extra attraction.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]To cover more of the water column, you can rig a tandem dropshot rig...with one lure at about 18" and a second up another 18" to 2 feet. If your sonar shows fish suspending a few feet off the bottom, in deeper water, you can rig the dropshot to ride as high up from the weight as you want. Remember, most fish will move up to take a bait or lure, but not many will drop below their zone. It is always better to fish above the fish than below them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Go to a good search engine and enter "drop shotting" and see how many sites you can find. Lots of them. Otherwise, do the same with "bass fishing" and look for subheadings of drop shot.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Here are a couple to get you started.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][url "http://www.mojolures.com/"]MOJO[/url][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][url "http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/drop-shot.html"]DROP SHOT RIGGING[/url][/#0000ff]
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