Hire James Biggs if your around the area for a day and you will be taking all the how to's, what's and when's equations out. He is a perfectionist when it comes to drop shots. All good advice above.

I have several Bushidos built by Ron @ Reel Time rods located at Popes Landing on Lake Fork. These are custom built and you can choose what color thread and accents you want on the rod. Custom however you like it.
For an over the counter rod, I also have one that Carlos @ River A tackle sells. Majorcraft brand called a Nanoace.
Both work well for drop shoting.


I would suggest you also get a bait caster made to throw finesse lures to balance out the combo.
I use a Curado 50E, and a couple of Steez reels but there are several other good finesse reel choices made by Shimano, Daiwa, and Lews.

Lots of really good information already passed along.

It'd be helpful to know what lake you are primarily fishing. Many of the bass anglers on TFF might be even more specific with recommended tackle and techniques.

A few adds.

One is that the hook set is definitely not aggressive, it isn't really even much of a sweeping set. It is almost literally feeling the bass take the bait and beginning to casually swim off and just reeling slowly against it. In other words, the fish sets the hook, not the angler.

This is why the finesse version of a drop shot uses a small hook. A smaller hook will snag inside the mouth much easier. Some very good drop shotters use down to a #4 hook.

But, it doesn't have to be finesse. All a drop shot, or technically "down" shot, refers to is the weight situated below the hook on a length of line. You can also use it with a 4/0 hook, big bulky plastic, bigger weight. Some use this power variant to toss drop shots for punching through grass and into heavier cover. Or, fishing for big bass oriented on the bottom in deeper water.

Weight below hook spread? I think the general consensus is as short as 6" pre-spawn and spawn, colder water; then, longer spreads up to 18" and even more later in the year. I believe this is Aaron Martens' approach: sometimes they are pecking along the bottom and looking down to feed (short set up), other times they are on the bottom looking upward (longer).

Try both wacky worm rigging and nose hooking or T-Rigging your worm. When they want it wacky style, they'll bite it 3 to 1 over the other, well, way more it seems.

I use a KVD tip when I nose hook a 5" roboworm. KVD brings a small hook up under the "chin" of the worm, tip pointing up to the nose . . . but he leaves the hook point a tiny fraction of an inch inside the plastic.

If you are using spinning tackle, just a personal opinion but shared by many others, anything over 10 lbs. braid main line to either a 6 or 8 lbs. mono or fluoro leader is overkill. This assumes you understand the difference between operating spinning and bait casting gear. They look nothing alike, much at all. In either case, don't try to over-power a large bass with a tiny hook. It ends badly.

Brad

Drop shot has become my go to for offshore bass. Save your worn out seniors and other soft plastics to nose hook on a 1/0 riggin hook. I like to cast it out much like a c-rig and work it back slowly. If that doesn't work try shaking it with lots of action. If they won't hit a drop shot they aint biting. Hope this helps.

I had never used it until I fished with James. Used D-shot quite a bit last summer in the heat and did well with it around concrete structures in the shade. What I found interesting is the smaller bass will take 2 hits like they are eating the worm as they get to the hook. So you have to wait for that 2nd hit before setting the hook or you'll lose them as they don't have the hook in their mouth yet. I did a light set on 8lb leader and did really well but did lose a big bass once that really pissed me off. Did well with it around docks as well. I was at EM one day and the wind was brutal so I just fished the dock at the launch and got 5-6 in a little over an hour.

I don't think your two bite theory happens in every case. Maybe some of the time but not always. I don't wait to find out if they are going to bite a second time, I set the hook the first time I feel a bite.

Agreed. Sometimes they just took it. But I found this spot with a bunch of 2-3lbers and that's how they hit it. Caught like 33 in 5 hours so I camped there for a few trips out until they finally quit biting there. I was thinking maybe they bit the worm 1/2 way up and then bit it again. Not sure, but on drop shot, doesn't seem like they crush it as much as they do with T-rig. Maybe just my experience. The other theory was when I was losing them on 1 hit, it wasn't a bass at all, but crappie hitting the worm. Certainly a possibility as I was fishing around concrete structure with a finesse worm.

Something to try, next time they quit biting switch colors and see if you can pick up a few more. Fish other than bass will sometimes nip at the weight also and you think you have a bite and set the hook and ......nothing. LOL

Does anyone dropshot without using leaders? I have had decent results, but never gone through the whole leader process....just a simple loop about a foot above the weight all on mono. Anyone else?

the strike on a drop shot runs the full range of just about taking the rod out of your hand to all of sudden you don't feel anything! The latter is the tricky one as some times if you are fishing a really steep drop off it can be just that.. but if not.. you have to reel in the slack in a hurry and do a hook set. That happens to me just about every time out. I've caught bass, blue gill, crappie, drum and grass carp on a drop shot worm. Its a good way to catch fish!

BD

What type style weight are y'all typically using?

The only brand I buy are Finch Nasty ones because they have the best line clips on them. I use the long skinny weights in 1/4 oz.
I mostly drop shot finesse worms but trick worms and super flukes work well also. I use a 2/0 wide gap hook when I drop shot the super fluke.

Wondering that myself.
Fished with a guide in Austin and he likes just a lead split shot.
Just makes a loop at the end of the leader then just crimps on the weight.

I saw a fellow on Facebook selling 20 tungsten barrel weights for $20.

Wondering if the tungsten is worth it???

Throw it in the trash,inless you fish tournaments.then shorten the leader and throw it where you would a tx rig,or crig when the fish arnt biteing

^^^^This^^^^...You are getting some really good advice.
You say you fish 20' deep for smallmouth and spots. Pitch it out a little ways instead of vertical and slowly move through the fish with a 4" green pumpkin thin straight tail worm and they will just load up on your rod...just start reeling them in. You might want to try it in a pond with a hard bottom that has plenty of bass to get a better feel of the bite. You will get bit a lot!!!