Drop Shot

Pretty good in depth on drop shots from David Ozio. https://www.facebook.com/groups/923462114445603/permalink/2536320909826374/

Good video. But I completely disagree with the speed you fish it. I will say, I learned how to this from Billy Dyson back in the early 2000's. I think he was one of the first doing it on Fork. I tweeked it a bit and fish it "my way." Ive also been in the boat with guys like Eric Wright and Zach Hughes. And they fish it their own way as well. My wife now has "her way" of doing it. And I must say, there's some days she flat out smokes em! I just shake my head! lol.
But there are alot of different ways to fish this to make it effective.

I guess it depends on the plastics used. I like a Roboworm. When fishing it, I try to NOT impart any action at all. Let the worm work.

I fish it my own way, do not rig it anything like his, and often fish it like a Carolina rig, just slower.

Anybody got any good ideas on the best weight shape for fishing hydrilla lines? I'm using one of the cylindrical ones but interested to see if someone has found something easier to move through the grass with.

Are you using tungsten? It’s smaller and slightly less snaggy for a given weight. You can also rig the worm “Texas rig” style using a #1 EWG light wire hook in place of the usual DS hook and make it less snaggy.

I do this fishing heavy grass but in this case I tie the weight on to keep from it pulling off too easily and use a #1 Owner rigging hook and Txpose it.

I don't have any tungsten weights but I'll try them. T-rigging already. Thanks.

I use cylinder weights and just downsize on weight. The lighter weight seems to fall thru the grass better. Tungsten is a waste of money on drop shotting if you ask me.

That's definitely not how I feel on Tg when dropshotting...I want to use a light weight and know I'm touching bottom. With Tg, I can go down to a 1/32 oz weight, wind permitting, when drop shot and really finesse them up.

Totally agree, I use 1/8 tungsten on my drop shot 99 percent of the time.

If a guy has mediocre rods and line I can see where tungsten might seem a waste to him.

I guess I must be new at all this then. My thoughts have always been my weight is just to keep my bait where I want it. The feel I have is my bait working. That's why it's tied above your weight. When you pull through something on a lake. The first thing you feel is that worm going across something.

If you cant feel your weight on the bottom how do you know its where you want it?

You sound like someone who has never tried a piece of tungsten on a drop shot, either way its no big deal posts on here are opinion.

Some people think they can catch as many fish on a 50 dollar rod and mono as a guy using a Nrx and Tatsu, while that is the case if they are eating the [censored] out of something that is obviously not the case over time, but both guys are getting the enjoyment they want out of fishing at their accepted cost level so all is good.

I fish 1/4 oz. led about 99% of the time.

Dang my mediocre gear isn’t good enough for tungsten

I think leader length is a better Dropshot question . I know guys that use really short leader length , like 6-8" , and I know guys that are much longer , 24" or longer .
I find my success is a longer leader for wacky rigged Senko's , shorter on straight nose rigging of bubba shots .

yep I agree I fish it totally different also

lol I have a 1500 spinning combo that I know lead dropshot weight with... no reason to spend that much on tungsten weights to break them off every other cast..

I'll describe my two setups since others have asked for ideas. I got tips from ole Red Billy too, and adapted from there...

My light rig, or vertical rig is a 7' medium light GLX spinning rod with a Pfluger President reel... power pro super slick 8 in 15 lb test, green....I tie 24" leader to that of sunline sniper fluorocarbon in 8 lb test, which is tied to an offset hook from Decoy HD in a #2 or a #1.....leader below that is same 8 lb line from 8" to 24 " ..... virtually any finesse plastic will work on this..... my heavier rig that I fish is a medium 7'3 TFO tactical casting rod with a team lews light gold casting reel....12 lb sunline fluorocarbon in green straight to a 1/0 or 2/0 Decoy offset swivel hook, and an 8" to 24" weight line of that 8 lb sunline because I will throw this anywhere and if the weight gets hung I break it off without losing my whole rig....most any soft plastic will work, I use zoom trick worms often, but I'll put anything on there ....I use cylinder tungsten exclusively on both....because it's smaller profile seem to get stuck less.

The light rig is usually fished straight down to fish I'm seeing on DI, though I will use it to pitch into boat stalls too....the heavier rig I will throw anywhere I will throw a T rig or Carolina rig....I catch fish fishing these every which way from dead stick, hopping, ripping it up out of grass, dragging, whatever.....do your own thing! Miss you Billy!!

Drop Shot is my go to technique and my favorite overall. Roboworms all the way baby.

How does a lighter weight with a larger diameter fall through the grass better?

Why do you break off your weight every other cast? I hardly ever loose a drop shot weight, the then again I don't use 6 pound line either and still I catch a ton of fish on the drop shot.

The heavier weight seems to grab the grass and get caught up in it more. The lighter weight glides through a little better.
Everyone fishes it different. Even when Billy and I used to fish together. There’s no right or wrong way. I’ve just done pretty good on Fork doing it how I do. So I like to pass it along when I can.

When fishing rock or brush it’s super common to lose weights.

I lose a ton of weights near rock on Bridgeport and PK.

I tie an overhand knot in the tag end below the weight and that helps them from falling off too easily.

I do also except when I am dropshotting on Welsh, then I go to a 3/8 to fish it in the holes in the thick grass.

I do also except when I am dropshotting on Welsh, then I go to a 3/8 to fish it in the holes in the thick grass.



It took me a while but now I understand what you are saying. You are talking about fishing the drop shot through the grass and I agree, a lighter weight would work better doing that. What I was thinking was punching the grass with the drop shot rig and for that the heavier weight works good. I use a 3/8 lead weight for drop shotting the holes in the grass. I bought some tungsten drop shot weights to try out there to see if they work better but haven't tried them yet.....can't remember where I put them. LOL getting old.

When fishing big rocks like at the damn, drop shot is just hard to do. I generally throw a niko rigged wacky so it doesn't get hung up in crevasses of the big rocks as easily.

I always have like a 100 1/4oz weights on stand by lol

Yep, worth it too. That's the cover on BP.

I seldom lose 1/8 tungsten on a drop shot and I primarily fish it over rock piles, cement piles etc.

Being able to feel your contact with the bottom makes a big difference in breaking off as well as how you impart action, I keep my rod tip high and shake the slack out of the line as I lift it. IF I lose one or two Ill go to a pop instead of a shaking slow lift so the bait and weight go straight up out of the rock vs coming at the boat. I usually run my weight 24" below the hook.

that's a super long leader lol when I fished the great lakes those guides had like 36in leaders looked like they were throwing a 1oz C-rig

Doesnt seem long at all to me, you can cast it as normal on a spinning rod easily. Much longer and you will start to hit yourself in the back of the head with the weight if you cast normal.

On the lakes that I fish I use a 8-10 inch leader at the most and it works well. I have never used a 24 inch leader on a drop shot.

I might try it and see how it works.

I’ve tried a 3 & 4 ft leader at times on Fairfield with good results. Keeps the bait a little higher in the hydrilla.