I enjoy fishing year ‘round, but this time of the year can be one of the best if size and numbers are what you’re looking for. I was reminded of that on a recent fishing trip. I was also reminded that drop-shotting is a great way to catch fish, particularly smallmouth and largemouth bass. We were after smallmouth on this trip and we caught’em, we caught’em good. And drop-shotting was the technique that produced the best. Drop-shotting is a technique that anyone can do. Here’s how you drop-shot.
First of all, on a drop-shot rig, the sinker is below the hook. There are hooks made specifically for drop-shotting and they work very well. However, on this day we were using short shank hooks much like you would use live-bait rigging for walleyes. The hooks were #1s and #2s. They were attached to the line using a Palomar knot, and a tag end was left that was twelve to sixteen inches long. A sinker is attached to the end of that tag line. Again, there are sinkers made specifically for drop-shotting, and again, they work very well. But a plain splitshot will do the job also.
When it comes to attaching the hook to the line, tie the Palomar knot so the hook rides with point of the hook up. Rigged with the hook up, you’ll catch most fish in the upper jaw. Rigged with the hook pointing down, you’ll miss too many.
Drop-shotting is often thought of as a finesse technique, and at some times of the year it is. But on our recent trip, we used larger baits than we would when finesse is called for. The most productive baits were Impulse four inch Ringworms and five inch Impulse Jerk Minnows. Much of the time a three inch bait will be best when drop-shotting, but on this day, the bigger baits were better. White was the most productive color.
To fish a drop-shot rig, you first find an area that you believe will hold fish. In deep water, anything over about fifteen feet, the drop-shot rig will be fished directly below the boat. We were fishing depths of less than ten feet, so we pitched the rig out a bit from the boat. The sinker was right on the bottom, the hook and bait were twelve to sixteen inches above the bottom. We gently lifted the rod tip, then let the sinker go back to the bottom on a tight line. It’s a fairly simple technique that can be learned quickly.
Spinning tackle is usually used for drop-shotting, eight pound test line will be about right. I was using one of Cabela’s new Tournament ZX rods that were designed especially for drop-shotting. It has a softer tip but lots of backbone. It did an outstanding job and would also work for jigging and trolling light crankbaits for walleyes.
You’ll also catch walleyes and panfish while drop-shotting. It’s a very good technique that will help anglers catch fish when they don’t want to bite, but will also be a very good way to catch them when they’re active. Add drop-shotting to your bag of fishing tricks and your catches will go up.
PHOTO CAPTION: School of Fish creator Mike Frisch and daughter Hannah teamed up to take this smallmouth on a drop-shot rig.
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By Bob Jensen