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Old 10-21-11, 06:14 AM   #1
joedog
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Default Drop Shoters

So being so new there probably won't be a lot of feed back but what do you folks know or feel about

VMC Spinshot Dropshot Hooks - $3.99

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/VMC_S...age-VMCSS.html
I guess I wasn't aware or even thought about line twist and dropshoting. Shows how many fish I've caught dropshoting, hu?
Added question, any shore fisherfolks (saw some young lady member names on the roster) or anyone else cast a drop shot rig and dose it loose it's effectiveness when cast as opposed to dropped? I've always considered dropshoting to be a vertical fishing technique.

Last edited by joedog; 10-21-11 at 06:31 AM.
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Old 10-21-11, 06:58 AM   #2
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I use the VMC Surset DS Hook... it is the same exact hook that is on the spinshot, just without the swiveling attachment. It is by far the best DS hook I have used. I do not use a swivel on my DS rig, as I have never seen a use for it. Several guys I fish with use them, and will not DS without it. I just run a straight fluorocarbon to the hook, and then down to the weight.

You can definetly DS from the bank, when not out on the big water, I DS a lot from the bank, I just like to use a little longer leader than when I am fishing it vertically... say 15 inches or so.

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Old 10-21-11, 07:49 AM   #3
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I forgot to add, those who cast a drop shot, especially from shore, do you work it the same as vertical fishing or drag it or hop it or dead stick it or other?
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Old 10-21-11, 09:04 AM   #4
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I use the Gamakatsu Drop Shot hook myself. If your palomar knot is tied properly and you come back thru correctly so the hook sits parallel to the bottom then its all you need. I don't see any reason to use a swivel. I found the Bass Pro Shops' - Drop shot weights to be the best and easiest to use since you don't have to tie them on. The line simply locks into place so if you do get caught in a rock etc then you can pull the line, lose the weight but not your hook/bait or have to re-rig.

Cast, sit, twitch, sit, twitch, draw in a feet, repeat if no bit reel in and recast. The idea is to use an extra fast or fast tapered tip rod and twitch it slightly to make the bait wiggle without actually causing the weight to move.
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Old 10-21-11, 10:22 AM   #5
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Handlebars, thx. I understand the drop shotting concept of twitching without moving the weight but when casting from shore the not moving the weights difficulty increases dramatically. Plus the line is no longer vertical it's angled more horizontally and your reeling in from deep to shallow so how shallow do you continue to twitch as opposed to casting out and starting over? From shore should a cylintrical (think thats a made up word) weight be used or a round drop shot weight or other? Oh ya, anyone can answer this not just handlebars.
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Old 10-21-11, 11:06 AM   #6
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These are the hooks I use and these are the weights I use. We catch a ton of dropshot fish, whether from the boat, dock or shore. Even in the boat, we don't fish it vertically, we cast it out. But that's just how we do it and it works for us. I don't really have a method for determining when to reel in and cast out again, I just kind of "wing it" and reel in whenever I feel like working another spot.

P.S. - I just started dropshotting near the end of the '09 season and caught my first-ever 5 pound bass on it while fishing from shore that fall.
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Old 10-21-11, 11:09 AM   #7
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The drop shot is such a versatile presentation, by only using as a vertical you're really limiting you're self.

It can e a great technique in place of a texas rig. Use the same worm and hook, and same weight you'd usually use, but rig it a on a drop shot. A drop shot basically just gets the worm up off the bottom and give the fish a different look. I've even heard of people flipping a drop shot... only difference is they'll use a shorter dropper leader due to the shallower depth.

Experimentation is the name of the game with the drop shot, give something unorthodox a whirl and you might be surprised what you pull up!
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Old 10-21-11, 12:59 PM   #8
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Waterboy, are you rigging wacky style(hook in center of worm) or nose rigging it or not using worms at all? If not what are you using and rigging?
Bassboss,when you say use same weight your talking size not style, right?
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Old 10-21-11, 01:05 PM   #9
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You have great posts right there! As stated their is no right or wrong way really to do it. There is textbook right that we all read then there is what works for me or what works for you reality. You will develop your own style and feel.

As far as dragging it back to you, don't over complicate the presentation. I mean really a drop shot pres is just a slip shot pres reversed. You are just suspending the bait in the water table, so after you come shallow enough that your bait is just dragging then its like a carolina rig or slip shot pres in a way.

I rarely fish from the bank but if were then I would cast it out, wait, twitch, wait, reel in a few feet and continue until I was back to the bank so "yes" I would work it back to me all the way but you'll be actually changing the pres the closer it gets to you and be unable to technically drop shot. I hope that makes sense. I can see it just can't always explain it.

On the weight, I generally use a 3/16 oz weight but that doesn't mean you can't use a 1/4 or even 3/8 if you are heavy handed. It also depends on how deep you fishing but since the discussion is from the bank these weights will suffice. Some ppl have a better finesse feel. The weight is doing nothing but sitting on the bottom to keep the bait suspended above so if your line is moving a great deal then more weight or a lighter hand movement. To lightly twitch and make the bait move you really need do no more then flex your rod hand. You don't have to move your rod tip 6". I generally use round weights but I'm sure on some rocky bottoms a oblong style might would be better.

That may not be a correct textbook explanation but its just the way I think but we all have our own ways so to me, there is no right or wrong just what works for each of us.

There are some anglers on this board that are extremely more experienced then I am but I read what everybody says then that along with experimentation like bass said will allow you to teach yourself creating what works for you.
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Old 10-21-11, 01:18 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by joedog View Post
Waterboy, are you rigging wacky style(hook in center of worm) or nose rigging it or not using worms at all? If not what are you using and rigging?
Bassboss,when you say use same weight your talking size not style, right?
Most of the time I wacky-rig a 5" senko, which I typically work back to the boat/shore much like Handlebars described in his posts above. I switch up sometimes and nose hook a creature bait (see 3rd pic in this thread), which almost always gets pounded on the fall if I get bit using it.

I almost always use a 1/16 oz weight, but I am usually fishing in depths of 8' or less. If it's really windy, or on the rare occasion when I'm fishing deeper, I use a 3/16 oz weight.

Maybe it's just the lake we're on, but I've had several complete newbies to bass fishing catch bass on this setup.
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Old 10-21-11, 04:28 PM   #11
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I definitely agree that you'd be limiting yourself by fishing the dropshot only as a vertical presentation. I actually cast the dropshot 98% of the time, even when I'm not playing boatless bank trash.

When it comes to hooks, there are two I mainly use. My first choice in the Gamakatsu DS/SS hook in 1 or 1/0. My second choice in the Owner DS hook when I need a more weedless presentation. I haven't used any of the newer swivel rigs. I dropshot with 10lb Sufix 832 Braid and a 6-8lb FC leader. So I generally don't worry about line twist. If I was using straight fluoro, that would be a different story and I'd try one of those swivel rigs.

As far as the weight goes, I use the specialized dropshot weight. I use 3/16oz the majority of the time. But will go lighter to 1/8oz or heavier to 1/4oz when conditions call for it. You always want to maintain contact with the bottom. A lighter powered and more sensitive rod will allow you to do that with a lighter weight. But use whatever weight you need.

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Old 10-21-11, 05:58 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by joedog View Post
I forgot to add, those who cast a drop shot, especially from shore, do you work it the same as vertical fishing or drag it or hop it or dead stick it or other?
All of the above.

To the subject, that looks nifty but absolutely not necessary. I fish rip most time and I can expect to lose a ton of weights and hooks in as little as 15 minutes. It would not be cost effective for me to spend that much time or $ rigging that up.

Please note, I am not against using it. Such an item simply stated, does not fit well with the conditions I face.
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Old 10-21-11, 08:26 PM   #13
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Ok new twist on this subject. Got home today from a short vacation and after it warmed up a little I went against instructions and went fishing for a couple of hrs. My goal was to totally dedicate the time to drop shotting. Rigged up with 1/0 standout red hook and 3/16 owner down shot sinker, watermelom/red flake finesse worm actually it was a shakey head worm . Did as told, worked it as told, two dinks. I felt I needed more distance than I could get with the 3/16ths but I had no other weights along. Then I remembered Bassboss....expermentation is the name of the game...So I replaced the weight with a 1/4 oz. jig/ rage chunk trailer and changed worm to 6in. black Powerbait crawler(trying to avoid dinks, had limited time and wanted greatly to succeed). Got one12 incher on worm and one about the same on jig. Now I know you can't do this in tournament fishing but most states have 2 hook or line rules so why drag a weight as opposed to like a finesse jig. I'm thinking tommorrow if I'm able to fish I'm thinking of using a swim jig as weight and a 3in. swimbait. Actually I have some Cabelas drop shot jigs but thier not designed to be the weight.
So has anyone else done this type of rigging and Handlebars as probably anyone whos followed my posts, I seem to have this need to complicate almost everything but I'm really just trying to get better. And thanks for your good input!
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Old 10-21-11, 09:41 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by joedog View Post
Ok new twist on this subject. Got home today from a short vacation and after it warmed up a little I went against instructions and went fishing for a couple of hrs. My goal was to totally dedicate the time to drop shotting. Rigged up with 1/0 standout red hook and 3/16 owner down shot sinker, watermelom/red flake finesse worm actually it was a shakey head worm . Did as told, worked it as told, two dinks. I felt I needed more distance than I could get with the 3/16ths but I had no other weights along. Then I remembered Bassboss....expermentation is the name of the game...So I replaced the weight with a 1/4 oz. jig/ rage chunk trailer and changed worm to 6in. black Powerbait crawler(trying to avoid dinks, had limited time and wanted greatly to succeed). Got one12 incher on worm and one about the same on jig. Now I know you can't do this in tournament fishing but most states have 2 hook or line rules so why drag a weight as opposed to like a finesse jig. I'm thinking tommorrow if I'm able to fish I'm thinking of using a swim jig as weight and a 3in. swimbait. Actually I have some Cabelas drop shot jigs but thier not designed to be the weight.
So has anyone else done this type of rigging and Handlebars as probably anyone whos followed my posts, I seem to have this need to complicate almost everything but I'm really just trying to get better. And thanks for your good input!
That's a great idea as long it's legal in your state. I'm pretty sure it isn't here in MN, but then again we have a bass season that closes every year from March until the last weekend in May, so we're probably backwards with everything compared to all the other states.
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Old 10-21-11, 09:49 PM   #15
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We have 3 hook or three line law in Wi.
Mn. is a one line one hook state.

Last edited by joedog; 10-21-11 at 09:55 PM.
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Old 10-28-11, 04:29 PM   #16
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Joe,

I came across this site and the Drop Shot section in particular and if you haven't read it might be of interest to you.

http://www.bassfishingandcatching.com/drop-shot-technique.html
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Old 10-28-11, 04:35 PM   #17
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Quote:
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We have 3 hook or three line law in Wi.
Mn. is a one line one hook state.
So you can't use a crankbait with two trebles on it in MN?
***EDIT***

I just checked, and in MN, an artificial lure counts as one hook, regardless of how it is configured. So I guess the Alabama Rig would be legal in MN.
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Old 10-28-11, 09:58 PM   #18
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So you can't use a crankbait with two trebles on it in MN?
***EDIT***

I just checked, and in MN, an artificial lure counts as one hook, regardless of how it is configured. So I guess the Alabama Rig would be legal in MN.
The article at this link speculates that the Alabama rig wouldn't be legal here in MN because "The Alabama rig is not a lure, but a device that allows an angler to deliver multiple lures on a single cast.".
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Old 10-28-11, 10:14 PM   #19
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The article at this link speculates that the Alabama rig wouldn't be legal here in MN because "The Alabama rig is not a lure, but a device that allows an angler to deliver multiple lures on a single cast.".
Yes, but by the same logic, a jointed Rapala is two lures. It is no different in construction than the Alabama rig...only in scale.
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Old 12-03-11, 01:10 AM   #20
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I might sound crazy but I prefer 1/0 eagle claw circle hooks. My buddy says I'm crazy. He's says spend the extra coin and get the good stuff. Then we go out and he sets and misses. Sure he gets some of them but he always uses the excuse dropshot are hooks are to small. I'm there with my handy dandy cheapy hook letting them set themselves. Idk if he'll ever except it. Let'em set it for you.
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Old 12-15-11, 12:13 AM   #21
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Default reverse old school dropshot

When I was teaching my kids to fish (2 boys 1 girl) sometimes she didn't want to use live bait so I'd put a 4" finesse worm on her hook wacky style instead of a cricket. Set it at whatever depth the boys were getting bit at and the little ripple on the water bounced the cork just enought to give her worm that subtle little wiggle. Worked great! plus since she always thought she was better than her brothers anyway it was good for ego and confidence
.Click image for larger version

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If you look close you can see her first fish using the "inverted" drop shot hanging next to her right calf
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Old 12-15-11, 02:33 AM   #22
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What a beautiful little girl.
Does she still out fish you?
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Old 12-15-11, 08:46 AM   #23
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Quote:
I just checked, and in MN, an artificial lure counts as one hook, regardless of how it is configured. So I guess the Alabama Rig would be legal in MN.
I don't know the MN law nor am I a legal beagle, but I really love nit-picking, and playing devil's advocate. Twisting and picking apart a particular piece of statements as they are written. So:

The ALABAMA RIG is not a lure. It is a device (RIG) to which lures are attached. Therefore the Alabama "rig" is a device that uses 5 lures - as originially designed - and I believe a violation of he MN law. There have been alterations to the Alabama rig to make it conform to other State F&G laws to make it legal - cutting off a couple arms of the rig to allow the attachment of 3 lures as an example. The MN law -as quoted - specifically states "LURES", since the Alabama RIG will not catch fish alone, as it lacks hooks, my contention is that it cannot be considered a lure. If it were considered a LURE, I'd love to watch some idiot attach two or three Alabama rigs to his line and attempt to fish it.
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