Fish not biting? Then it’s time to change things up and rig up a drop shot rig. A drop shot rig is one of the hottest finesse techniques you can use to catch fish.
What Is A Drop Shot Rig?
The drop shot rig involves suspending the bait or a lure (usually a rubber worm) above the weight. Your weight is tied to the end of the fishing line, and the hook is tied to the line above the weight anywhere from 6″ inches to say 30″ inches. The worm is then run through the hook, suspended above the weight.
When you need a more subtle presentation while you’re finesse fishing, the drop shot rig is hard to beat! This rig has the ability to catch fish like no other. The main thing with the drop shot rig is it presents the bait off the bottom and keeps it horizontal. The rig can be adjusted to fish at different depths by moving the weight up or down the line, with the bait remaining suspended above it. The angler can also use different types of bait or lures to mimic different prey items and attract a variety of fish species.
Sounds familiar? You betcha! There are a couple of other variations of the drop shot rig. You got the Wacky Rig and the Tokyo Rig. Both are very similar, but with their own unique “style”.
Benefits Of Fishing The Drop Shot Rig.
Let’s start with versatility. The drop shot rig can be used in various fishing environments, from shallow to deep waters, making it suitable for different fish species and conditions. It’s ideal for Finesse fishing. With the weight positioned at the bottom and the bait elevated, the drop shot rig is less likely to get snagged on underwater structures
The rig’s design allows for better sensitivity, helping anglers detect even the slightest bites, increasing your chances of a successful catch. And the drop shot rig allows the bait to move naturally with the water currents, mimicking live prey and attracting more fish.
The drop shot rig offers you precise depth control by easily adjusting the depth of the bait by changing the length of the leader, allowing for targeted fishing at specific depths. Lastly, the drop shot rig is so simple to set up and use, making it an ideal bass rig for both novice and experienced anglers.
Tip #1: What Do I Need To Fish A Drop Shot Rig?
Drop Shotting means using finesse gear like the 
picture to your left. Abu Garcia make a real nice finesse combo with their Abu Garcia Zata Spinning Reel and Rod Combo. Typically a medium-light rod with a size 20 reel with 6lb to 10lb test fishing line. You will want a high-speed reel with a gear ratio of at least 6:1. This allows for quick and efficient line retrieval, working the bait and detecting subtle bites.
You will also need the following items as well:
- 6lb to 10lb Fluorocarbon Fishing Line.
- Drop Shot hooks
- Drop shot weights. Either the cylindrical style or the tear drop style weights will work.
- And your bait. Almost any soft bait, like worms, lizards, craws will work. You can browse here for a few choices.
Why use flourocarbon line? I recently posted an article about How To Choose The Right Fishing Line. Flourocarbon line is the way to go and this article tells you why. Once you have your flourocarbon line on your reel, you are ready to use the rest of the items to set up your drop shot rig.
Tip #2: Do Water Conditions Determine Your Drop Shot Leader Length?
Leader length matters, it surely does. Depending on the water clarity, temperature, and cover conditions. This will affect how long your leader length needs to be between the hook and sinker. Let’s start out by establishing the “mean length”. Mean length is our average leader length and I’ll use 12″ inches as our standard “mean” length.
First, let’s determine the water clarity conditions.
- Clear Water: Clear water can range from crystal clear to clear. Say you drop a penny, you can see it from a few inches to 4 or 5 feet. That’s some clear water!
- Stained Water: This is water that is somewhat clear, but has a varying bit of tanning color to it. With stained water, you might not see a transparent lure, but you can pick out a darker lure like a black worm for example 1-2 foot deep.
- Dirty Water: Dirty water can range from a darker stain to a chocolate brown for example. If you lowered your bait into the water, you’d lose all visibility of it after 5-6 inches.
Next, we want to establish our water temperature conditions.
The drop shot rig excels at all water temperatures.
- Warm Water Temperatures: warm water is anything 72/74 degrees or warmer.
- Moderate Water Temperatures: Let’s call our moderate temperature range anything between 55 to 72 degrees
- Cold Water Temperatures: cold water will be anything in the low 50’s and lower.
And last but not least is the water cover conditions
- High cover conditions: So here we are talking tall grasses underwater, limb structures, etc. Things that are 14″ inches and taller.
- Normal cover conditions: Let’s say softball sized rocks, basically anything that is around 3-6 inches tall.
- Bottom cover conditions: mud or “pea” gravel type of material.
Tip #3: Deciding On Your Drop Shot Rig Leader Length?
This is simple. Let’s start from the bottom and work our way up!
- Dirty & cold water, with bottom cover conditions; you need to run a 6″ to 8″ inch leader. Cold water means sluggish fish hugging the bottom for oxygen with limited visibility. You want that weight hitting the bottom making noise to attract that bass. Ditto for the cover environment. Keep that bait low to the bottom as long as there is nothing for it to snag on to.
- Now we move on to the moderate conditions. Stained water, moderate temperatures and normal cover. Let’s hit up that standard “mean” length you read about at the top of this article. Now we’re talking about a leader length of 10″ to 14″ inch range. Fish are more active, they have limited visibility and normal bottom cover say 3″ to 6″ inches high. As temps warm up and water clears up, you’re going to want to start increasing that leader length.
- And for the clear warm water conditions, with tall/big cover. Increase the leader length even more. Go 16″ to 20″ maybe 22″ inch length
Tips #4: How To Fish The Drop Shot Rig
Vertical Drop Shotting:
- Ideal for fishing directly beneath your boat in deep water.
- Lower the rig to the desired depth and subtly jig it to attract fish.
Keep the line taut and maintain contact with the weight to feel any bites.
Casting and Dragging:
- Cast the drop shot rig out and let it sink to the bottom.
- Slowly drag the rig along the bottom with a steady retrieve, pausing occasionally.
Use the rod tip to impart slight twitches and movements to the bait.
Pitching and Flipping:
- Useful for fishing around structures like docks, trees, or vegetation.
- Pitch or flip the drop shop rig into tight spots and let it sink naturally.
Subtly shake the bait in place to entice nearby fish.
Skipping:
- Effective for getting the drop shot rig under overhangs, docks, and other hard-to-reach spots.
- Use a spinning rod to skip the rig across the water surface.
Let it sink and work it back with small twitches and pauses.
Shaking:
- Lower the rig to the bottom and keep it in one spot.
- Use gentle rod tip movements to shake the bait without moving the weight much.
This technique is great for finicky fish and pressured waters.
Bottom Hopping:
- Cast the rig out and let it sink to the bottom.
- Hop the rig along the bottom by lifting and dropping the rod tip.
Pause between hops to give the fish time to strike.
The Drop Shot is a very versatile rig, so don’t be afraid to mix and match techniques based on conditions and fish behavior. And experiment with different retrieves, twitches, and pauses to find what works best.
In Conclusion
As water conditions clear up and warm up, it’s a safe bet to increase your leader length. But I would keep in mind that the cover height conditions will be your biggest variable here. You may run into cold water with no visibility and tall cover.
Keep in mind, this is a general guideline and when it comes to fishing, often the weirdest, craziest ideas work. Don’t be afraid to be flexible, change things up, and go with your gut.
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