FreeFishHow to rig and fish a drop shot
The finesse rig that catches fish when nothing else will: how to tie it, what to put on it and how to work it.
The drop shot is a simple rig with a sinker at the bottom of your line and a hook tied above it. Because the weight sits on the bottom and the bait floats above it, your lure hangs in the strike zone and barely moves even when you are not moving it. That makes it deadly for pressured, finicky or deep fish. It started as a bass technique but catches walleye, perch, crappie, trout and nearly anything else.
What you need
- Rod and reel: a spinning outfit with a medium-light or medium power rod, about 6'6" to 7'. A soft tip helps you feel bites and keeps small hooks from tearing out.
- Line: many anglers use braid as the main line with a 6 to 10 lb fluorocarbon leader. Straight fluorocarbon also works. See our fishing line guide.
- Hook: a small drop shot hook or a light-wire wide gap hook, size 1 to 2/0 for bass. Go smaller (size 4 to 8) for panfish and perch.
- Weight: a drop shot sinker with a line clip, 1/8 to 3/8 oz in most lakes. Use heavier weights in deep water or wind.
- Bait: 3 to 5 inch finesse worms, minnow-style soft plastics, or small creature baits. Live bait like a minnow or nightcrawler also works where legal.
How to tie it
- Tie a Palomar knot through the hook eye, but leave a long tag end, 12 to 24 inches.
- Before you tighten the knot, make sure the hook point faces up. Pass the tag end back through the eye from the top (on the point side) so the hook stands straight out from the line. This is what makes the bait sit horizontally.
- Clip the drop shot weight onto the tag end. The distance between hook and weight is your "leader length". Start around 12 to 18 inches.
- Nose-hook the bait through the very tip of its head so it moves freely, or Texas-rig it weedless if you are fishing around cover.
Tip: Leader length controls how high the bait floats. Shorten it when fish are hugging the bottom. Lengthen it when they are suspended above the bottom or sitting above weeds.
How to fish it
The biggest mistake is moving the bait too much. The rig's strength is that the weight stays put while the bait quivers.
- Vertical: drop it straight down to fish you see on sonar, keep the weight on the bottom and the line just tight, and gently shake the rod tip. The bait shimmies without leaving the spot.
- Casting: cast to a point, drop-off or weed edge. Let the weight hit the bottom, tighten up, and shake the rod tip in place for several seconds. Then drag the weight a foot or two and repeat.
- Dead sticking: sometimes the best action is no action. Let the boat's movement and the water do the work.
Detecting bites and setting the hook
Bites often feel like a light tap, a "mushy" weight or the line moving sideways. With a light-wire hook, you do not need a big hookset. Reel down until the line is tight and sweep the rod firmly to the side. A hard, upward jerk tends to pull the small hook out of the fish's mouth.
Where it shines
- Deep, clear lakes, especially for smallmouth bass on rock and humps.
- After cold fronts, when fish refuse faster baits.
- Docks, brush piles and isolated rocks, where you can keep the bait in one small spot.
- Fish you can see on sonar but cannot get to bite.
Common problems
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Line twist | Use a hook with a built-in swivel or add a small swivel above the rig. Make sure the bait is rigged straight. |
| Snagging on rocks | Use a cylinder-shaped weight, which slides between rocks more easily than a round ball. |
| Missing bites | Use a smaller hook and reel down before setting it. Don't hesitate: drop shot bites usually mean the fish has the bait. |
| Losing the bait in weeds | Rig the bait weedless (Texas-style) and use a longer leader to keep it above the vegetation. |
Want more soft plastic rigs? Our guide to Texas, wacky and Ned rigs covers three more you should know.