"Drop Shot? BORING!"
That was my perception for a very long time but I was sold a technique that was being touted for very specific situations; dead of winter, targetting tiny fish scratching for centimetres on a murky canal.
The Backstory
I watched all the YouTube videos of the day which stipulated that you needed a Quiver Tip Style Rod, Braid Mainline and the ability to jiggle a lure 6" from your feet. I fell for it, hook, line and sinker, oh, and bought the rod!
There is a great fishing feature within walking distance from home that I would go to and watch the Perch stare at my jiggling plastic offering. To add insult to injury, they would then attack the Drop Shot weight, either on the deck or as I was reeling in to change to the next lure that "must work".
Frustrating (to say the least), I became a "hater" and was quite vocal about it.
A fishing buddy at the time kept telling me of it's efffectiveness and to broarden my scope, to "watch the Americans on YouTube". So I did but I still wasnt convinced. I gave the rod away along with any Drop Shot intentions in my future.
The Light!
I dabbled, at best, until a few seasons ago then something changed and now its definitely in my arsenal... but what changed?
My mindset did and I saw the LIGHT!
As FFSLures grew, I had an arsenal of Drop Shot Style lures (INBE, Finesse Fluke, Super Finesse Worm to name a few) so, in 2019 I started to dabble again but with a difference.
Remembering how the Perch would chase the weight, and having found this RiverPiker Video, I decided to work the lure differently and use a cast and retrieve approach. The difference was night and day!
Having a dabble in the margins secured this approach, I could see the Perch interested in the lure but it wasn't until I moved the lure laterally did I get any takers.
That was IT, I'd sussed it! And I had. Catch rate soared, Perch, Zander, rogue Pike and Chub were being caught and all with a basic retrieve and pause technique.
The Basics
Lures. My Drop Shot Lures range in size from the tiny Tadpole for sheer numbers of fish (check out this video to see the effectiveness of it) to the 100mm Flukes that I use for my nocturnal Zander fishing. I have a larger prototype fluke that I have also used used at 14cmm!
Hook. My preferred hook is a wide gap style, specifically the Wacky DS style Tied with a palomar knot (I used to use a dropshot knot but found with low diameter Fluorocarbon that it can damage the line). I simply tie a palomar knot as normal but with a long tag end, then feed this tag back through the eye and add my weight of choice.
Rod. The rod is a fast actioned rod suited to the casting weight, from SUL for a split shot rig to MH for weights up to 20g.
I don't watch the rod tip, you miss so much if you're focussed on the tip and I want to be able see any signs of activity in the swim so I can cast to it. Instead, I feel for the bite on the blank or I watch for the line to move where it enters the water.
Reel. Fixed spool or baitcaster at a size that balances the set up. I must say that I find the ergonomics of a baitcaster set up more comfortable with a 'rod up' technique.
Weights. These can be specific Drop Shot Weights, Arlesey Bomb or Split Shot. I tie all my weights on now as I found that I lost more weights then I ever changed the drop distance.
Line. Predominantly this is Braid to a Fuorocarbon Leader but my SUL set up is with Fluorocarbon mainline.
Retrieve. Nowadays my go to Drop Shot retrieve is exactly the same as my bottom bait retrieves, so it's a lift of the rod tip or turn of the handle with a pause. This gets their attention and then the lure pauses for them to hit it.
The Extras
There are little additions that I've found along the way. As I tie the weight on now, I simply drop the rod tip and allow the lure to fall on a slack line to fish closer to the deck. I also do this to allow the lure to fall weightless to the bottom and then after a pause lift again until I feel the weight. This, I feel gives a great presentation of something on it's last legs and therefore a prime target.
Adding a pinch of Tungsten Putty to the hook can also add a little extra to get the lure to fall a little faster.
Constant retrive. This can be dynamite especially with a paddle tail; you can feel the weight bouncing over the bottom knowing that your lure is always in the strike zone.
Rip Retrieve. A fast retrieve followed by a dead stop. This was shown to me by Andy Page and put a lot of fish on the bank. Get ready for that whack of a bite on the pause!
In a nutshell
Thats pretty much how I went from "Drop Shot? Meh" to "Drop Shot? Hell Yeah!"
Where are you with your attitude to Drop Shotting and what influenced you to get to that conclusion?
As always, I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it.
Take care, tight lines, ta-ta
Tom Moir
Thank you for the insight Tom. I have not used dropshot with any confidence and for the reasons you gave at the start of the blog. It did not work for me! I will probably give it a go now - when the rains let up ?
Once again Tom, great advice. This technique would be very useful on the shallow and narrow canal I fish. Tried the Dropshot before but soon gave it up as I found it boring. I think as anglers we very often don't think outside the box; using a method that has caught before (guilty as charged Mlud) to the exclusion of other techniques. I know, for me, this is part laziness and part not using my brain. The penny has dropped. D.S. will be tried on the next outing.
Keep the Bloggs coming Tom.
Really good summary and why drop shot shouldn't be over looked. I can very much identify with this experience i watched a number of the drop-shot videos of people 'competition' fishing for perch centimetres. And somehow it didn't work for me. Then I came across videos such as Andrew's Knots and Mike Pullen TA Fishing, they were using drop shot rigs and casting and retrieving them. The penny dropped and everything moved quickly forward. I now just use the FFS lures and have great success. PS I think the advice on Andrew's Knots YouTube channel is often under rated. And i don't like the fish handling in River Piker's videos; would he handle a pike how he treats perch? (e.g. Perch…
Great advice thanks Tom