When/Where would you drop-shot?

[Firefighter Jeff]

It's been interesting reading the posts the on drop-shot hooks and rods you guys are using. Last summer I got a chance to fish with Waterfoul and he got me interested in drop shotting.  The question I have... excluding big waters like St. Clair or Erie, what presents itself for you to pick up a DS rod and start fishing??  Is it a type of structure?  Time of season?? When fishing is tough, etc?  Since there aren't any signs on the water that say "Hey dummy, start drop shotting" I could use a few pointers.  Thanks in advance for your responses. 

[Waterfoul]

When the ice melts I drop shot.  When the lake freezes I stop!

Deep weed edges scream DROP SHOT to me.  Isolated cover too.  Then there are those clear sky blue bird days when the fishing is slow and nothing seems to be working.  Then I drop shot.  High pressured lakes often drop shot well too (Wabasis for example).

[motocross269]

I never go on any body of water from spring thru fall without a Dropshot rod rigged up....

It works great for spawning fish in 4 ft of water and obviously I fish it in deeper water....I have fished DS in both the Detroit River and ST Clair river....

I even like to throw wacky rigged DS senkos around docks at times...

You can let your imagination pretty much run wild with different ways to present the DS...(I even caught a musky DSing a Fluke last year)...

[Durand Dan]

I always have a DS rigged, but don't go to it as often as I probably should. When I do it's either deeper water(I fish moslty inland lakes 10 to 14'). I have had some success rigging it with a short line on the weight and throwing it around docks and along the shoreline. When it comes down to it, I use it when nothing else is working!

[dominater]

A memorable time when I was drop shotting was last summer.  I was in a tournament on the Grand and the only rod in my box was a spinning rod with 6 lb test. Left with no choice, I gently shook the tip of my rod knowing that my roboworm must be dancing in front of a 13 inch fish.  I felt handcuffed with my hooksets and thought this must be some cruel joke.

When I woke from that nightmare, I found my flippin' stick, and I was OK.   

[Fishmael]

I used to drop shot all the time because it was so productive.  However, I made myself put down my DS rig and learn other methods as well.  Now I mostly drop-shot on those slick, high sun, high pressure systems that make the fish run for the bottom of a 20' dropoff.  It seems that when that happens, I get bit on the DS every other cast.

[McCarter]

i am a drop shot junkie.  i really only drop shot 2 baits ( but i have a new one to drop shot this year....see me at the show for details ).  If i am not throwing our 3" goby bait which is 90% of the time when i am drop shotting, i am throwing a ROBOWORM 4.5" straight tail. 

For me, the biggest drop shot time of year is when bass are spawning.  Its ridiculously easy.  even on inland lakes, something about the profile and presentation of that 3" goby gets them to bite everytime.  I keep as much distance as possible from the bed and cast as far past it as i can, then pull it into the bed and kill it.  if they dont bite right away, a couple twitches gits em.  our Goby will suspend horizontally and i think that is key.  Bass dont like something hovering inches above there nest.  Plus, the smaller size pretty much guarantees they are getting the hook.

Second biggest time of year for me and the DS is post spawn/bluegill spawn.  I pull up to humps or flats where the gills are getting it on and toss out the 3" and catch them like crazy.  KLK and KLB to me are both very Bluegillish colors so those are the ones i use. 

Last year, the jig bite wasnt that great for me.  not that i didnt catch fish on a jig, but something was definatly off.  I dont know if it had something to do with the milder summer we had and the craws were doing something different and the bass just werent targetting them like the normally do, or what but they definatly were not eating a jig (for me anyway) like i am used to.  So, thats where the drop shot came in.  Me and Kev caught the junk out of them on alot of our jig spots using the drop shot.  Wasnt getting them so much on the goby as i was the ROBOWORM straight tail.  You could pull up to a spot and catch nothing for an hour on a jig, then put the DS down there and start putting them in the boat. 

I will also use a drop shot almost exclusivly on high pressure/tough bite lakes.  Last year, the dropshot accounted for most of our fish on Belleville lake.  We won a Huron Valley Bass event out there dropshotting a mudline on the main lake.  We caught probably close to 50 fish between the Nemesis 3" Goby and Kevs Gulp Fry.  It is killer on Cass Lake as well.  Another notoriously high pressure/tough bite lake.  And last year while everyone was pre fishing for the OBM Kent Lake Spring open, Chris and I spent the day DS off shore weeds, rocks, and wood looking for pre spawners and the DS was the Key.  2 largies over 5, a smallie well over 4, and a bunch of 2-3 lbers all on 3" gobies.  There were probably 35 or more boats out there which usually shuts Kent down pretty quick.  Wish that pattern would have held up the next day in the tournament.

Pretty much anytime the fish arent biting like i want them to, i am going to throw a dropshot.  Anytime they are on beds, i am going to throw a drop shot.  Anytime the bluegills are spawning, i am going to throw a drop shot, anytime there is a lot of pressure on the lake, i am going to throw the dropshot.  Anytime im standing in a boat surrounded by water, I am going to throw a drop shot.

Also, its probably the easiest way to get a quick limit.  Get your 5, then going hawg hunting for the rest of the day.

McCarter himself

[Dan]

If you want some very specific how to info on drop shotting the best instructional two hour DVD there is going is Seth Burrill's "Drop Shot Secrets Revealed." Excellant. He also has two other DVDs that are very good when it comes to unlocking patterns of big fish and one DVD on knot tying.
Here's his link     http://s21030.gridserver.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=26_166

[bassmandan]

A memorable time when I was drop shotting was last summer.  I was in a tournament on the Grand and the only rod in my box was a spinning rod with 6 lb test. Left with no choice, I gently shook the tip of my rod knowing that my roboworm must be dancing in front of a 13 inch fish.  I felt handcuffed with my hooksets and thought this must be some cruel joke.

When I woke from that nightmare, I found my flippin' stick, and I was OK.   

LMAO WIN!!!

[FishermanJohn]

When do I drop shot?  Not often enough.  I always have one in the boat but I don't seem to use it as often as I should.

Where do I drop shot?  Open pockets/weed edges and any deep structure. 

Does anybody here drop shot larger baits (full size worms, creatures, etc.)?  I was watching an Angling Edge segment where Al was drop shotting full-size craws and was going to try that next season.

[Waterfoul]

I've been known to drop shot 6" worms, full size beavers, and even a wacky rigged Sicko. 

[fiker]

I don't drop shot.  It doesn't work.  It especially doesn't work with a drop shot rod, on spinning tackle, 10 # Power Pro, tied to a swivel, and then with 10# fluoro line below it.

Nor does it work with a 1/8 weight tied 6" below the hook during the spawn.
It definately doesn't work tied with a little longer leader over outside weed lines in mid summer.
Just pray you don't DS in the North Channel in late summer. And if you do, don't even try the 2 1/2 inch drop shot tubes from Xtreme tackle, especially in the Canadian Mist, or the G3 green colors.  Dont' use Gulp anything either.  Wast of money, and they stink.

Oh, and don't waste your time using the Nemesis Goby.  That doesn't work either.  Especially if you use the KLK color on Kent, or the goby brown up in the channels.  And that color they call Kevin's color?  Another waste of money, it doesn't work on any inland lake.

Nope, you can tell I don't drop shot.     And I don't want anybody else to drop shot either. 

[Waterfoul]

Exactly what Fiker said... I might be dropshotting all over the lake... but I never catch anything of note.  Lots of pike and 10" bass.  Don't bother drop shotting.  It's a west coast thing that doesn't work here in Michigan.  Waste of time.  Use the rod you bought for senkos or something.

[dartag]

Only place i don't drop shot is ice fishing.  If i did go ice fishing i would probably drop shot.  I use it everywhere ( ask Cheetam ).  Really only use 2 baits Gulp Fry and Case Paddlesticks.  The sticks are tough and hold up great for bed fishing.  Catching schoolers on the surface in 90 feet of water on Cass with the dropshot will show you it can work anywhere.  Throw it at the Mayfly eaters on St Clair they love it.

Remember when Drop Shotting was not legal?.  We only talked about it in smokey bars and pool rooms. 

[Firefighter Jeff]

I don't drop shot.  It doesn't work.  It especially doesn't work with a drop shot rod, on spinning tackle, 10 # Power Pro, tied to a swivel, and then with 10# fluoro line below it.

Nor does it work with a 1/8 weight tied 6" below the hook during the spawn.
It definately doesn't work tied with a little longer leader over outside weed lines in mid summer.
Just pray you don't DS in the North Channel in late summer. And if you do, don't even try the 2 1/2 inch drop shot tubes from Xtreme tackle, especially in the Canadian Mist, or the G3 green colors.  Dont' use Gulp anything either.  Wast of money, and they stink.

Oh, and don't waste your time using the Nemesis Goby.  That doesn't work either.  Especially if you use the KLK color on Kent, or the goby brown up in the channels.  And that color they call Kevin's color?  Another waste of money, it doesn't work on any inland lake.

Nope, you can tell I don't drop shot.     And I don't want anybody else to drop shot either. 

OMG LMAO  Too funny Fiker

[thedude]

Remember when Drop Shotting was not legal?.  We only talked about it in smokey bars and pool rooms. 

i wish it still was - then we could all fish like men, and not little girls.

to answer the question - i use it when i can't catch fish on anything else. namely cuz i hate it - not because it doesn't work. kinda like a senko which is my ultimate last resort. darters or sliders are my ds bait of choice.

[Waterfoul]

Remember when Drop Shotting was not legal?.  We only talked about it in smokey bars and pool rooms. 

i wish it still was - then we could all fish like men, and not little girls.

to answer the question - i use it when i can't catch fish on anything else. namely cuz i hate it - not because it doesn't work. kinda like a senko which is my ultimate last resort. darters or sliders are my ds bait of choice.

You just keep throwing those crank baits...

[thedude]

i will, and when that doesn't work i'll throw a jig.... and when that doesn't work i'll throw a texas rig..... and when that doesn't work i'll pull up my skirt, touch up my lip gloss and get my fairy wand out and sprinkle pixie dust alllll day.

[TCook]

How is throwing a weightless senko on 8lb test on spinning gear so different than dropshotting? Still a sissy way to fish isn't it? Throw it out let it fall to the bottom and repeat, doesn't sound like a manly way to fish to me. I actually think its the easiest way to catch fish, the action of the bait does all the work for you. Now skipping docks with it that's a different story...
  Kinda surprised you put a senko in the same category as the dropshot Dude. I remember when I fished with you a few years back and you threw that thing all day. You must have changed your style since then.

[LennyB]

The drop shot a great tool to have in the arsenal'

One day last summer I was fishing St. Clair and struggling so I decided to give my buddy Gerry Gostinek a call to see if he could steer me in the right direction. He gave me his coordinates and told me to fish next him. He and his clients were throwing deep diving crankbaits and jerkbaits and catching fish. I rigged up an unconventional drop shot rig and followed behind. I was using a 7' jigging rod with 30lb braid and a 15lb fluorocarbon leader. I used a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook, 5" senko and a 3/4oz. tungsten sinker. With the braided line and tungsten combo I could really file what I was fishing. The Smallies annihilated that rig. With the heavy outfit I had no problem muscling them in the boat. Give it a try, it works!!!