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[Camden]

never have done this before and would like to hear the differnet ways different people use it.

[Joshawa]

I usually get best results when using a 14 inch ribbon tail worm rigged on a 6/0 swim bait hook with 65-80 lb PowerPro. Then you just use an old spark plug or large wing nut to keep contact with the bottom...... 

Seriously tho, I am with you on this one. I have used it very little in the past, caught a couple dinky fish and wouldn't really call it on of my go to techniques. I really would like to get more familiar with the DS and be able to lean on it more in a pinch.

[Camden]

yea i figure its just one more thing i could stand to have in my arsenal.

[TheMiz54]

Hey guys I too am getting into Drop Shoting this year. Here is a great video from Kevin Scarselli where he shows almost everything you need to know about getting started. His videos are great and very informative. Hope it helps.


http://www.bassfishin.com/fishing-videos/drop-shot-fishing/


Mirza

[Wiscobassin]

I wrote a couple of articles on this subject for this website not to long ago... One of my favorite rigs on the water! I know alot about it and some tips that could win you big money...

[TheMiz54]

Can you send those links to the articles you wrote they would be helpful. And any tips you have would be great in terms of equipment and best techniques. Thanks

[Wiscobassin]

here are the links

http://www.ultimatebass.com/-how-tos-links-271/1506-tips-on-dropshots.html (Tips on Drop Shot)

http://www.ultimatebass.com/-how-tos-links-271/1548-the-baits-for-drop-shotting.html (Baits for Drop Shotting)

Pretty much sums up the basics of this rig and style...

[Camden]

thanks for the links

[screwballl]

I use it plenty during the winter when they are deep, and also during the middle of hot summer days when they tend to go deep as well (avoiding the oxygen depleted hot water at the surface). The rest of the time it does not produce as well as other methods because the bass may be closer to the surface or on the move.

For lures I use almost anything from a 5" senko (I prefer natural colors like greens and browns) or 4-6" Zoom fluke (usually watermelon or pearl) in clear water to a 8-11" dark colored ribbon tail worm in murky water or at night time. The larger lures produce more vibrations and movements in the dark or murky waters so it helps them hone in on where it is.

[runthru402]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RFpdwWKa80     This is how I learned about it.  One of my favorite ways to fish.  I like to use Berkley finesse worms since they don't really float,  and use a texas rig style hooking so I can throw it into thicker cover.  Most important thing to remember is to make sure the hooking is tied on right.

[OutdoorFrontiers]

Dropshot rigs are great but I've found that my catch rates went up considerably since I started tying on a Recoil Rig.  It's tied basically the same as a dropshot rig, but there's a special elastic that goes underneath the hook to the sinker. 

It's the pull up/pull down action that really gives the lure extra action and creates more strikes.

Steve

[runthru402]

Dropshot rigs are great but I've found that my catch rates went up considerably since I started tying on a Recoil Rig.  It's tied basically the same as a dropshot rig, but there's a special elastic that goes underneath the hook to the sinker. 

It's the pull up/pull down action that really gives the lure extra action and creates more strikes.

Steve

definitely gonna have to look into that.

[OutdoorFrontiers]

definitely gonna have to look into that.

Just go to secretweaponlures.com and look for the Recoil Rig.  Just about everything you'd want to know about the Recoil Rig is there.  Randy Howell is on the prostaff for Secret Weapon and he said that he caught his first day limit on the rig when he couldn't get anything else working.

Steve

[screwballl]

My daughters have all sort of very small rubber bands for their hair... I could probably make something like that myself... looks good OF!!

[OutdoorFrontiers]

My daughters have all sort of very small rubber bands for their hair... I could probably make something like that myself... looks good OF!!

You could try, but I don't think you'd be pleased with the results.  The Recoil Rig's spectastic fiber is specially designed. 
First of all, it breaks at fifteen pounds, so it has a much better strength to stretch ratio and you can cast a weight and lure. 

Then, it stretches from about five inches (relaxed) to twelve inches overall, giving you an incredible action to the lure.  You won't find a rubber band that has those properties. 

If I remember correctly, the Recoil Rig kit is only like ten bucks, which gives you 18 strands of spectastic, five weights, five swivels, everything you need to get started

Steve

[TheMiz54]

yea its pretty cheap. I will def give this a try this year.

[Camden]

ok here is a question. i dont really want to switch over to flouro. will my trans-optic work for this rig?

[TheMiz54]

You really should use flouro because it sinks and it is the only line you should be using for drop shot. Do you mind if I ask why you dont want to use flouro?

[Joshawa]

ok here is a question. i dont really want to switch over to flouro. will my trans-optic work for this rig?

I would think that it will work fine. You are weighting the whole rig so I think a sinking line isn't a must. In the past I have used fluoro on my DS rod but this year I switched it over to 10 lb Power Pro. I did this for three reasons, number 1 is water clarity. I don't fish many ultra clear lakes and when the water has stain to it I don't think that thin braid will be seen. Number 2 is sensitivity, In my experience DS is more of sight technique (ie you have to watch the line), I am hoping that the higher sensitivity of the braid will make it easier to detect bites. The third reason is simply less headaches. On a spinning rig braid casts easier, has less memory, and doesn't have to be changed as often.

I am going to give this a shot, if it works.... Great. If not.....I'll just have to switch back to fluoro. 

[OutdoorFrontiers]

There's no reason to use flourocarbon if you're Recoil-Rigging or dropshotting.  Brent Ehler uses nothing but braid with a flouro leader for all his dropshotting and he fishes the western circuit, with a ton of crystal clear lakes and reservoirs.

The thing is, you can use the Recoil Rig with any line type, but I use it only with braid (no leader) and do just fine.

Steve

[Camden]

You really should use flouro because it sinks and it is the only line you should be using for drop shot. Do you mind if I ask why you dont want to use flouro?

no problem i dont mind.
while i know there is some great things about fluoro i know they are more reactant to heat from friction and other sources. and like Josh i dont fish alot of ultra clear waters and so far my transoptic has been good in the slightly clearer waters i do fish.
to be honest most of the waters i fish even with polarized lenses you cant see more than maybe 2 feet deep.

thanks for all the advice guys keep em coming. its why i love this place

[TheMiz54]

Here are some benefits of fluorocarbon over mono and braid when Drop Shooting:

Fluorocarbon's chemical composition and extrusion methods create an extremely strong and durable line. Most fluorocarbon lines are closed cellular and does not absorb water like most nylon monofilaments, so it maintains its strength better than nylon monofilaments, which loses strength when exposed to water or humidity. Fluorocarbon is also unaffected by the sun's ultraviolet rays causing fluorocarbon lines to last significantly longer than nylon monofilaments as well. I have personally noticed that fluorocarbon line can last as long as four times the life of nylon monofilaments.

Fluorocarbon has less stretch than typical nylon or copolymer monofilaments. Your hook sets are always strong and positive and this is a huge plus when fishing deep water finesse baits. The stretchiness characteristic of fluorocarbon line is more comparable to that of braided lines than nylon monofilaments, but without the thread look of braided lines that are easily seen in clear water. When you are flipping and pitching your subtle bites will go from a barely detectable tap tap while using nylon monofilaments, to bites feeling like a bolt of lighting up the spine of your rod when using fluorocarbon. The bites are three times more noticeable in my hands while using fluorocarbon.

Another advantage of fluorocarbon over a braided line is that fluorocarbon line sinks at much faster rates than nylon line or even much less dense braided lines, which will float. Because of the chemistry of the material and the dense packing of the crystal structures in the polymer chains, fluoropolymers are about 1.7 times as dense as nylon, which gives them a much faster sink rate.

This is why I think that fluorocarbon should be the line to use when drop shotting. I plan on using 7lb test Sunline Sniper. I think you can use mono or braid and whatever you are comfortable with. To each his own. I think the advantages of using fluoro over mono or braid outweigh the negatives when it comes to drop shotting.

I have also noticed that a lot of pros are using fluoro over mono more and more these days.


Mirza

[Camden]

well i'll be using the new copolymers. and testing some different lines out. I may give it a try eventually
the big reason i dont wanna use fluoro right now is because i dont own any and dont wanna buy some just to try it and not like it for some reason.

[screwballl]

Mirza... pretty much some of the same reasons why I only use Power Pro braid and Pline CX/CXX any more. CX replaces both mono and fluoro from everything I have seen and used it for.

[OutdoorFrontiers]

Flourocarbon line does stretch less than mono, that's for sure.  But, take a twenty foot piece of flouro and a twenty foot piece of braid tying both to something stationary.  Now tie the other end to a stick and start backing up.  You'll be amazed at exactly how much stretch is in flourocarbon line!  I  did this experiment once and found the braid only stretched about six inches, while the flouro and mono line's stretch measured three to six feet!

I don't really care that flourocarbon line sinks faster than braid, as I've got a large weight on the end of my line if I'm Recoil-Rigging and even fishing in +30 foot depths, my sinker gets to the bottom plenty quick!

I used to fish in northern Wisconsin, land of frozen reels and line.  Even then, I felt that braid offered more benefits than negatives and I fished it throughout the year, even through the ice.

What braid does offer is unmatched sensitivity and amazing hook sets, much better than either mono, flourocarbon or copolymar lines!  If you believe that line visibility is a problem (and I don't), then tie on a six or seven foot leader of flourocarbon.

Steve