Dropshotting

[Little Green Fish]

Hi you Guys and Ladies if there are any

I was wondering, has anybody tried dropshotting for Bass and if what success's did you have?

I must say that I've had relatively good results, especially on though days, you know, those days that you have to check whether you are actually close to water at all as it might as well not be the case.

The only real, significant changes that I apply to my rigging is that I tie my hook directly onto my main line with the barb facing upwards and an extended piece of line down to the bottom about 15cm to 30cm long depending on how deep I think they are hiding to which I then clip the dropshot.  Apparently the way the hook is tied to the line with the dropshot sinker at the bottom draging over the water bed gives the lure some action that drives even "dead" LGF's crazy.  It has really worked well for me in many a though condition.

Should any of you have tried it before please supply some feedback as to your results, would be interesting.

Happy hunting those LGF's

LGF

 

[Loams]

I haven't tried it yet.... But next time I go to Disaneng, I will. There are some serious weeds (grass) and I am sure those lunkers live there... So I'll try it then.

LGF, have you got a picture or illustration of your rig??

 

[Little Green Fish]

Loams

I take a picture this afternoon and post it on Monday, so that you guys can see my intepretation of what I've read and understood concerning dropshotting.  Like i said, it has worked for me very well especially on difficult days.

Happy Hunting those LGF's

LGF

 

[leonard williams]

hows sit heres some fresh water photos.

 

[leonard williams]

barbel

 

[leonard williams]

yellow on fly

 

[leonard williams]

bass

 

[leonard williams]

barbel caught in river on the south coast

 

[leonard williams]

river barbel.still babies

 

[Little Green Fish]

Hi Loams

Here's my attached photograph of my intepretation of the "Dropshot rig"

It's very basic, and this explanation is just to clear up the process as it's not all that viisible on the photo,

Insert your main line through the hookeye, about 30cm's up from the end of the line, now let the hook hang in a smallish loop, twist the loop so that the line twists about four times, take the bottom end of the line and stick it through the loop part next to the hook eye.  Wet the line properly before pulling it tight, do not cut the long piece of line left over at the bottom (I think this is called a "blood-knot" not to sure, hence the explanation).

Now the sinker that I use is a dropshot sinker that has a piece of wire pressed together so that it basically clips onto the line and therefore you do not make a knot here, should it get entangled it will be pulled of the line (not all that easily, mind you) but it eventually will, saving your line, the rest of your rig and most importantly the Lunker you've hooked into.

Haven't fished this weekend, but am going this coming Sat.  Now I just need to decide where.

Happy Hunting those LGF's

LGF

 

[Loams]

Ok, so it was exactly what I envisioned.

Thanks LGF.

Just a note on your rig. The line from the hook to sinker seems a bit short... Perhaps try playing with a longer one, for those Bass that is suspended a little higher.

Which baits do you use? Sinking or Floating plastics? I don't know why, but I think one should only use floating plastics, otherwise you won't suspend your bait at all... It will just sink to the bottom lying next to your sinker?

 

[Little Green Fish]

HI Loams

So glad You noticed that short piece of line, cause I failed to mention in the post why it's so short, I normally make it no shorter than 15cm's and no longer than 30cm's, but in the pic it's really short and this was just to illustrate what it should look like.

On the baits I use with this rig, Well, I am almost always riging a Gary Yamamoto Kreature bait the wrong way round, (inserting the hook through the skrit part first) as it's my favorite type of lure and this odd way of riging it has produced better results than rigging it the normal way.  My favorite colour is the Black (with blue glitter) and Charteuse skirt Kreature

I have yet to try other lures, floating worms etc. with this rig.

About sinking lures, sinking to the bottom on this rig,..... Well here's the trick, you keep your line stiff/tight all the time just almost deadsticking the lure with slight, really very slightly moving your rod tip left to right every now and then with pauses, keeping the lure in the same place.  At times I will drag the weight across the bed also very slowly always keeping the line tight thus suspending the lure always the length that the weight is from the hook off the dam/lake/pond floor.

The reason for this is that if your'e close to cover doing this will surely entice any lazy LGF to get up and attack this anoying thing and other than that, LGF's that does pack hunting will eventually pick up on the vibrations sometime or another, Keping it in the same place for a while before slowly dragging it across the bottom to a new location.

Like I said this has worked for me on tough days, but I have yet to rig another lure other than a GYKB

Happy Hunting those LGF's

LGF

 

[Loams]

Little Green Fish wrote:

About sinking lures, sinking to the bottom on this rig,..... Well here's the trick, you keep your line stiff/tight all the time just almost deadsticking the lure with slight, really very slightly moving your rod tip left to right every now and then with pauses, keeping the lure in the same place. 

Quick question.

Have you tested this in a pool? are you sure it works??? Or is your leadweight that heavy, so that you can keep the line tight enough without dragging it across the bottom of the lake?

 

[Little Green Fish]

Hi Loams

Thats the trick, thats how slight your movements have to be, basically just making the skirt ends move, when and this is why it works better in natural water, the sinker get to an uneven spot and or piece of structure, you can increase the intensity of your movements.

But again you can always increase your weight in the beginning to get the feel, I normally use a No:3 to a No:4 Dropshot (Bass section) weight if I'm deadsticking it like previously explained.

If you look at the attached photo it should give you some idea of how big the weight actually is taking into consideration that the hook pictured is a 5/0.

LGF

 

[leonard williams]

looks like this can work

 

[Little Green Fish]

Leonard

It DOES, really.

I think the two main reasons for this is:

1. You can get movement on your lure, yet keeping it in the same zone for just as long as you want.

2. You can drag the weight accross the bottom that, {as is the case with the slight wiggling in point no 1.}, creates very direct movement as the hook is pulled tight between the rod tip and the weight and this dragging over the bumpy bottom generates the slightest of movement in the lure as a result of the movement of the weight.

An added bonus is the fact that the weight is "dropshot" thus if it gets lodged between rocks or fouls up on vegetation, you just need to pull hard so that it eventually slips off and your the smiling hunter, that still managed to land a greenONE.

My experience..... Well it works, but I have to say I've only used it on tough days when nothing else seems to work, and also like i said before to Loams, I still need to try floating baits.

Happy Hunting those LGF's

LGF