The drop shot is currently the lure I have the most confidence in out of every lure that I throw. No other lure I’ve tried has proven to be as consistent or as versatile. You can throw one from a boat when you out in deep water or you can throw one into five feet of water in your local pond. It works great when the water is clear, but it also works well when there is less visibility. One of the biggest benefits of a drop shot is you can also throw it around grass and the lure itself will not get as hung up in the grass if the bottom of the body of water you are at is grassy since the weight will be what’s hitting the bottom while the lure itself will remain suspended above the bottom.
A lot of people on the internet knock the drop shot. You may have already seen this but if you haven’t as you get into fishing more you will notice some people will say things like ‘a drop shot sucks’ or ‘spinning reels are for wimps’. Well, as it turns out I don’t care. I care about what catches the most fish for me and in my case I’ve found the drop shot is one of the best lures out there for doing that. It turns out I’m not alone and if you look up previous professional tournaments and which lures performed the best you will find the drop shot consistently shows up towards the top of the list (assuming it isn’t on top).
So if you haven’t already tried one I would argue that you are doing yourself a disservice. I’m not going to explain how to fish one as it’s pretty self-explanatory and if you really want to learn more there are plenty of videos out there that will explain how to use one. Having said that as it is one of my go-to lures I have tried out a ton of different tackle and have done a ton of research on using one and there are a couple of things that I would personally recommend:
- For weights use a 1/4oz weight (or a 3/8oz weight if you are fishing in deeper water).
- Generally speaking I like cylinder weights since they come through cover the best, but if you are on a rocky bottom or using a bubba shot to punch through a mat then a tear drop shape works well.
- I use a specific hook for a drop shot and don’t really suggest using any other hook.
- In terms of lures I suggest a straight tail worm or a 4″ fluke style bait.
- I suggest using a palomar knot for a drop shot, and making sure you bring the line downward back through the eye of the hook when you tie it.
- I suggest using a spinning rod with braid for the main line and a fluorocarbon leader, tied with an improved alberto knot.
Lure Summary – Drop Shot
Suggested Rod Length: 6’9″ – 7’3″
Suggested Rod Power: Medium Light or Medium
Suggested Rod Action: Fast or Extra Fast
Suggested Reel Type: Spinning Reel
Suggested Reel Size: 2500
Lure Weight (est.): .49oz
Tackle Required
- 2/0 Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hybrid Worm Hook
- 1/4 or 3/8oz cylinder weight
- 20lb Sufix 832 Braided Line
- 12lb Sunline FC Fluorocarbon Leader
Suggested Soft Plastic Baits
- 6″ Roboworm Straight Tail Worm
- 6.5″ Yamamoto Sensei Worm
- 4″ NetBait BaitFuel Twitch
- 4.25″ Strike King KVD Dream Shot