The drop shot flips the normal soft-plastic rig upside down: the weight sits on the bottom and the hook, with a small soft-plastic worm, is tied above it, so the bait hovers right in the strike zone. You can shake it in place for as long as you want without moving it out of the zone, which is exactly why it fools pressured and inactive bass.
When to reach for it
The drop shot shines when the bite is tough: after a cold front, in clear water, on heavily fished lakes, or when fish are holding deep on points and drop-offs. It's a finesse presentation, slow, subtle and hard to refuse.
How to rig it
- Tie a drop-shot hook (or a small octopus hook) onto your line with a Palomar knot, leaving a long tag end, a foot or more, hanging down.
- Run that tag end back through the top of the hook eye so the hook stands out from the line, point up.
- Attach a drop-shot weight (⅛–⅜ oz) to the bottom of the tag. Cylinder weights come through cover; round weights for open bottom.
- Nose-hook a small finesse worm (a Roboworm or similar), or wacky-rig it for more action.
The distance between the hook and the weight sets how far off bottom your bait hovers, usually 6 to 18 inches, more if fish are suspended higher.
Gear
A spinning outfit is the tool for finesse: a 7-foot medium-light or medium fast-action rod, a 2500-size reel, 10–15 lb braid with a 6–10 lb fluorocarbon leader. The light line and sensitive tip let you feel the weight tick bottom and detect the soft drop-shot bite.
How to fish it
Cast (or drop straight down when you're on fish), let the weight settle, then keep the line semi-tight and shake the rod tip gently in place. The weight stays put; the bait quivers seductively above it. Move it a foot, let it sit, shake again. Bites are often just a subtle weight or a “mushy” feel, reel down and swing.
Tip Don't over-work it. The whole point of the drop shot is to keep the bait in the zone with tiny, in-place movement. When in doubt, do less, let the bait hang and shiver.