The drop-shot rig is a finesse technique that has taken the USA bass fishing world by a storm. Recently it has started to be popular on UK waters and is proving to a killer technique for perch. A drop-shot rig will often catch fish when reaction baits won’t do the trick.
Steps
- Drop-shotting is a finesse technique that requires light line, so use a spinning outfit spooled up with 6- to 10-pound-test line.
- Using a Palomar knot, tie a small drop-shot hook onto the line, about 18 inches up from the end. Tie so that the hook stands out perpendicular from the line.
- At the tag end of the line, about 18 inches from the hook, tie on a drop-shot weight.
- Put a small bait on the hook. Four-inch worms, fry and grubs are good drop-shot baits.
- Drop the rig straight down over the side of the boat or bank. When the line goes slack, reel up until the line is taut and the weight is on the bottom.
- With the weight on the bottom, shake the rod gently. You just want to wiggle the lure without lifting the weight.
- A bite may be anything from a tug to a sideways movement. If your hooks are good and sharp, all you have to do is reel hard to set the hook.
- Reel the fish in gently. Remember you have light line on.
- After landing a fish, check your knots and hook and go back to it. On a good piece of structure, there may be several good fish.
Tips
- You can make your own drop-shot weights by pinching one end of a barrel swivel in a split-shot. The swivel helps reduce line twist.
- Fluorocarbon line costs more, but since it is crystal clear and has no stretch, it is ideal for drop-shotting.
- Once you get good at drop-shotting vertically, you can start to experiment with casting out and dragging the rig back, and fishing it over breaklines and other kinds of structure.
- You don’t have to tie a hook directly to the line. You can add a barrel swivel, and extend a piece of line, and hook approximately 2-4″ from the swivel
