Dropshot Fishing 101

Many bass anglers today despise finesse fishing. However, no matter how many bass anglers out there say they don’t like finesse fishing, or that they would rather do anything else but finesse fish, all of them have a finesse rod in their boat. With that being said, one finesse technique that has helped anglers win numerous tournaments across the country throughout the last decade, and even some very high-level championship events, is throwing a drop shot. A drop shot not only can produce quality fish, but it is probably one of the highest percentage techniques an angler can throw to get a lot of bites.  It’s a bait anglers often tie on, especially in clearwater situations, where they need that last fish to fill out a limit. Moreover, the drop shot technique really shines in the lakes up north around the Great Lakes area.

Also, lakes that are in the Ozarks; such as Lake Hamilton, Lake Ouachita, and Table Rock. As well as, other deep clearwater lakes such as Hartwell and Lake Lanier. And, this technique shines during the late winter and pre-spawn time of year when a lot of Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Fishing League (BFL) Divisions are having their first tournament of the year. Stay tuned till the end of this blog to see how Premium CBD can help anglers using the drop shot technique. Make sure to read to the bottom to see How Revital Outdoors Premium CBD Products can assist with dropshot fishing.

Drop shot fishing originated with anglers west in the California area. Also, this is where many famous hand-poured worm companies got their start, and the development of drop shotting and the tactics behind being successful originated. Guys like Aaron Martens, Justin Lucas, and other notorious anglers who have roots out west, became very proficient throwing a dropshot. Fast-forward to today, many rod manufacturers are making rods designed just for the drop shot technique and has become predominant technique throughout the United States. Although there is still a lot of fish that can be caught out west in the California area on a drop shot, it really shines up north when fishing the Great Lakes areas for smallmouth. Additionally, many soft plastic manufacturers are making soft plastic worms and creature baits designed just for throwing on a drop shot. A drop shot consists of a small weight at the end of the line with a circle hook, or worm hook, tied onto the line above the weight 6 to 12 inches. When fished correctly, the bait on a drop shot will suspend in the water column. This is a great technique for catching fish that are suspended up off the bottom, relating to brush piles, or even locked up on a bed. The reason for its success rate, is because the bait is ultimately presented right in front of the fish. 

Essential Elements for a Successful Dropshot Technique

The key to being successful with a dropshot is to have the right set up, the right baits, and right speed. Here is a little rundown of the different topics to becoming successful with a dropshot: 

The Rod 

Again, this technique shines well with a spinning rod outfit, and many anglers started fishing a drop shot on a Crappie rod because they wanted a longer rod and an extremely soft tip. The key with fishing a dropshot correctly is to not move the weight. An angler wants to make the bait on a drop shot dance or twitch giving it a more natural movement to the fish, rather than moving through the water like normal reaction baits. A drop shot is more of a stationary bait, anglers will throw it into where they want to fish, and then sit there and dance the worm or bait until a bite happens, or the angler will reel in and make a different cast. So, the softer tip on a rod allows an angler to twitch the bait very rapidly and not move its location. A soft rod also helps fight the fish better once they are hooked up. With using light line and small equipment, the lighter rod helps fight the fish better to the boat. 

The Line 

The second piece of the puzzle to being successful with a dropshot is the line. Many anglers are running a 10-pound braid mainline on their spinning rods, with a 6- to 8-pound fluorocarbon leader. The reason why line is so important in fishing a dropshot, is an angler wants to increase being invisible to the fish without compromising the action of the bait. Always a rule of thumb is the lighter the line an angler uses, the more visible it will appear in the water. 

The Weight 

Next is the size weight an angler uses when dropshot fishing. Generally, anglers fishing with a dropshot wants to use the lightest weight they can get away with. Many angles will start an 1/8-ounce weight and work their way up to even as heavy as a ½-ounce when fishing depths over 20-feet deep up in the Great Lakes. But anglers will experiment during practice with different size weights to where they are creating the best action and keeping the bait stationary to increase the chances of getting bites. Most anglers today are using tungsten weights. Tungsten is denser than lead and often found to be a lot more sensitive. This just helps increase an angler’s ability to be successful on the water with a drop shot. 

The Bait

The final piece of the puzzle to being successful when fishing a dropshot is the bait. Many anglers are using hand-poured worms that are between 3- to 5-inches. Some anglers are also using crawfish imitation soft plastics. In the northern part of the United States around the Great Lakes area, such as Lake Champlain and Lake St. Clair, many anglers are using baitfish imitation soft plastics and goby imitation baits. Anglers are even fishing lakes with deep ledges and rigging a swimbait on a drop shot. The keys again for anglers to be successful with a drop shot, is to experiment with different baits, different colors, and find what the fish are reacting to. With today’s electronics available to the fishing industry, it’s not hard for an angler to locate a school of fish and watch them react to a drop shot. Some of the most popular drop shot baits are made by Strike King, Roboworm, and Jackall. Typically, anglers will fish more natural color such as Watermelon, Watermelon Candy, Watermelon Red, or Green Pumpkin; this is because the drop shot shines the most in clear, deep-water lakes. So, the more natural the color of the bait the better chances of being successful. 
 
The drop shot is a great technique that every bass angler fishing tournaments should try at least once in. It’s also a phenomenal bait for co-anglers. Because of this technique being so natural to the fish, it’s a great follow-up bait when fishing with a boater who is going to the bank throwing reaction baits. 

How CBD Helps Anglers:

When starting out with dropshot fishing, days on the water can be frustrating to get down the technique. That being said, you’re going to be exhausting your arms and shoulder each day, casting and reeling. To help combat the inflammation and joint irritability, the Revital Outdoors Premium CBD Salve Stick. The Salve Stick is an easy-to-use roll-up product that can target the origin of the inflammation. Packed full of 250mg of CBD, this stick is unscented and can be used any time of the day when you start to feel uncomfortable. When it comes to dosing, we recommend using this product in conjunction with another Revital Outdoors Premium CBD Product. You’ll be able to utilize the salve stick at anytime, day or night.