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  1. #1
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    Drop Shotting With or Without a Swivel??????

    So, I totally get the argument that drop shotting with a swivel eliminates the line twist mess than smaller bass can do to your line or empty retrieves from deep water can do to your line, BUT I SWEAR since adding a swivel to my set up I have literally NOT caught a fish. Not one.... I have a good 24" + of floro above the hook, and I have a good 15 to 20 feet of floro above the swivel....

    Anyone else in gin clear water drop shotting for smallies / finicky fish experienced the same thing when adding a swivel to the equation???? Can the swivel, and its a micro swivel, but driving the fish away from the bait???

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    #2
    I use drop shotting in the St Lawrence river ( clear water - 30 foot visibility). I don't use a swivel like you do, but sometimes use a swivel hook ( drop shot hook on a wire with a small swivel) and it does not seem to make that much difference. I also use a tied on hook half the time so I can compare. I don't get much line twist because I use a long fluoro leader ( 25 to 30 feet) with braid. The braid takes up the twist.

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    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Real L View Post
    I use drop shotting in the St Lawrence river ( clear water - 30 foot visibility). I don't use a swivel like you do, but sometimes use a swivel hook ( drop shot hook on a wire with a small swivel) and it does not seem to make that much difference. I also use a tied on hook half the time so I can compare. I don't get much line twist because I use a long fluoro leader ( 25 to 30 feet) with braid. The braid takes up the twist.
    I too use a long leader, and I never had a problem with line twist, so I may simply be over thinking it and I should just go back to a swiveless set up....

  4. Member Hollada's Avatar
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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Real L View Post
    I use drop shotting in the St Lawrence river ( clear water - 30 foot visibility). I don't use a swivel like you do, but sometimes use a swivel hook ( drop shot hook on a wire with a small swivel) and it does not seem to make that much difference. I also use a tied on hook half the time so I can compare. I don't get much line twist because I use a long fluoro leader ( 25 to 30 feet) with braid. The braid takes up the twist.
    I fish lake st Clair with both a swivel hook and a palomar rig with no swivel. Braid to 30 ft fluro leader. I see no difference between the 2 on the lake, but when I fish the st Clair river I tend to get a ton of twist on the regular palomar non-swivel tie. To the point where I start getting excessive wind knots / tip wraps with my braid. I get the same issue jigging for walleye in the river. The braid isn’t as bad as straight fluro, but it will twist up over time. Easy to unwind it by trailing the straight braid behind the boat for a while while scanning.


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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Hollada View Post
    I fish lake st Clair with both a swivel hook and a palomar rig with no swivel. Braid to 30 ft fluro leader. I see no difference between the 2 on the lake, but when I fish the st Clair river I tend to get a ton of twist on the regular palomar non-swivel tie. To the point where I start getting excessive wind knots / tip wraps with my braid. I get the same issue jigging for walleye in the river. The braid isn’t as bad as straight fluro, but it will twist up over time. Easy to unwind it by trailing the straight braid behind the boat for a while while scanning.
    Did you notice a catch rate difference between swivel and non swivel rigs ??

  6. Member Hollada's Avatar
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    #6
    Quote Originally Posted by MainelySmallmouth View Post
    Did you notice a catch rate difference between swivel and non swivel rigs ??
    I haven’t noticed any difference.


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    #7
    Straight flouro, no swivel. I don't like extra hardware and knots when it's not necessary. Good quality reel, nose hook your bait dead straight and replace your line when you have issues. Not the cheapest route, but it works for me.

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    #8
    I started using a swivel with a fast lock snap. Then clip a bass casting weight on the snap. Got tired of the other weights falling off. Ive not had any line twist after using this. Way cheaper also

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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by MainelySmallmouth View Post
    I too use a long leader, and I never had a problem with line twist, so I may simply be over thinking it and I should just go back to a swiveless set up....

    That's what I would do to see if it changes your results.

    Also, another thing to look at is if you made other changes to your set-up ?
    Last edited by Real L; 11-16-2021 at 05:39 AM.

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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Real L View Post
    That's what I would do to see if it changes your results.

    Also, another thing to look at is if you made other changes to your set-up ? Did you go from lead to tungsten ? In clear water, it might be as simple as a different shade from a different lot of your favorite drop shot bait.

    You know, I never really considered that.... That is something else to consider, ie was it a silver drop shot weigh or a black one...

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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by School Master View Post
    Straight flouro, no swivel. I don't like extra hardware and knots when it's not necessary. Good quality reel, nose hook your bait dead straight and replace your line when you have issues. Not the cheapest route, but it works for me.
    I think that is what I am going back to.... :-)

  12. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by School Master View Post
    Straight flouro, no swivel. I don't like extra hardware and knots when it's not necessary. Good quality reel, nose hook your bait dead straight and replace your line when you have issues. Not the cheapest route, but it works for me.
    This for me, too. Braid mainline eats up the line twist, never had a reason to introduce more rigging time, more hardware, and more potential failure points to my setup. Being too lazy to replace a leader that's worn out is really the only time I've had issues.


    As for the specific situation of the OP, I doubt the swivel is spooking the fish. I'll never buy that they make the connection between a little piece of hardware a couple feet away from their potential food. That said, I'd still bet the swivel is the problem! It's added weight above the bait that likely changes the action pretty dramatically unless you're dropping to fish vertically, and I definitely buy that fish sense when something looks unnatural. The reason a drop shot works so well is it looks so natural. Add weight above the bait and that changes.
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    #13
    Never tried a swivel but I use both straight flouro (Tatsu) and braid to a flouro leader and the past 5 or 6 years all I've used are VMC spinshots and Trokar Helix DS hooks, don't have any line twist problems and catch them as good if not better than I did with a regular hook and palomar knot.

  14. Winter can end now..... BoatBuggy's Avatar
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    #14
    I use the VMC and Gammy swivel hooks on the St Lawrence. No muss, no fuss and no line twist. I suppose the swivel hook will turn off a big smallie every now and then but there's plenty more of them down there that don't give a crap.
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    #15
    Quote Originally Posted by DrewFlu33 View Post
    This for me, too. Braid mainline eats up the line twist, never had a reason to introduce more rigging time, more hardware, and more potential failure points to my setup. Being too lazy to replace a leader that's worn out is really the only time I've had issues.


    As for the specific situation of the OP, I doubt the swivel is spooking the fish. I'll never buy that they make the connection between a little piece of hardware a couple feet away from their potential food. That said, I'd still bet the swivel is the problem! It's added weight above the bait that likely changes the action pretty dramatically unless you're dropping to fish vertically, and I definitely buy that fish sense when something looks unnatural. The reason a drop shot works so well is it looks so natural. Add weight above the bait and that changes.
    THAT IS A GREAT POINT AND ANOTHER THING I NEVER CONSIDERED. THIS TIME OF YEAR, I AM FISHING IN 30+ FEET OF CRYSTAL CLEAR STILL WATER WITH NO CURRENT AND THE WEIGHT OF THAT SWIVEL IS LIKELY TO CHANGE THE ACTION OF THE WAY THE BAIT PRESENTS ITSELF.... THAT IS AN EXCELLENT PIECE OF INSIGHT.

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    #16
    I use braid to fluoro leader and do use a tiny swivel. I usually have about a 5' total leader with the hook placed about 6-7" above the bottom. Sometimes (rarely) I'll run two hooks with the second about a foot above the first. I don't think a swivel affects the bites but you do need to keep the weight on the bottom and a taut line in between. Otherwise the swivel will weigh down the line above the hook. Ive seen it happen on sonar. I keep a taut line and use very small tip wiggles or jerks to provide action to the bait, almost always keeping the weight on the bottom. Every once in awhile I will allow the bait to hit bottom and then slowly lift it back up to a taut line.

    Have used the swivel for at least the past 15 years. Pretty clear water in some Northern Cal lakes. No issues that I can tell.

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  17. Member Mr.Bass's Avatar
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    #17
    There are a few things that make your line twist when using a drop shot.

    1. The type of weight style. Tear drop or pencil

    2. The type fo baits used.

    In regards to the weights, the tear drop will roll a bunch on the bottom especially in the rivers such as 1000 Islands. The pencil will have less roll and less line twist.

    Some baits just roll like crazy when you reel them in. Hold the line between your fingers to help get rid of the twist and never I mean never click the bale over with the turn of the handle.
    Use your hand to open and close the bale on the spinning reel. You will see a big difference in your twist.



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    #18
    Use a baitcaster to drop shot with! I love it so much better in almost every way!

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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Bass View Post
    There are a few things that make your line twist when using a drop shot.

    1. The type of weight style. Tear drop or pencil

    2. The type fo baits used.

    In regards to the weights, the tear drop will roll a bunch on the bottom especially in the rivers such as 1000 Islands. The pencil will have less roll and less line twist.

    Some baits just roll like crazy when you reel them in. Hold the line between your fingers to help get rid of the twist and never I mean never click the bale over with the turn of the handle.
    Use your hand to open and close the bale on the spinning reel. You will see a big difference in your twist.

    I have transition to the pencil weights and I always guide the line into the line roller before flipping the bail shut. Always. I use a lot of nose hooked baits, like the flat worm, netbait crush and jackall crosstail shad. Those are my primary nose hook baits.

  20. Moderator
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    #20
    Braid with flouro leader and no swivel works for me.

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