drop shot guys

[Nowater2shallow]

what rod? looking to try it this year and was wondering if rod makes or breaks the set up, have a rod but feel that it is too stiff for this set up. and should i go straight floro or braid to floro

[Bob G.]

The other 1000 posts about drop shotting will have 1000 opinions about what rod, reel, line, leader, size of weight, etc. What works for me might not work for you.

[fastman151]

Don't over think this, as it is you've waited too long. This technique flat out catches fish!!!

[NNYBassangler]

I use a 6-9 medium light veritas with a Revo sx 20. Great setup with 10 pound braid. You have to have a fast tip, if you don't have a soft enough tip big smallies will toss the hook. I pre make all my leaders on a quality swivel, saves time and cuts down on line twist.

[Nowater2shallow]

would a dobyns 7 foot med light work for what i need and could use it for small swim baits as well

[BigBass94]

would a dobyns 7 foot med light work for what i need and could use it for small swim baits as well

That rod is almost perfect for a drop shot.

[ManxFishing]

I myself feel a 7' med x fast is perfect

[bailey4315]

I use a 7 ft med hvy Carbon Lite. Lots of my friends use the Med Exage made by Shimano. It really is all up to you, people use what they like really. Also, go braid to floro.

[esfbassman]

As others have said, can't go wrong with 7ft med light with a fast tip for detecting the bites. Brand is personal preference really but I recommend the ALX Shake 7.

[kadas]

would a dobyns 7 foot med light work for what i need and could use it for small swim baits as well

[PolarKraft195]

Don't over think this, as it is you've waited too long. This technique flat out catches fish!!!

^^^^^^^^^^

I use Croix Avid X 6'9" MLXF spinning rods. i will go longer & heavier when fishing deeper on Lake Erie.

[brushsjigs]

would a dobyns 7 foot med light work for what i need and could use it for small swim baits as well

Yes a 702 would work well. A 701 for crappie.

[TrackerPro16]

I have used all different length and weight rods, as well as line types and leader for drop Shot depending on what I am fishing for. My ‘go to’ these days is an Ugly Stik 8’ or 9’ in ‘Light’ with a Diawa casting reel, 20lb braid and a 3’ leader of mono. I have caught everything from Perch to 20” Cutthroat and Bass on the same rig, lure and all.

[ECobb91]

I use Croix Avid X 6'9" MLXF spinning rods. i will go longer & heavier when fishing deeper on Lake Erie.[/QUOTE]

This ^^^ x10000. Use the 6’9 for anything less than 20’ and use a Longer rod for anything deeper on Lake Ontario

[west_tn]

I have the Hammer Drop Shot rod, and I really like it so far.

[willhamm97]

I have a G. Loomis mag light that I love, but I believe it is no longer made. I picked up an alx zolo maestro(med light plus) that I have yet to try out

[DrewFlu33]

I'm a horrible drop shot fisherman, so take this with a grain of salt. I can say that I've done a lot of reading, discussing, and put a lot of effort into trying to get better at it over the couple years.

I think a what most would consider a "medium light" powered spinning rod with an extra fast tip is the sweet spot. Say 1/8-3/8 or 1/2 oz weight rated to get around different companies' definitions of light/medium-light/medium, etc. I've seen/read about different folks who prefer their dropshot rod from 6'6" to 7'6", but it seems the 6'10"-7' range is the sweet spot. Aaron Martens fishes a 6'10", and his dropshot rod from Enigma is extremely reasonable. Before that he was sponsored by Megabass and they had a higher end rod, I believe in the Orochi XX series, that he had designed/endorsed. Err shorter if you drop on fish on a graph often, or longer if casting more often or dealing with situations where a longer rod would help protect the light line (vegetation, big smallmouth, etc).

As for line choice, there are some people still using straight mono or fluoro, but the VAST majority are going with a 10-20 lb braid mainline, preferably high vis, with a 4-12 lb fluoro leader attached via the knot of your choice (choose the leader depending on conditions, of course). This includes every pro I've seen throw a dropshot in the last several years at least. The most popular knot choices seem to be the Alberto (aka crazy Alberto, modified Albright) or FG with the uni-to-uni having a strong contingent of followers as well. I personally think braid with a leader is the only way to go for the best in line management, stealth, and sensitivity, and think that going with high vis is very important. High vis allows you to spot bites on the fall, be able to quickly ascertain when your bait has hit the bottom without wasting time, to keep track of where the bait is, to detect bites otherwise, and so on. The visibility isn't a concern for the fish as that colored string is at least several feet away from the bait due to the leader.

This is leaving out the "power" or "bubba" shotting techniques people have started using instead of flipping and pitching in certain situations.

[cneubass79]

I have a couple custom made Kistler’s one Z-bone and an H3. If you are looking for a great rod at a great price get the Pheniox M1 7’2” light action spinning rod and pair it up with a Stradic ci4 2500 7lb sunline and get to work.

[LTZ25]

How deep does water have to be for drop shot to be used effectively ?

[Dando]

6'6" Med action Berkley Lightning.
Pflueger President
8lb fluorocarbon