What hook do you all prefer for your drop shots.
I have some of the VMC ones I think that have the swivel in the eye but dont normally use them. But today I saw while looking that there are some that have the swivel but also the same type of clip that most drop shot weights have.
They say it makes for quicker and easier leader length changes. Look pretty interesting.
I know in the other thread i saw where some like a swivel in the line and some dont. These hooks have me a little curious.
I use the original VMC Spinshots. The extra knot is a PIA, but make up for it with (slightly) less line twist vs the Gammy 50409.
I use # 1 hooks from Berkley (Fusion 19 Drop Shot), Gamakatsu (G Finesse Drop shot) or Hayabusa (Drop Shot) I like a straight point (no curve). I have used the VMC Spin Shot with success. I use a kind of twist knot for the regular hooks, not a Palomar. You can adjust leader lenght with the weight clip.
I use the Size 1 Hayabusa DSR132HD. The G Finesse and Split Shot Drop Shot Gamakatsu's are every bit as nice as well. I started throwing Hayabusa last season and just been slowly switching over just to keep things simple.
I don't like extra hardware, just a confidence thing. I'd rather re-tie and deal with line twist.
I feel like all the extra hardware there with the swivel style hooks makes what is otherwise a super natural, mostly weightless presentation into one that is less so. Even if you're not worried about fish seeing the hardware (which I'm really not), there's extra weight there that alters the presentation. Braid mainline helps with line twist, and if worse comes to worst you can always cut the bait off and trail the line behind the boat for a few minutes to untwist everything. If I'm on a drop shot-or-bust type bite, I usually rig up 2 or 3 of them so I can avoid wasting time retying.
I'm a big fan of the straight shank style hooks for drop shotting whenever I can get away with it, which is usually in all but the clearest water with the finickiest fish. You just hook and, more importantly, land a lot more fish with that style hook in my experience. That's primarily a light wire Roboworm Rebarb for me, either size 1 or 1/0. You can Texas rig most anything you want to drop shot when fishing around cover with it while keeping the easy lean-into-them type hooksets, or if in more open water you can thread a bait onto it. Yes, it's a bit less action than you get from nose hooking, but you get a lot more longevity out of a bait with it, and I think at times we overwork drop shot baits to where you might actually want less action. The G-Finesse light wire worm hook, Owner Cover Shot, VMC Neko are other similar options.
If I'm in that ultra-clear water with finicky fish--for me this is basically only applicable to smallmouth fishing--I'll go to the standard drop shot style hook and generally prefer the G-Finesse Aaron Martens drop shot hook. I like 1/0 if I can get away with it just to get the better hookups and landing ratios, but have had at least one situation where going smaller, down to a size 2, got me more bites. Those hooks are scary sharp and hold a point forever, though if there is one complaint I have it's that the barb is fairly small on them and I think may have resulted in some lost fish for me in the past.
One hook that I used to use a lot that I went away from for some reason is the Gamy Finesse Wide Gap:
I honestly think it was originally intended for bobber/drift fishing egg sacks or skein for steelhead or salmon or even for presenting live minnows for other species. I also think it gets a lot of run in the bass fishing community as a wacky hook. Either way, that's one I'm going to be revisiting a little more this year for drop shots when I make trips up north for those smallmouth that can get weird at times to see how it works in terms of hookups and lost fish. I always had good luck with it before I "knew better" and went toward the hooks marketed for drop shot fishing. Its one downfall is that it is heavier wire than I'd probably like for drop shotting.
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I use VMC Spinshots and Trokar Helix hooks pretty much exclusively and am planning on trying the Decoy Masubari next year. All have the wire going through the eye where you need two knots. I've tried the Gammie G Finesse with the clip for the weight and don't like them. Probably 90% of the time I'm using a #2 size and nose hooking the bait but I will sometimes go to a #1 with a wacky rigged dropshot. The little bit of time I Texas rig I use a #1 VMC Ike Spinshot.
I haven't noticed any difference with catch rates than other people in the same boat using a "standard" dropshot hook. I actually probably catch more than them on average. My longtime team tournament partner actually switched to the VMCs. For me it's quicker, I can tie 2 San Diego jam knots quicker than one Palomar which 50% of the time for me isn't going to be point up and I can change to a longer drop easier (for me anyway). I also almost never have a fish bust off at the hook. I feel like the wire keeps the fishes mouth/teeth off the knot better.
1-2/0 EWG worm hook depending on bait size, I rarely ever drop shot with an open hook, always rigged Texas style so I can fish in around cover.
Question on nose hooking, I’ve seen pictures where it appears the hook point isn’t exposed, it appears to still be inside the head of the worm.
Is this true? If so, do you still use a traditional hookset, or do you reel into them?
Haven’t got into dropshotting yet, but I plan to.
You could certainly keep it buried in the worm. Most drop shot baits are so soft, it shouldn't effect hook ups. I don't ever do this, but there is so little vegetation in the Great Lakes I fish, there is no reason to keep it buried. The only drawback will be you'll get a little more twisting of the bait if you keep the point hidden.Originally Posted by c rig
I have gone to the Roboworm Rebarb hooks, I primarily fish worms on the DS and not only are these hooks super sharp, but they have a barb near the eye that helps hold your worm on. I used to use the egg type hooks, but I lose fewer worms with the Roboworm hooks and it's hard to measure, but they seem do a better job of hooking fish.
I almost always nose hook with an open hook, and for that I use #1 ichikawa hooks. #1 split shot gamakatsu hooks work as well, I think they are a little heavier wire and don't get quite as good penetration imo.
For texas rigging I like the owner down shot. Hook size depends on bait used, typically a 1/0 or 2/0
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I always rig it with the hook exposed.
I keep the hook point unexposed, barely just under the surface of the bait as I most often fish weedy areas. As mentioned, the drop shot bait is usually soft plastic and hook penetration is not an issue. I use a Trokar Finesse V hook, and put them on my own home made spin shot. I hated the line twist without the spin shot, and don't see any difference in catch rate between the two methods of rigging
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Every now and again I'll use that style of rigging, especially if I'm throwing into wood. It's not as weedless as a true texas rig, but works better than an exposed hook. I just the regular reel set / lift hookset method, and I think the hookup percentage is pretty close vs using an open hook.
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In the spring when the grass hasn't come up yet I'll fish a Gamakatsu G-Finesse #1 hook and nose hook my baits, once I start fishing around cover more in the summer I'll switch to a Rebarb hook and I'll t-rig the baits, then in the late fall I'll usually switch back to a G-Finesse hook and nose hook again. My exception is when we fish the rivers in deep water and heavy current during the summer I'll go back to a G-Finesse hook. My wife on the other hand sticks with a G-Finesse hook the entire time, she catches just as much fish, hookup ratio is about the same, she just ends up with more weeds at times so
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I use a SpinShot 1/0 for St Lawrence smallies 99% of the time. I keep a watch on the hook point more than I do the Gammy G-Finesse. I guess there is an "extra knot" for the weight but it's not like its a knot that needs to be perfect - I make 3-4 overhands and get on with it. I don't get the "extra hardware" thing especially on major northern smallmouth factories. There are probably some few fish out there who are actually turned off by a tiny, tiny swivel but there are thousands more down there that really don't give a crap.
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I have the hook point unexposed because it tends to spin less. I just let the rod load and reel.
THIS ^^^^^
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Totally agree with this post. I think you can get away with the "swivel" based rigs in dirty water, but I have tried them in the gin clear water I feel, and it seems like all that hardware is a deterrent to catching fish that are pressured/non aggressive, which is why we are fishing a drop shot in the first place. I even tried using a barrel swivel to help with line twist, and I noticed a difference in the # of bites I got using a swivel versus not using a swivel. I think the best, although it can be a pain in the @$$, is to just go traditional setup with hook and drop shot weight. Youre fishing for fish that you are trying to finesse, so the more stealth you go, the better your chances of catching fish. At least that is my experience.
Also, the Hayabusa DSR132HD is a really good hook for a nose rig drop shot hook, and I have used it a lot, but my new go to is the Decoy Shot Rig Worm Hook for nose hook rigs. The Lazer Trokar DS Hook is a really solid hook, as is the Owner Mosquito Light Hook. These are all great options for nose hooking a drop shot bait. The Owner Cover Shot and the Gammie G Finesse Light Worm Hook with the keeper, are both really good hooks if you are texas rigging baits or threading baits on to the hook. Prefer the Owner when threading (keeper is easy to deal with) and the Gammie when texas rigging (keeps baits in place better).
Great topic. Could talk drop shot finesse technique all day.
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