Dropshot

[Little_Flatty]

I've always been curious about dropshotting and had purchased some of the sinkers for it about a year ago. Somehow I didn't get around to giving it a good try until this morning (yesterday my local shop had proper dropshot hooks and plastics, which reminded me about the sinkers).

For those who haven't come across the concept, dropshotting is basically fishing soft plastics on a paternoster rig, bit like some Raiders already do offshore. But there's a couple of differences and I'm still deciding if they are important. Firstly the hook is not on a dropper; it is tied snug to the leader (generally with a palomar knot, but I used a uni knot and passed the tag through the eye of the hook again before attaching the sinker) like this example below (from How to Dropshot for Bass - What, Where, and How - Harmony Fishing Company):

 

Secondly, the dropshot sinker isn't actually tied to the line; instead it is 'cinched' onto the line with a special swivel eye:

This allows one to vary the distance from the bottom and also allows the sinker to slip off in the event of a snag (happened to me already).

It seems from my research that it is mostly a vertical presentation technique, but I have also seen videos of people casting them landbased as well.

Apparently the theory is that you jiggle the plastic and it wiggles enticingly above the bottom. If you get your distance from the bottom correct, it will present the lure in their faces.

I like the idea of this method because:

a) It allows one to vary the weight of the sinker as you just slip one off and cinch on another

b) The lure can work relatively unencumbered by a heavy weight relative to the size of the lure (e.g. 1/2oz weight for a 2-inch minnow)

c) The lure stays in the strike zone of your target fish (might also be good to target fish around snags and weed edges).

Early days yet, but in my first few casts, I nailed an undersized flathead. I know small flatties aren't particularly picky (more experimentation required) but I'll happily take that as my first dropshot fish:

I'll persist with dropshotting for a few sessions and report back if I have any interesting findings. Has anyone had a go at dropshotting in the past?

[Green Hornet]

When I was out in the boat for a feed of fish, I used to throw a dropshot rig over the side while drifting along in St Georges Basin and leave the rod in a holder. Keeping the line close to vertical, the rocking of the boat in the wind chop was all was needed to work the lures.

My rig certainly wasn't finesse, just an ordinary sinker, big enough to hold bottom and a couple of suicide hooks spaced about 30cm apart, rigged with plastics. Usually a minnow style on the bottom and a curly tail grub on the top.

This rig accounted itself for a lot of fish, quite often more than the other lures we were casting at the time and double hookups weren't uncommon.

I've never tried it from land, but always thought it would work quite well for bream around wharf and bridge pylons.

[Rebel]

Nothing like trying some thing new.

Well done.

[Little_Flatty]

@Green Hornet thanks for sharing your experiences. I have had the thought that a suicide hook would work perfectly fine rather than a dedicated dropshot hook. Would be cheaper and easier to obtain as well. Running more than one lure is an interesting idea, especially for covering different options.

The angle of the line when casting from the shore is the main difference between boat and land based. I’ll need to find some clear water to determine the best way to work the lures and see if any rig modifications are required. I’ll leave it for the next time I am on the lower harbour.

[Rebel]

Use a swimming pool.

Cheers.

[Little_Flatty]

2 hours ago, Rebel said:

Use a swimming pool.

Cheers.

Used to have this option, but my parents have downsized and no longer have a private pool .

Besides, I wouldn't mind another excuse to go catch a feed  Much as I like C&R in the polluted Parra, sometimes it is nice to be able to bring some dinner home.

[Rebel]

Any excuse will do to go fishing.

Cheers.

[DerekD]

Hi mate,

My first (and last) experience drop shotting was chasing Zander in the river at Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

I did this report on it.

One of the slight differences with what you have been doing is that we used a hook specifically designed to sit off the line at 90°. Specifically these ones:

One of the other changes to the fishing technique was that the rod was held like a pencil or pistol (you can see Han holding it this way in my report) so you could do the small lifts required to hook the Zander. It is one of the few times that I have switched the reel handle to the left side of the reel.

Good luck with it and I'm interested to hear of your ongoing results.

Derek

Edited December 28, 2021 by DerekD

[blaxland]

Interesting I will give this a go I suppose you tie the hooks with a Palomar Knot ?

 

[Little_Flatty]

1 hour ago, blaxland said:

Interesting I will give this a go I suppose you tie the hooks with a Palomar Knot ?

 

You can use a Palomar knot or try the 'dropshot knot' which I have been trialling:

It's quite similar to tying a dropper loop, but you start with the hook on the main line and don't form a loop in the end. I find this easier to tie on hooks with small eyes.

Hope this helps.

I haven't had much more success today; it turns out that dropshot rigs aren't snag-proof! I think I exacerbate the problem by not fishing them vertical. I might experiment with using EWG hooks rigged weedless - I've seen this done too (I think it is a 'flipping' rig of sorts that they use in the USA). That might give me a bit more snag-proofing which I've become used to over the years.

[Little_Flatty]

5 hours ago, DerekD said:

Hi mate,

My first (and last) experience drop shotting was chasing Zander in the river at Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

I did this report on it.

One of the slight differences with what you have been doing is that we used a hook specifically designed to sit off the line at 90°. Specifically these ones:

One of the other changes to the fishing technique was that the rod was held like a pencil or pistol (you can see Han holding it this way in my report) so you could do the small lifts required to hook the Zander. It is one of the few times that I have switched the reel handle to the left side of the reel.

Good luck with it and I'm interested to hear of your ongoing results.

Derek

Thanks @DerekD, what an interesting story! Often, the best cultural experiences you can have are when you find someone who shares a common interest with you and the exchange of experiences that often ensues.

I find whenever I am overseas, it is always interesting to find fishing tackle shops and/or serious anglers and talk to them in whatever way you can. Borrowing techniques from other countries and applying them at home can only make you a better angler. I for one am an avid user of Texas rigs and all of us have benefitted at some time from techniques/equipment from Japan, be it eging (squidding) or some finesse presentation technique for bream.

I had a long phase of being interested in Coarse fishing techniques. As an early high-schooler I had a book 'Coarse Fishing Year' following Dave Coster, a tournament angler on the UK coarse fishing scene. My local tackle shop at the time had good stock of wagglers and stick floats as well, and gave me ample encouragement to harrass the carp in the Parramatta river. I have a real feeling that we have it so easy with carp here, compared to what they have in the UK. If I can get back over there one day, I'd love to give it a real go.

ISO fishing is gaining momentum here too. Unfortunately I just don't have the time and money to take up another method, but I'll never say never!

[big Neil]

An interesting concept LF, thanks for the introductory post and follow up. I hope you do some more follow up work with this process as it seems to have merit. Cheers. bn

[Little_Flatty]

1 hour ago, big Neil said:

An interesting concept LF, thanks for the introductory post and follow up. I hope you do some more follow up work with this process as it seems to have merit. Cheers. bn

Thanks Neil. I do wonder if the method could work on Cod, when upscaled to suit their tastes. It could be handy to keep the lure working adjacent to a snag, perhaps stimulating a reaction bite.

Had another go this morning. Tides were good, I know the spot well, and ordinarily I would find fish under these conditions. But this morning I couldn't even catch a snag! (and yes, I was reaching the bottom). I did have a couple of hits however. Time will tell if the issue was technique, the dropshot method itself or just plain bad luck. The lure certainly looked good in the water, so right now I'm thinking the latter.

[big Neil]

4 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Thanks Neil. I do wonder if the method could work on Cod, when upscaled to suit their tastes. It could be handy to keep the lure working adjacent to a snag, perhaps stimulating a reaction bite.

Had another go this morning. Tides were good, I know the spot well, and ordinarily I would find fish under these conditions. But this morning I couldn't even catch a snag! (and yes, I was reaching the bottom). I did have a couple of hits however. Time will tell if the issue was technique, the dropshot method itself or just plain bad luck. The lure certainly looked good in the water, so right now I'm thinking the latter.

I think the technique has merit. Exactly what I was thinking with regard to Australian Native species. A floating or sinking lure held in the face of a Cod in its snag would almost certainly create a reaction. Food for thought, mmmmm.  bn

[Little_Flatty]

So an update on this one. I’ve had very limited success with dropshot, but then I’ve had limited success with all my usual techniques lately. I’m convinced this should work, as the lures look great in the water, but I haven’t nailed any fish to prove it.