Drop Shot for Bass

Drop Shot for Bass fishing rig allows your bait to suspend several inches over the lake bottom while being anchored by a weight. Used for many years by finesse anglers, this particular rig does an excellent job at enticing finicky fish. It is especially effective in difficult conditions and diverse scenarios.

A drop shot rig is essentially a line tied to a hook with a leader underneath, so the bait hovers off the bottom. This creates a very natural, realistic presentation. This rig is especially effective in clear or deep water. In these conditions, it might be tough to get a bite from otherwise wary fish.

As the angler drags the weight across the bottom, the nose-hooked worm dances a few inches above. This creates an outstanding presentation for spooky fish. Even with the slightest movement of the rod tip, the angler can incorporate a lot of movement into the soft-plastic worm and get bites.

Vertical fishing a Drop Shot for Bass

This is what most folks think of when they hear the word dropshot. Hovering your boat over suspended bass or bass sitting on a deep hump, you look for their characteristic marks on your forward and side-facing sonar screen. Possibly, you also see a cloud of baitfish displaying several feet above the bass. You drop your line straight down and can watch the weight descend on your sonar screen (adjust sensitivity settings until you can see the weight on your screen) until it reaches the depth of the bass on your graph. You can then deadstick the bait, twitch it, or slowly lift up and drop it. One of these presentations will eventually trigger these fish to bite.

Shallow Cover Drop Shot for bass

While on the complete opposite end of the spectrum of bass fishing than fishing vertically for suspending fish, the dropshot is also incredibly effective for fishing shallow cover. Whether that cover is wood pilings, docks, grass, rocks, or wood, the dropshot allows you to cast or pitch your bait into this cover. Then you can fish it in place without dragging it back to the boat or bank.

Dragging the dropshot

The dropshot can also be fished similar to a Carolina Rig. This approach can be deadly when covering points or ledges. The dropshot enables an efficient way to cover these structures with a finesse bait. It holds the bait at a set height off the bottom to present it to scattered, feeding bass.

Another situation in which the Drop Shot for Bass shines is when you’re fishing around a slimy or muck-covered bottom. A lot of times, the bottom composition can be really nasty. This can foul up other bottom-contact presentations, whether it’s a big lake or a small pond. For instance, a Texas rig or Carolina rig won’t come through the nasty stuff very well because the bait itself is dragging along the bottom.

When the fishing gets tough and the fish get a lot of pressure, a drop shot shines. It gives the fish a different look. You’re able to fish it in one foot of water to 100 feet of water. It truly is a do-all rig that will put fish in the boat whether you’re fishing from a boat or from the shoreline.