This is part two of my series on drop shot fishing. In the first installment we learned how to tie the rig, how to fish the rig, what equipment to use, and a bit about baits. In this article, I will attempt to answer the questions guys sent me about the rig.

1. We have pretty much seen drop shot fishing described as a deep, clear water presentation. Can it be successful in stained water? What about shallow water?
There is no doubt as to the effectiveness of this method when coupled with some serious sonar work in deep water. I attempted several years ago to take this technique in a new direction and use it in my local shallow tanin stained waters. I see no difference in success from clear to stained water. I’ve done well in both. Because of my geographic location, I was virtually forced to use this rig in shallow water. Lets realize that when I say shallow, I’m talking about water 15 feet and under. That is a drop in the bucket to the 75 to 100 foot levels that this rig is commonly used in. I feel that I’ve unlocked several doorways with it as I now employ it in areas where I may have fished a different rig in seasons past. I’ll be the first to tell you that this is a simple, yet highly versatile rig. I was keen on using a splitshot rig and Mojo rig for what seemed like eons. The past few seasons have had me using the D/S in places that those rigs would normally have seen action. I’ve taken bass on this rig in about 6 inches of water. So I answer yes to the question.

2. Can the Drop Shot rig be effective in cold water? What season is best for it?
I’ve used this rig in every season. I’ve also caught fish on it in every season. The D/S rig is great when fish are moving off into the deeper areas of my 1 to 15 foot approach. I like it best in the Fall and Winter. I prefer other baits in the early season as I tend to target large fish then. To me, this is a method to get a limit. I fished the D/S religiously this season from September thru December. I did very well with it.

3. Why would I opt for a Drop Shot rig in shallow water when I could used a weighted soft plastic or a Texas rig?
I have fished this rig in places that may dictate other methods. It is extremely versatile. I’ve all but eliminated several methods that I used to rely heavily on in the past. It certainly is not the “Supreme Fishing Method”, but it can be used in more areas than you read about in magazines. I’m a huge fan of split shot and Mojo rigs. With the drop shot rig, I can accomplish the same things that I did with those methods with a few advantages. A - I have a better hook up ratio. B - I pick up fewer weeds. C - I can kill the bait and have it hover in place. This can be deadly. Try doing that with a Texas rig. I can match the leader length to be a few inches above the bottom growth. This will keep it at a level that fish can see it. That is a huge advantage that we haven’t even begun to realize.

4. Do you fish it vertically or can you cast and wind it in?
Traditionally, this was a vertical presentation. The magazine articles you read for the next few years will illustrate this. Sooner or later someone will write a "how to D/S in shallow water on a horizontal plane". For me, I fish it horizontal. It makes sense in shallow water. Why fish vertical in 5 feet of water? I’m not a ninja so chances are the fish would see and hear me.

5. How did you start fishing the Drop Shot rig?
I started deep like most other guys. I targeted water in Mahopac that was 25 to 30 feet deep. I experienced some success and found a few ledges that came up to 10 and 15 feet. I marked the locations and scaled down to a smaller weight. The wind blew me off of the areas and made me drag the bait more than fish it vertically. I quickly found out that smallmouth bass liked this so it kind of stuck. I imagined that it would be very successful on my shallow home waters and when I started fiddling with it, look out. I’ve been adamant about learning more about this method ever since. I won two tournaments fishing the D/S last season. It has certainly paid off for me in the long run.

6. Would you say that this rig is just a copy of the traditional high-low salt water rigging?
It absolutely is with a twist or two thrown in. Traditional SW rigging utilizes a dropper loop most of the time. I’ve never seen a hook tied direct to the main line and a weight below. Even fluke and flounder rigs utilize a loop or snell set up. For years when I was a kid, we’d chuck plugs to stripes in LI sound using a straight shank worm hook 10 or 12 inches above the plug. To this we put on a Kalin’s grub and it took a good number of bass for us.

7. What do fish tell you that makes you choose this rig?
I throw it at certain times of the year a lot more than at others. I won’t tell you that I’ve been out on the water doing bad when a switch to the D/S saved me. That may have occurred once, but on the whole, I just know when to throw it. I use it seasonally. It performs well in cool water. That is where I rely on it most. I am a Pisces, the fish tell me lots of things, but not when to use a D/S rig.

8. Can you fish the Drop Shot rig fast?
You could, but by doing so you will lessen the effectiveness of your presentation. Why not opt for a different method if you think the bass want a faster presentation? Go with a Spinnerbait or Crankbait. There are times when other methods will be more successful. A good angler knows when to recognize these times and abandon old patterns.

9. How do you choose what bait to use? Do you always use small baits?
I think of this method as a pure finesse method. For me, smaller is better here. If I want bigger, I’ll flip a jig or creature bait. I choose my baits based on available forage species. This is a match the hatch method for me. As a general rule, I use baits 4 inches and smaller for D/S fishing. Usually, I opt for a 3 inch bait. This is a good size bait for all size fish to eat. Listen, I’ll be the first to tell you that I truly feel that some day soon a B.A.S.S. tournament will be won by some guy throwing an 8 inch Yamamoto grub in 6 feet of water with a 1 ounce sinker. It is going to happen and we’ll have another craze. I will still continue to fish the rig the way I do because it is so effective. To me, I liken it to Slider fishing. It is a great way to catch a bunch of fish.

10. How do you modify the rig? Do you have any secret rigging methods?
You all know I love to experiment with things. This rig is no exception. I’ve done a bit of toying with a small balsa shad fly tied about 8 inches above the hook for a double powered approach. This has been a fun way to fish. Smallies love it. I don’t recommend it for tournament fishing as I think it may weaken the line below the fly. For fun, it is a blast. Try using a light weedless jig as the weight. Bounce it like a normal presentation and you will surely take some fish on it that way.

11. What rod angle or position do you hold the rod?
I keep the rod in front of me, not to the side. I also sit down when I fish this rig. If 90 degrees is straight out from my body and parallel to the water, I hold the rod at about 120 degrees. This allows me to ever so slightly bounce the tip and still remain in the optimum hook setting position at all times. I come straight up with the set. It is a Slider type set. Steady pressure on the fish by reeling in while at the same time lifting the rod or sweeping it up. Nothing violent, nothing that will launch my partner out of the boat…..like my usual hook set.

12. Do you Texas rig your baits on the Drop Shot rig?
Never! I’m using light line. This combined with the fact that I not only have to penetrate the bass, but now the plastic would require far toos much pressure on the line to successful hook up. I would likely break my line when attempting to set. With a nose hooked bait, a simple sweep will get them stuck every time. No extraordinary swing to cross a fish’s eyes. If any of you have seen the Brewer's video where he demonstrates the sweep vs. the quick set, you will understand my logic. Why over test your line on the set? It is surely going to break if you put too much pressure on it. A steady sweep will not damage your line or knot and gives you the best chance to hook up solidly.

13. Do you recommend this set up for shallow Winter fishing?
This really depends. I would not target an area if I thought the vast majority of fish have moved out. In a mild Winter, it is possible to have a decent population of bass remain shallow for a period of time to have a consistent bite. In most Winters, almost 99% of the fish will back out to deeper water. This would severely decrease your odds if you chose to stay shallow and fish for the remaining population. Now, on LI, when I mention that fish are moving out, don’t be fooled into thinking that they are traveling large distances to escape the cold. In reality, many lakes average 6 to 8 feet here so where the hell do they go? Can they be that much more comfortable in 6 feet of water than in 1 or 2 feet? The answer has nothing to do with drop shot fishing, but more of knowledge of your waters. There are some lakes that have springs that may bring warmer water in year round. Others may have creeks or inflows. The fish would definitely gravitate to those types of places.

14. Would this be an effective rig to throw in a bed?
I’m not much for targeting bass beds. I am confident that I can catch fish elsewhere as opposed to bothering these fish when they spawn. To answer the question, I think it would be a good way to hover a bait on a bed and drive a bass crazy. Again, I stress the importance of letting these creatures do their thing to repopulate our waters.

15. Does Stick Man catch bass with a Drop Shot rig?
No, Stickman prefers to hunt sticks with topwater lures and senkos.

16. Do you see the technique evolving any further?
Of course, it can only get better. Soon enough someone will write an article on the national level describing what I wrote about and gave a presentation about at NYB University. I’m not a pioneer, guys are surely fishing the rig the way I am. The magazines are about 14 to 18 months behind what is really going on so figure that you will read about updates sooner or later. The modification I spoke about involving the shad fly will also make an appearance. I look forward to seeing what guys come up with once this method gains some attention.

17. I remember you talking about a minnow bait that one of your friends made for drop shot fishing. Can you tell me about it?
That little bait was called the Drop Shot Minnow and was made by my friend Tom Kail of Northern Hand Poured. It is a deadly little 3” minnow that perfectly imitates a sculpin or darter. Tom is a master at coloring his baits and makes these look very realistic. I’m not so sure that they are available because Tom told me he was getting away from the business. If you contact him, he may be able to get some baits for you. If I can get the mold from him, I’ll pour them. I am that impressed with his design.

18. Thanks you for opening up my eyes to something that I most likely would not have tried. Do you think that you can catch big fish on this method? Or is it primarily for limits?
I’m sure that you can catch big fish on the D/S rig. For me, it is a limit finder, a seeker rig if you will. My biggest fish on it came in a tournament. It was 15 inches long, but weighed over 3lbs. You’ve heard the term football bass, this was a medicine ball. Like I said, I opt to go for a limit with this method. I’m more confident at catching big bass other ways.

19. What is your feeling about circle hooks for Drop Shotting?
I’ve never liked circle hooks. It is just my feeling that I do better with other hooks. I prefer the Octopus style or the split shot hook by Gammie and Hookerz Tackle. I did some work with Owner America years back and I wasn’t a big fan of their Mutu Lite series when they introduced it. I stick with the Gamakatsu split shot hook and the Daiichi Bleeding Bait hook. The Daiichi is close to being a circle hook, but it isn’t a true circle. You really do not need it for nose hooking as I encounter very few snags anyway. Remember, you are setting your leader above the weed growth so you should not really run into snags. I just like a small hook that stays out of the way until I need to hook a fish with it.

20. Do you have any new baits in the works for Drop Shotting?
Funny you would ask. Yes, I’ve been toying with a fat head/skinny tail bait that looks like a tadpole on steroids. I call it “Cousin It”. I’m going to spend the season testing it and will likely release it next year if it lives up to my expectations. I’m also working with some molds that feature 3-D eyes that I will be custom painting to give realistic effects. I already have a double sided mold for the 3” Salty Stinker SD’s in the works. The proto’s have been excellent. I’ll never again have to pay for Senko’s. These should prove to be very cool indeed.