Drop shotting - Split shotting?

[arkansasbasser]

I have never fished a drop shot or split shot rig. Can anyone tell me what these are and how to rig? I've only rigged Carolina and Texas.

[Hunt'nFish]

Lots of info on drop shotting here....just do a search.
Split shotting....well i think that has been talked about a lot less and I think peoples definition and use differs greatly.

Some people refer to split shotting as a modified carolina style where the a split shot it attached up the mainline ~12" or so. In fact when I use the term carolina rigged, I actually mean split shot w/ a oval slip sinker. The split shot keeps the small slip sinker for sliding down the line and keep it spaced away from the bait. This gives the weight but yet the fish only feels the split shot on the bite since the line slips throught the slip shot.
I probably should refer to this as "Slip-Shotting" as opposed to carolina rigging.

Others refer to split shotting as a modified texas rig where a single small is attached to the maineline at the head of the worm & hook. This results in a rig similar to a "shakey jig", although you don't get the weight balance & up turned hook configuration like with a shakey. But it's similar.

I've also see folks attach a split shot to the shank of a std EWG worm hook when using paddle tail swim baits and/or jerk baits to get the bait to balance and swim right side up.
Their are actually versions with the weight cast right on the hook.
Like this:

I'm sure other have differant interpetations of what split-shotting is.
But I hope this helps,
Hunt'nFish

[raptorschild]

Originally Posted by arkansasbasser

I have never fished a drop shot or split shot rig. Can anyone tell me what these are and how to rig? I've only rigged Carolina and Texas.

The best way is to just do a google search. there will be pictures and all the detail you need.

Good luck.

[sbasser]

True Splitshotting is simply a splitshot crimped onto the line some distance above the hook, usually 10" to 24". I've done it a ton, because it's quick and simple to rig and re-rig, and is amazingly snag resistant. "Keeping your line wet" is a major deal! This helps...one knot, crimp, cast!

Unlike C'rig or T'rig, you can't forget to put the weight on before you retie. The weights are cheaper, if anything. I've splitshot 3" Reapers on 8 lb test, and I've splitshot 10" Powerworms on 14 lb test and a heavy baitcaster. Same deal. I usually use either a #3 or a #1 splitshot. Get the round or football shapes, not the removeable ones. Don't put on two, it will hang up a lot more. If it's too deep or too windy for one 'shot, change to a different rig or whole different bait (respectively...like a Rattletrap or Spinnerbait).

Some object to crimping anything onto their line, no matter what sort of line it is. Not something to do without some experimenting, but when I started splitshotting, I also was starting to experiment with a new line (Pradco's "Excalibur"), a copolymer, that was claimed to be extremely supple, yet very tough. I crimped the splitshot lightly with pliers. Dang, it sometimes moved. I crimped the splitshot harder...put a good flat on both sides of the splitshot. Still no problem with the line. I didn't retie very often, and I didn't crimp on a new splitshot. I grabbed the splitshot and zzzzip, up the line it went, then I retied. Still no problem with line breakage. Wow....

Now, before I started splitshotting, I did a lot of true "Light C'rigging", using 8 lb test Excalibur, McCoy's, or Stren for the main line. It seemed that I usually won a small spool of Berkley XL 8 lb in a raffle or tackle pack, and I used that for leaders, which I tie up at home, while watching TV. Swivel, leader, hook, all tied, and put on a large sized leader spool (black with green end caps, from BPS or Cabela's). Guess which broke everytime? Yup, the leader, which didn't have the abrasion from the sinker, glass bead, and brass ticker. It told me a lot about Berkley XL. No, I've never tried to splitshot with it, and never will.

My favorite Splitshotting and/or Light C'rigging bait is a 5" Zoom lizard in Green Pumpkin, Mossy Pumpkin, or Watermellon, and I don't much care which. They're cheap, they'll go through almost anything, they are easy to rig without problems of rolling, and the fish like 'em. A lot!

One of the coolest things about Splitshotting I found, is that you can cast it up on a lawn or onto wild prairie grass, and not have a problem. I'll do that on purpose...then, point the rod straight at the bait. Reel ssslowly, and it will drag along and fall right into the water without jumping 4' offshore. This is perfect for those shorelines with grass overhanging the water...a perfect shady spot for bass (or carp ) to hide on a sunny day. The lizard won't sink into the grass, and neither will the splitshot, being supported from both directions...perfect! C&R, Steve

[arkansasbasser]

Thanks Steve. I went out yesterday on the CR above Camas for a couple of hours and caught 6 smallies in a couple of hours. My first smallies. Boy they sure fight! I was using rattletraps but caught my biggest one slow-rolling a white spinnerbait down the riprap. You gave me some very good info on spitshotting. I am going back today and will give it a try. Bill

[1bigfish]

Originally Posted by arkansasbasser

Thanks Steve. I went out yesterday on the CR above Camas for a couple of hours and caught 6 smallies in a couple of hours. My first smallies. Boy they sure fight! I was using rattletraps but caught my biggest one slow-rolling a white spinnerbait down the riprap. You gave me some very good info on spitshotting. I am going back today and will give it a try. Bill

Welcome to the world of smallies.
Congrats on your first of many.

[arkansasbasser]

Thanks HuntNFish for taking the time to explain spit shotting to me. I used that rig today but seems the smallies were'nt in the biting mood like yesterday. I only caught one with 4 hours of hard fishing the rip rap. Threw everything at them too.

[IslandBass]

Here is a little something I composed, based on what I learned on my own last season. I have developed a passion for the Drop Shot technique. I am not an expert and heck, this is my fifth season of fishing. At the very least, I can share with you what I have learned about it.

Islandbass’ Take on the Drop Shot

I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have grown fond of the Drop Shot technique in my short, four-season fishing journey. I have been using it for just over a season’s time. This is a very productive method to catch fish in a variety of states. In my first outing for smallies this season, I hooked and caught 3 smallies on three consecutive casts. It is the only method that has done this for me to date, and from the shore to boot. At the very least, I can share with you what I have learned through trial, error, and experience (which isn't much).

Basic Drop Shot Diagram

Here is a generic set up.




Rod and Reel Type

You don't need a Drop Shot specific rod. A medium-light to medium-action rod from 6'6" on up to 7' should work for you for now. If you find drop shotting to your liking, you can then opt to go with a Drop Shot specific rod of your choice. As a rule of thumb, a longer rod will enable you to have more line control and leverage; two big pluses in drop shotting.

I prefer spinning reels (a size 20 or 2500 reel is an excellent choice) because they require less work to give the bait a better (IMHO) descent than a baitcast reel. Sorry baitcast reel users, but the way a spinning drops the bait (for ¼ oz weights and less) smokes a baitcast reel any and every day for drop shotting. To those who use baitcast reels exclusively, please note I said for drop shotting in its basic, finesse (lighter lines, weights, and smaller baits). There will not be a need to strip line off just to make the bait fall.

With that said, casting reels can also be used. I just prefer a spinning reel. You may use whatever reel you want. Even a Barbie pole can get it done for drop shotting! However, I would not hesitate to use heavier line, weights, larger baits and a baitcast reel if I were to drop shot heavy cover. Something I call Alpha Shotting!


Drop Shot Weight and Type

A 3/16 - 1/4 oz weight is a good starting weight. Going any lighter might make it harder for you to read what is going on until you get experience. As for the shape, I like to use either the teardrop or cylindrical shape. I have not experimented with other shapes. Windier conditions and stronger currents might make you want to choose a heavier weight, but let’s not worry about that for now.

Line

Because you are drop shotting, lighter line is preferred if the cover you are fishing allows it. Go up in # strength if the cover dictates this. I like and use 6# fluorocarbon, particularly Seaguar's Invizx. This line kicks fanny. No doubt about it. The plus in going with fluorocarbon in a higher # test if needed is despite having a slightly thicker line diameter; the angler retains the benefit of fluorocarbon’s trait of near invisibility as advertisers so claim. Whichever line you choose, I think the fluorocarbon line of your choice will be fine.

I know that some also prefer to use braid. I know the benefits of braid and am not against it and maybe someday I’ll use it with a fluorocarbon leader. Given the amount of sensitivity my rod and line provide me, I just don’t have a need to take it up a notch to braid for the typical depths I fish, which is usually no more than 20’. If you plan to fish greater depths, braid may very well be the ticket. The enhanced sensitivity braid provides can be a plus.

Baits

Keep an open mind here. Many baits of a variety of shapes can be used. The general rule of thumb is a tendency to use smaller baits since we are "finesse" fishing (translates to downsizing in general). The typical length of a drop shot bait usually ranges from 3" - 4.5" but this is NOT set in stone. Roboworms, Senkos, Sniper Snubs and Bolts (the latter two are locally made baits), Reaction Innovations Flirts, and heck, even Baby Brush Hogs and Tubes can be used. Think out of the box. I have used longer worms too. This season, the 4.5” Roboworm (in Aaron’s Magic) and Sniper Snubs in Watermelon and Dark Brown have been so effective that to date I have not seen a need to try something else or other colors. It might be different for bass in other waters. If you wish to know, so far the most effective baits for me have been, the snubs and roboworms.

Here is a picture of a smallie I caught on a longer Roboworm hoping for a bigger smallie. The darn Roboworm is nearly as long as the smallie!




Hooks/Knot

I prefer to use size 1 or 2 (mostly size 2) Owner Mosquito or Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot hooks. If I am fishing a grassy area in which grass can catch the exposed hook, I opt for the Owner Down Shot hook, which is in essence a mini version of an EWG (extra wide gap) worm hook. Naturally, if you plan to drop shot much larger baits, you might need to go up in hook size.

I attach the hook to the line with a Palomar knot and after it is tied, I insert the extra line (tag end) through the hook's eye before attaching the weight.


Leader (Tag end) Length (Distance from the hook to the weight)
The best way to figure this out is to experiment. I have had success with leaders (tag ends) being as short as 4-6" to nearly but not quite 24”. Because drop shotting is not limited to a purely vertical presentation, a longer leader is a good idea if you wish to work it somewhat like a Texas or Carolina rig. The longer leader length or tag end (which I define here as the distance between the weight and your hook, perhaps 18" as a ballpark figure) will enable you to keep the bait off the ground with the shallow angle that will result from a long cast. For a more vertical presentation, a shorter distance from the hook to the bait can work. Another influencing factor is the depth at which the fish are staying. You might need to adjust your tag end accordingly.

Imparting Life to the Lure

Despite the initial perception of working this lure, it is not all about jiggling and wiggling the bait to death. An angler can indeed work the bait this way, but I can tell you from personal experience, that wiggling and jiggling the bait to death (continuously) has accounted for the fewest number of catches. By no means am I saying to not wiggle and jiggle it to death. That is only one method.

So what should one do in addition to the wiggling/jiggling tactic?

Keep the weight on the bottom for the most part and leave enough slack to let the bait sink on its own weight. Then, when you think the bait is near the bottom lift/twitch the rod just enough to move the bait a little (without moving or minimizing the movement of the weight on the bottom) and repeat. In effect, what you are doing is working a semi-slack line and this is what is imparting action to the bait. No hits? Repeat if you wish, or add a little dead sticking to the mix or, drag your bait to the next spot. All are good choices. The dragging of the weight from one spot to the next also imparts life and action to the lure and can help to draw a strike. In addition, working with the slack and dead sticking have been far more effective for me compared to wiggling and jiggling the bait to death.

Not sure what the bait will do? Find some shallow water and drop your bait down. The depth should be one where you can see all the way to the bottom. Once the weight is on the bottom, let your bait fall by lowering your rod. Before the lure hits the bottom, raise the rod’s tip enough to bring the lure up, and do your best to keep the weight in place. Watching this will give you an idea of what will likely be happening when you are not able to see the bait with your own eyes. Visualizing what the bait is doing when I can’t see it helps me to focus on what I am trying to do, and that is catching fish.

Concerned about not being able to feel the bite on this semi-slack line if you are using fluorocarbon or braid? Let me put you at ease. It is not an issue. Either of those lines combined with a sensitive rod is more than adequate to feel the bite when the line has a bit of slack.


The Strike or Hit

The strike or hit can vary depending on the activity level of the fish, the quality of your set up to a certain extent, and the line you are using. More sensitive rods do a better job of transmitting what is going on to you. I have had the blessing of drop shotting with my Berkley Cherrywood Rod, which is decent and not too shabby, but comparing it to my Lamiglas Certified Pro Drop Shot rod is something else. Here is my analogy:

If the Cherrywood rod provides stereo sound to me while watching a DVD movie, the Lamiglas rod gives me the sound in THX, for the full cinema experience. The latter rod is not necessary to enjoy drop shotting, but it makes it a lot easier to feel and detect the subtle strikes.

The line you use can also influence the feel of the strike. My experience working with both mono and fluorocarbon is that the latter always seemed to give me a better picture. We all know now that although FC line can have as much or more stretch than a comparable monofilament line, it is likely that its density still enables it to beautifully transmit information from the end of our line, to the rod and to our hands. We all know how well braid transmits data back to the angler too so I don’t think I need to elaborate further.

The hit or strike can feel like:
1) A mushy tug or tick, which could translate to a complete inhalation of your bait or the fish attacking the lure from the hook's side.
2) A nibble or nibbling, that transmits vibrations through the line to you. Sometimes you can see or feel the line vibrate through your semi-slack line. More sensitive rods tell you this much better and more clearly. I believe when the hit is like this (my best guess anyway as I visualize the strike), it is possible that the fish might have taken the lure from the side opposite the hook and the nibbling/vibrations you feel is the fish taking in the bait into its mouth, eventually getting to the hook.
3) Bam! An aggressive hit and it's on!

The Hook Set

For one and three, just reeling up the slack and adding enough tension to make the line taut is sufficient for most cases to drive the light wire hook home. For case two, you have to wait until the fish gets to the hook and then do as mentioned above. If you don't, you will pull the lure from the fish's mouth. Since it didn't get to the hook, there is no way the fish can get hooked.

I have written this based on the experience I gained from drop shotting. Take it for what it’s worth, an opinion at best. I will close by giving you a final warning:

WARNING: Drop Shotting is as addictive as it is effective.

Good luck and go get’em!

-ib
(Alexander Arceo)

Review of the 2007 Season

The Drop Shot technique has been so effective for me even though it is my first season learning and using it. It has accounted for 100% of the smallmouth bass and about 70% of the largemouth bass I have caught this season, and I caught a lot, the most ever!!! And here is the thing that makes this even sweeter. They were all caught from the shore. No, this is not a testament to my skills, but a testament to the effectiveness of the Drop Shot technique.

[myxxolydyan]

IslandBass,

I'm not sure if I've ever read a more comprehensive, fish whacking take on anything regarding bass fishing.

I'll be drop shotting this year.

[1bigfish]

Very well written IslandBass.

[sbasser]

I'll add my kudos to IslandBass for his article! Well done!

I will add, however, my affection for circle hooks, which will work wonderfully for Drop Shotting (as it does for splitshotting and Senko-types). That second type of bite becomes easier to deal with, because no yank is needed. Wait for the fish to load up on the bait, reel until you have the rod somewhat bent, and lean into the fish...done deal. Shockingly snag resistant, and the best part is that the hook point doesn't get hammered over like any other kind of worm hook does, on our rocky bottomed waters.

So far, I've used the Gary Yamamoto "Splitshot hooks" in #4 (for up to 4" Senkos, nose or Whacky hooked). They come bigger now. The #1 or 1/0 Gamakatsu circle hook will work fine for 5" Senkos and probably at least 6" worms and lizards of any sort, maybe 8". They are "kirbed" (twisted), which I don't think is a good idea for a circle hook, but they will definitely get a high percentage of hookups, if you do the correct hookset (per above). Hard yanks will get you zero fish, so you must be thinking. I have "un-kirbed" some Gama. circle hooks, and will be trying them this season. C&R, Steve

[fish0n]

What do you all think about using Lindy No-Snagg Sinkers with drop shotting (from the bank) if your fishing in an area where your likely to get hung up on rocks? Also, do the No-Snagg Sinkers actually help prevent hand-ups (on rocks) or dose just make it easier to get unsnagged? And is there a better way of avoiding getting hung-up while fishing said technique and bottom?

[Herm]

this is the most confusing knot diagram I have ever seen....any others to look at?

[MXRacer105]

Originally Posted by Herm

this is the most confusing knot diagram I have ever seen....any others to look at?

http://www.animatedknots.com/indexfishing.php

This is a great knot tying website.... just click on the Palomar knot....

Great write up by the way IslandBass

[IslandBass]

I just want to thank all of you for your kind words. Now if only I can catch my first jig-n-pig bass!

Herm,

Yeah, it is a confusing pic. I found the image online somewhere. The animated knot site that MRX linked is one of the best places to learn the Palomar knot and many other knots.

Fishon,

I imagine that those sinkers would work, but I think that they would be more expensive in the end.

Sbasser,

Thanks for the Split Shotting article. I am definitely going to give it a try and maybe the circle hooks too.

[sbasser]

Try a small jig like the Bitsy Bug, matched up to a small plastic crawdad. Not many Smallies have the size to tackle a big LM jig with a big trailer. Learning how the bite feels and hookset timing works will take some repeat customers.

With the small baits, I like spinning tackle. I hook the line over my index finger, so I feel the bite there first. It makes cheap rods work just fine, even with monofil. This then requires moving the bait with the rod, not the reel. It works excellently! C&R, Steve