drop shot rig

Adam · 07-07-2003, 08:27 PM

ok.. i have looked all over the internet for how to rig up the "drop shot rig". whenever I am done tying the hook about 18" or so up, the hook seems to always be sideways. Or sometimes it ends up being straight with the hook point down... i use the Palomar knot and wrap the tag end through the hook eye. anyone have an idea about what i am doing wrong? is there another way better to tie the hook on? Or does the hook have to be perfectly straight?

Newbie McNewberson · 07-07-2003, 10:39 PM

You can loop the line back through the hook eye, but that is just very complicated and can be messy. The best thing to do is to experiment. Pay attention to the facing of the hook, and which way you wrap your knot, etc. After a while, you will get a perfect palomar. And yes, it does have to stick out and up. Otherwise, you end up with a bait that just hangs down or gets twisted around the line. The bait must be in a position to move in the strike zone like an actual living bait. Keep trying. It took me 50 yds of 6 lb line and three long nights after work to get it right. Also, try using fluorocarbon. Its rigid, and is low-vis, perfect for drop shot/split shot.

Adam · 07-08-2003, 12:56 AM

alright... i'll have to keep practicing [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] I need to really pay attention to what i did the previous 100 times [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img] Thanks!

BuKuBass · 07-08-2003, 01:00 PM

Read the articles found here and here .

Bring the line into the eye from the point side, do a 180 and go back out again. After tightening the knot, bring the tag end back thru the eye again from the point side. With the weight at the end of the line (I usually place the hook no more than 8-10 inches above the weight) the hook should stick out sideways from the jline with the barb up (altho I don't think it makes a difference). Use circle hooks and a sweep set; much better hook-up ratio w/ fewer gut-hooked bass.

Newbie McNewberson · 07-09-2003, 10:51 AM

Buku, could've used your help before I did all that "practice." Geez, save me alot of money on line, too. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Adam · 07-09-2003, 04:49 PM

i attempted drop shotting at hagg lake today and it was a disaster. I need to practice my knots before going out fishing!! [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img] anyway i picked up about 10 largemouths fishing a smoke colored 4" senko carolina rigged. I was catching these fish in 15-30 feet of water which was about 30 yards or so off the bank. It was nice to catch some bass on something other then plugs. The largest one of the day was about 15". I was fishing the mud flats around the lake. Do the smallmouths and largemouths seem to be in completely different places? I was suprised that a smallmouth didnt pick up my senko after all of that casting :grin: Does the fishing seem to be any better in the evenings then in the morning?

bucketmouth · 07-09-2003, 09:09 PM

Adam, Hagg Lake can be finicky. Espeically where the Smallmouth are concerned. They are much more suseptable to weather pattern changes than Largemouth are. Yesterday morning it was sprinkling and there was a low cloud cover until around 2:00 in the afternoon. Today it was sunshiney all day with no clouds. The barometer was probably moving radicaly acorss the scale and when that happens the Smallmouth will shut down. They need a couple days of the exact same kind of weather to get back to being in their normal feeding habits. Just keep chasing them at Hagg. You'll get them.

Adam · 07-17-2003, 01:21 PM

The smallmouths were on the bite today

I got out to the lake at about 6am and there were NO TRAILERS AT the ramp yet :whazzup: Anyway... it turned out to be the best bass fishing day I have EVER had (quality wise). I ended up with 5 largemouths in the 1lb range and 2 REALLY NICE SMALLIES

one of them was about 17" and 3lb which was the largest smallmouth I have caught. A few minutes later in the same spot I hooked into a BIGGER smallie that did not give up. I ended up fighting this fish for about 5 minutes or so because i was only using 6lb line. Anyway... it ended up being a 5.0 lb smallie which I weighed on my berkley digital scale (C&R) :grin: The hot lure of the day was a 4" senko black with purple flake carolina rigged. It was such a great day of fishing. I never seem to get more then 10 bass or so a day, but Hagg lake has some incredible bass in it

[ 07-17-2003, 08:55 PM: Message edited by: Adam ]

Perfect Drift · 07-17-2003, 06:44 PM

Is there a camp ground near Hagg Lake?

Adam · 07-17-2003, 07:55 PM

not that i know of...

big john · 07-17-2003, 08:31 PM

to assist my big and not-very-dextrous fingers in tying palomar and other knots, i gently clamp the hook in my bench vise with the point up (and above the clamp of the vise). i suppose one could also use a pair of "vise grips" to hold the hook in an "up" position while tying.

Dave Smith · 07-17-2003, 09:11 PM

nice job Adam!!!!!! sorry if this has already been mentioned, but it helps a ton to put a small barrel swivel about 7" above the hook- drop-shotting is a line twister otherwise, even if you use weights that have built in swivels. Also, it is better to err on the side of too heavy of a weight because if you want to have plenty of time to where the bait is twitching without the weight comin off the bottom. most people keep the weight moving all the time without even realizing it. Dave