Finesse part 1- The Dropshot
by Steve Reed
This season on the FLW Tour fishing as a co-angler I realized just how effective finesse fishing can be across the country. One of the main techniques I used was the dropshot. Everyone knows how to throw the dropshot and there are far too many articles explaining the technique, so I won’t bore you with another A-Z basics writeup. Instead, let’s focus on the equipment used from bottom to top.
The drop shot weight- Tungsten weights are great in certain situation. Pitching or flipping a dropshot is best done with a tungsten weight. The more finesse the entry into the water is the more likely you are to catch a bass. Most other applications of the dropshot can be fished with a regular lead weight. In my opinion the Team Davies dropshot weights are among the best; they have two styles of weights to best suit your fishing needs. The slimmer profile for fishing near grass, wood, or rocks and the regular tear drop for shallow or open water. One tip for putting your weight on the line is to tie a small knot on then pin the weight down on the line right next to that knot.
Hook- After using the Gamakatsu dropshot hook for years and losing fish or bending hooks out I realized it was time for a switch. For spotted bass or smallmouth I now use the Owner Mosquito hook in size 2. This hook gives you a much better hookup ratio and I have never bent one out. For largemouth or heavy cover I now use the Roboworm Rebarb hook exclusively. The 2/0 medium wire hook is perfect for heavy cover it absolutely never bends out it is absolutely necessary for largemouth.
Line- a lot people will gasp when they hear this, but I use 4 or 5 lb test fluorocarbon 75% of the time. I think many people would be surprised at how advanced some of the line has become, it is much stronger then you would believe. My favorite dropshot line is Sunline Sniper in 5lb test; the line is extremely strong and easy to cast. The 4lb test line I use is Berkeley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon or Seaguar Tatsu fishing line.
One thing I’ve found to be very effective is using braid to fluorocarbon. This technique has many advantages and very few disadvantages.
Advantages:
• More sensitive than straight fluorocarbon
• Less expensive using just 8 foot incriments of leader line.
• No line twist
• Better castability
• Not vulnerable to nicks that breaks fluorocarbon in reel
Disadvantages:
• Retying can be time consuming
• Bad knots lead to breaks and lost fish
The only problem I have had with braid to fluorocarbon is a lost fish during the Forrest Wood Cup. That one incident definitely leaves me with sour taste but after hundreds of bass caught all season with the same setup I have to live with a one in over a hundred shot of breaking a fish. The main key to this entire setup is to reel into the fish and let it set itself, DO NOT SET THE HOOK. You will absolutely break the knot if you set the hook so be careful.
Rod- I use the two different spinning rods depending on the situation. One of the rods is a custom 7 foot and is between a one and two power. It is really wimpy, but is absolutely amazing for using the braid to fluorocarbon leader. The other rod I use is a Dobyns’ DX 702sf. The rod is 7′ long and ultra sensitive used specifically for dropshotting grass or brush. This rod is listed as a two power, but is much stronger than you would expect. You can absolutely fish this rod in heavy cover and be confident you will pull the big ones out. Obviously, there are times when I will switch to a casting rod, but that’s not under my finesse label of dropshotting.
Reel- I was never a huge stickler on the reel I used for dropshotting until I fished lakes with big spotted bass. Spots, as most of you know, will tear you up if you are not properly equipped. That said, I really like the shimano series of reels from the most basic to the top of the line they are all around great spinning reels. The new Stradic is about the best value per dollar spent that’s currently on the market.
That’s my take on dropshotting and what I’ve both seen and experienced. Look for more finesse articles coming soon.
