Technique guide

Drop Shotting

Keep a soft-plastic bait above a weight and work it slowly at a chosen depth.

General fishing guidance; TJ’s personal approach, gear and technique-specific photos will be added after his review.

What you’ll learn

Rigging hook, leader and weight
Choosing a bait
Setting bait height
Working the presentation
Feeling and responding to bites

Learn the Technique See the Gear

Two small soft-plastic baits rigged on light drop shot hooks

Where it fits

When drop shotting makes sense

When fish hold near bottom or a specific depth
When a slower, more precise presentation is useful
Around isolated rock, edges or open pockets where the rig can stay in place

No technique works every time, and catches are never guaranteed.

How to fish it

Step by step

Step 1
Tie on the hook
Tie a drop-shot hook to your leader, leaving a tag end long enough for the distance you want between bait and bottom. Pass the tag end back through the hook eye from the point side so the hook stands out.
Step 2
Add the weight
Clip or tie a drop-shot weight to the tag end. Start with a modest gap between hook and weight, then lengthen or shorten it based on where the fish are holding and how the bottom is covered.
Step 3
Rig the bait straight
Nose-hook a small plastic in open water, or use a suitable weedless hook near snaggy cover. Check that the bait hangs naturally without twisting.
Step 4
Find bottom and hold contact
Lower or cast the rig, let the weight touch bottom, then take up slack without dragging it away. A light line and controlled rod angle help you feel changes.
Step 5
Work it with restraint
Use small shakes, short lifts or pauses while the weight stays close to the target. Move the rig a little, pause again and vary the bait’s height if you get no response.
Step 6
Respond to a bite
Watch for slack, a tick or unexpected weight. Reel into the fish and lift firmly rather than making a violent hookset with light line. Check the hook point and leader after contact with rock or fish.

Common mistakes

Shaking so hard that the weight constantly leaves the target area.
Leaving too much slack to detect a subtle bite.
Using a hook or weight style that snags repeatedly in the cover being fished.

Practical adjustments

If the bait is fouling on weeds, shorten the hook-to-weight gap or change to a weedless hook.
If you cannot feel bottom, adjust the weight to suit depth, wind and line angle.
Keep the plastic straight; a twisted bait can spin the line.

The gear you need

Build your setup

A starting checklist: spinning rod and reel, main line and leader, drop-shot hook, drop-shot weight, small soft-plastic bait. Match tackle to the bait, conditions and local regulations.