Drop-shotting the weeds

[Guest]

Drop-shotting, the way I was taught, is to tie a Palomar knot that ends up having a long tag end of a few inches to several feet (depending on how far away from the sinker you want the hook). Here is how to tie a Palomar Knot...

Double about 5 inches of line against itself. Pass this 5 inch loop through the eye of the hook.
Tie and overhand knot with the doubled line. Leave loose.
Pull the end of the loop over the hook or small lure.
Pull the tag end and the main line tight. Do not trim the excess line.
Pass the tag end through the hook eye, to the knot, again. This second pass throught the hook eye makes the hook stand out straight from the line.

Tie a knot in the very end of the tag that will keep a split-shot on without being able to slide off past the knot. You may use a small split-shot or large, or two, or three. Or, a bell sinker works too. There are new weights available at Cabela's Retail that have a snap on them, that are especially made for this rig (that snap on to a loop you tie at the end of your line for a "quick-change" method). The amount of weight you add will effect the angle to the bottom on a drift or the distance you can cast the rig. A circle hook is best used as this rig is usually "dead-sticked" and the fish will self-set the hook most times. A circle hook will most times, lip hook the fish. This lets you do an effective release. Do not use tiny circle hooks as they are swallowed and may result in gut-hooking some fish.

This rig is very effective for drifting because the hook and bait will stay a constant distance from the bottom. If you set the hook up one foot (by adjusting the weight that far from the hook), the bait will not fall any closer than that, unless you give the line slack. As soon as the weight hits bottom and you keep a tight line, you will be in the exact depth zone that you have set, like...for example, one foot off the bottom. When the bottom changes to weeds, the hook can be tied at a distance to stay above the weeds while the weight falls through the pockets to the bottom. This lets you fish the bait just higher that the weed tops (if set to that depth). If the bell sinker or split-shot gets snagged on a weed, you can tell eaisly. The pole will begin to be bent on a steady pull. With a snap of the rod tip, the weight will dis-lodge and get free of the weeds most times. Each time the weight becomes snagged and is released by you or by the rod tention. When this happens, the weight is "hopped" forward and then seeks the bottom again. This action "jigs" the hook and bait. This jigging action happens over and over, again and again, as you are drifting and as the weight snags briefly on the the bottom. This imparts a lot of action to the bait. "Sweeping" the rod while rifting, will "hop" the weight forward and then let the bait fall slowly, on the slack line, adding even more action.

This rig works great from shore when cast because only the weight is on the bottom and with line tension variations and rod height, you can let the bait rise and fall.... "jigging" the live bait without moving the weight. I have adapted several new ideas that have changed the rig and how I use it. I leave a tag line of several feet with a knot in the end. I put on a bass style needle sinker or bullet sinker (a weedless type) and then use a small removable split shot above the knot. It is adjustable to any depth by sliding the split-shot to one foot (used for example) and then I crimp the weight in place with my pliers. I leave the loose end of the line to "trail" behind the weight. I then adjust to a deeper setting quickly, by grabbing the pliers and moving the split-shot down the line. The split-shot will stay in place when crimped. The needle sinker before it, passes through the weeds without ever getting snagged. If It should snag, a snap on the rod tip releases the weight and there are no weeds left on the weight. I use a bass size True-turn hook and rig the crawler or minnow weed-less by going out the head and then back into the body. With a weedless live bait rig and a weedless weight set-up, I can work right to the bottom of those thick weed pockets and come back out without bringing the weed with me!

Many times I will let out 50 to 75 yards of anchor rope on a weedline and let the wind work the boat so it does a "big swing" in the wind. I then work this "weedless drop-shot rig" through the weeds deep in the pockets to the bottom. If the walleyes are there, which they are on certain days and conditions, I have the bait right in front of them. I can not do this with a jig - too many snags.... or a crankbait......or a bobber rig..... or anything else. Everything else brings back the weeds with every retrieve.

It is a nice rig for deep weeds and the answer to getting those "boat-spooked" fish that hide deep in weed pockets or that are there to escape the bright sun. The rig works great in deep water, the mud and the rocks too. In the rocks, I use a barrel sinker and split-shot combination as it is less likely to snag up. I like to use Berkley Fireline for the "feel" of transmitting the bite. I tie that to a swivel ( this stops any debris that travels down the line that would normally end up on the hook) then to five feet of Trilene 10lb. XL. (I understand that you may face problems in the river with zebra muscles though and might have to use spider wire and then tie to a heaver mono). I would guess that the newer and more invisible lines would work good in this application too.

I use a 6' 6" Berkley Series One medium action IM7 for this rig. Lots of backbone and a fast tip! I have scaled it down using a lighter rod and all mono, but found the heaver rod is nessary to allow enough of the rod tention to let the rod do the "self-release" when snagged in weeds. A wimpy rod with out enough backbone, really bends too far before it rips loose the weight from a weed snag. You loose a lot of "feel" by not using Fireline too, not that feel is so importamt when doing a dead-stick approach.

This is the rig for kids! A kid can drag this rig behind the boat on the bottom and catch lots of fish, with no casting involved. And not bring up weeds on the lure, all the time.
Most times, I have up to four rods set up like this in the boat.
Catch'n
Dave Hoggard

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Fishermen are catch-n on
Catch'n Tackle
For Bass, Walleye, Pike, Lakers, Trout, Panfish
Used by FishingMN Family

[Sgt. Rock]

Great post Dave. Just used that technigue on Winnie for some perch. And like you say it's great for kids. My 11 y/o son likes to fish this way. Thanks for a good explanation.

[Blackstarluver]

When it comes to drop-shotting, I like to tie a dropper loop with the hook connected and leave a nice long tag so I can make adjustments. It is a quite versatile knot. If you want the lure to be attached further away from the main line, just snip one part of the loop next to the main and tie on your hook. This season the Berkley 3" power minnow has been a KILLER! I don't tie a knot on the end and I have been rewarded by being able to pull my snagged rig free and not have to retie just replace the sinker.
God lyk!
JC