Specific Techniques:

Specific technique information was not all that readily available when I first started dropshotting, but as the technique has aged in the bass fishing community more and more information becomes available. The one thing I have had a hard time finding much on is the specifics on when and where this technique might be best used, and specifically how to use it in a particular situation. There are lots of generalizations out there, and some say jiggle it, some say give some time off, and some say drag it real slow. But when and where and under what conditions do these techniques produce the best? In what follows I will try to break down some of the specific situations that I find most productive for catching with a drop shot.

Match the Mood:

In general the fish species we chase will fall into one of two categories. Either they are feeding actively, or not. The two techniques covered below are geared toward AREA fishing for both types of fish, but not particularly SPOT fishing such as visible cover ie. a stump or laydown. Taking into account that most predatory fish are opportunistic feeders, you should be able to coax a bite out of fish in either mood. There are though differences about the manner in which you present your offering to best exploit each of these feeding tendencies. I find that actively feeding fish will respond most readily to a drop shot presented in two ways.

The first mimics a fleeing prey species, and is extremely effective for suspending fish or schoolersthat's right use a drop shot for schoolers. Using the lightest weight possible cast your rig past the area where the schooling activity is taking place. Immediately engage the reel such that the rig does the traditional pendulum swing back toward you on a semi tight line. Assuming that the schoolers you're after are relating to bait, and not specifically relating to a cover feature they will most likely be at various depths and more or less suspending. With this in mind it is possible to understand why you would want to cast past the school and let the bait swing back toward you. This allows for coverage of multiple depths in an effective manner. My personal opinion is that this method does an extremely good job of mimicking a lightly wounded prey item attempting to flee toward the safety of deeper water. The light weight causes a slow enough fall that the predator fish has time to notice your bait in what can be a thousands of other possible meals haulin butt to save their skin. If you have ever found schoolers hammering shad fry or something very small like that, and you cant coax a bite for love or money, give this technique a try.  Once you practice this a little you will be able to take up slack as the rig falls such that it hits the bottom as it reaches the boat. In lakes with grass beds this technique can be even more effective as the grass can aid in creating a stop and go retrieve. Once again a very light weight is key and in this situation it will keep your rig from becoming snagged. Obviously you don't want to throw this rig into a mat of grass that reaches the surface, but on that same note, in leaving that visible target alone, and concentrating on what's subsurface you will be targeting fish that are typically untouched by most anglers. So the starting point is the grass bed areas that don't reach the surface. You will want to place the rig on the edge and move it over the area. I try to cast over the bed as far as possible, and allow the rig to pendulum into the vegetation, but only let the weight hit the grass. Now it is nearly impossible to never allow the hook to contact the grass, but for the most part in my experience, with a little practice you can effectively tick the top of the grass with the weight. This will stop and start the bait in an arrhythmic fashion that is pretty consistent with the movements of many bait fish. If you can find a grass bed on a slope as commonly occurs in the lakes I am familiar with, you can combine the pendulum method I first mentioned with the grass ticking, and catch those crankbait and spinnerbait fish that wont bite a crank or blade. This sort of controlled fall presentation is also extremely effective on bridge pilings and rip rap banks or levys. These scenarios usually call for a shorter (6-12 inches) leader between the hook and the weight.

There are some great fishing tutorials at expert village. In particular

one on drop shotting. See this video

BA

There are some great fishing tutorials at expert village. In particular

one on drop shotting. See this video

BA