Drop shot fishing is one of the best ways to target largemouth and smallmouth bass during the spring fishing season. However, many anglers lack knowledge on the best drop shot fishing tactics that will catch them more bass. Through countless days on the water, we believe we have obtained the five best drop shot fishing tactics that will help you catch bass anywhere, so with that being said let’s dive into the first drop shot tactic!
Deadsticking
Deadsticking is one of the best ways to catch bass when they are lethargic, but anglers often find this retrieval method to be tedious. Deadsticking consists of letting your drop shot rig hit the bottom of the water, letting it rest for a few minutes, and then slowly lifting it off of the bottom to repeat the process. Most anglers who use the deadsticking method take upwards of ten minutes per cast. Sometimes fishing slow is the only way to catch fish, so if the bass in your waters are inactive, try deadsticking with the drop shot!
Upstream
Usually, anglers stray away from finesse rigs like the drop shot when they fish moving water, but this rig can be one of the best lures to throw in this situation. The drop shot perfectly mimics a suspended baitfish, which is why fishing this rig upstream can be a great way to get bites. Whether you have a strong river current or a smaller creek channel fishing, the drop shot rig upstream mimics a baitfish fighting the current, and more often than not, bass will attack the drop shot if they think it’s a struggling baitfish. Another great tactic when fishing current is letting your rig flow downstream, but if we had to pick fishing the drop shot upstream is the way to go.
Dart
When anglers think of drop shot fishing, they typically think about dragging the rig over the bottom, but darting the drop shot can be one of the most effective ways to catch aggressive fish. To dart your drop shot all you have to do is work the rig like a jerk bait, occasionally twitching the rig from side to side. Keep in mind that not all drop shot baits will have a good dart action. We'd recommend using this drop shot fishing tactic with small lures that have good side-to-side action. Larger worms tend to rip off when using the dart method, so we tend to stay away from them.
Flipping
If you weren’t aware, the drop shot rig is also a go-to option for many anglers when flipping shallow structures. Dock fishing with the drop shot is typically one of the best ways to catch summertime bass, not to mention it works wonders in the fall and spring as well! Flipping the drop shot is like flipping any other lure, simply hold the weight in your hand with the line tight and use your rod to make a small flip into a shallow structure. This drop shot fishing tactic is for advanced anglers, so if you are a beginner, we’d recommend staying away from this tactic until you develop flipping skills with other lures.
Dragging
Even though all the tactics mentioned above are good, dragging the drop shot rig is the best method that we have used. Dragging the drop shot rig along points or rocky structures is a great way to mimic a dying baitfish suspended in the water column. Bass can often sense if a baitfish is weak or dying based on its subtle movements. Dragging the drop shot rig perfectly mimics these subtle movements, which can lead to a reaction bite. Using this technique on points or other places of depth change can be one of the most effective ways to catch trophy bass!
Drop shot fishing is one of the best ways to target largemouth and smallmouth bass. Based on the information we provided today you are now equipped with all the knowledge needed to catch a trophy bass on the drop shot at your local fishery, all that’s left to do is wet a line with this finesse rig!
