Drop Shot "Big Time"
by Kevin Morris

When you hear the words "Drop Shot" then you think of small weights, small hooks, and small baits. For the most part that is how the technique is fished. One technique that I have tried and seem to really be productive is to use bigger hooks and bigger baits. I actually fish the rig just as I would a Carolina rig. But the advantages of the drop shot are you are able to shake the lure and get the bites that you might not have gotten on the Carolina rig.

Even though I use bigger hooks I still use a spinning reel and no more than 8 pound test line. The weight I use is normally a 3/8oz or 1/2oz depending on the wind. I normally use a 2/O bass pro shop wide gap hook, which isn’t huge but is larger than your normal drop shot hook. The baits I usually use are Zoom Baby Brush Hogs, Zoom 6” Lizards, and Bass Pro Shops Flipping tubes.

Now as far as what makes this technique better is this. As you drag the rig along the bottom and you bump a rock pile or brush pile, instead of just being able to stop the bait you are able to stop the bait in the strike zone and shake it just a little right in front of any fish that are in the brush pile. The same principle works for any structure such as rock piles, creek channels, etc. This gives you a technique that can be used any time a Carolina rig can be used, but gives the fish something that they haven’t already seen a dozen times that day.

This technique is a great way for co-anglers to pick up fish behind a pro that is fishing a spot pretty clean. It gives you a presentation that the fish are not use to. And you are able to hold the bait in the structure much longer and still have the movement needed to get the fish to react and bit. Give this a try and maybe it will help you bring more checks home. Worked for me at the 2004 BFL tournament on Pickwick lake where I came in 12th as a co-angler using this technique on a very tough day at Pickwick. I use this technique in all types of waters in any season of the year. I hope this helps you put more fish in the boat. Good luck fishing and remember to take a picture and turn them loose.

Kevin Morris
Tournament Angler
Savannah, TN