He also uses a 2500 size spinning reel and 10-pound-test Braided Line in the highly-visible yellow color. (Shutterstock image) For years, open-water anglers have used the drop-shot rig for various applications. Tie two drop shot hooks to a fluorocarbon leader, positioning one hook a few inches above the other. . The author enjoys catching and also releasing summer smallmouth bass. At the tag end, connect a 1/8- to ½-ounce Lake Fork Tackle Tungsten drop shot weight. kings, tuna and cobia. Drop shot rigging has become his “go to” method for catching smallmouth in the clear waters of. HAWL. Techniques For Targeting Specific Fish SizesWhen the going gets tough, use this tried-and-true open-water tactic for wary panfish. Sheepshead and black drum. You know, there are certain times when, you know, you don't want your leader over 4 inches and there are other times when you want your bait 4 feet. Tie on a number one octopus hook half way down. Up to 8 fish of legal limit taken per day per person. Four or five multi colored slender tubes over small hooks with a silver jig for a weight to get the baits down. Note: If your drop shot rod has a braid-to-fluorocarbon leader set up, you do not need to re-spool, just tie off a leader line that is 6-10-feet long. STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTION. Click here to join us in the Insider Club: ma. Drop Shot Rig Tying Steps. I’ve narrowed my cleanup selection down to four deadly finesse techniques: a drop-shot, Neko rig, shaky head and Ned rig. For your reel, use a spinning reel of any size between 1500 and 2500. The second hook should go 12-18 inches above the first. Drop weight. I have been looking around on the web for some help with rigs and hook sizes for sheepshead. Harmony's Low-Profile Drop-Wire swivel is a key component in enabling this rig to be used in heavy vegetation. Since white bass tend to. braided line. ADVERTISEMENT / ADVERTISE WITH US. He fishes with the highly-visible yellow line. Stacking preceded drop shot and was originally called down shot in Japan for fresh water bass fishing. Loop for the weight allows you to easily switch weights Cons: 1. It is wise to use a smaller hook since they are known as bait stealers. HOW TO CATCH SHEEPSHEAD IN RESIDENTIAL CANALS (USING ARTIFICIAL LURES) Here is a timestamped version: 1:37 – Fishing underneath a bridge for sheepshead. Palomar Drop Shot Knot [gallery link="file" columns="3"] To rig a slip shot, simply thread a small weight (3/16 ounce or less) onto your main line. The length of the line depends on how far you want your bait off the bottom. The drop shot rig can be fished from the bank or from a boat, and works well for both smallmouth and largemouth bass, as well as a range of other species that feed near the bottom. We’ll also cover the saltwater rigging basics that you need in order to use these setups. Create a Loop: Form a small loop with the tag end (the part of the line that came out of the hook’s eye). Here’s what you need for this rig: Leader (I use 15-30 lb mono, depending on water clarity and if the fish are picky) A split shot; Hook (I’ve been using a #1 live bait hook for sheepshead) There are three steps to tying. There is a new plastic out there designed for a drop shot called the Berkley Maxscent Flatworm but they are very hard to find right now. Pat Ford. Sheepshead. Use a Palomar knot. One from the weight to the weight leader. This is a quick and simple tutorial for the best drop shot rig out there! I show you what knot to tie and what hooks to use for a successful drop-shotting se. ”. Fish-Finder Rig. 3 way swivel rig. 5807 posts · Joined 2008. “Unlike the typical Carolina rig. If you haven’t rigged a drop shot before, here’s how I do it. Product Features. The men all found success fishing with a drop-shot rig. Where to find them- Deep holes, around docks or bridges. The weight of the split shot depends on how deep you’re fishing — the deeper the water, the heavier the split shot. Setup guide: The first step to cut out a length of the fluorocarbon line about a whole arm’s length (5-6 feet). This includes a wide variety of fishing tactics, ranging from boat fishing to surf fishing and everything in between, and. A jighead is simple and will work great for catching sheepshead. A quality #1 hook is small enough for sheepshead, yet strong enough for big snook. When the jig hits the bottom, the velocity of the jig lets up a puff of sand and crab parts. How to tie a drop shot rig for perch. If your plan is long casting the drop shot rig in lieu of short casts consider the Slip Shot rig where the longer 3’ to 4’ leader length works better imo. As the action on the rigs begins to slow in late summer, the shorelines on the eastern end of the lake start to turn on. It works well in any saltwater environment, so you can use it wherever you go. This involves threading the worm up the hook to the line tie, and then rehooking the worm to create a snag-proof drop shot rig (see the texas rig article for specific rigging details). And, not all undulating drop shot baits are worms. Favorite Lake or River Carter Lake, Iowa. With the high low rig, you can target sheepshead, snapper, weakfish, and many other saltwater species. Use the loop to tie a loose overhand knot. The weight stays on fine either way while fishing, but when you are fighting a fish and. Of course, you can always use artificial baits like Berkley Gulp shrimp, or swap out the. Jetty Fishing: Things To Know When Sheepshead Fishing The Jetties. > If sonar reveals fish off bottom, start with a tag end around 28″. Sheepshead also are more active in warm water so do go fishing during the warmer days if you are targeting this species of fish. Steps How to Tie a Drop Shot Knot: Thread the Main Line: Start by threading the main fishing line through the eye of the drop shot hook. You want to lift it up about 4 inches, and do a free fall drop. It factors in the tides, wind, and weather to help you quickly see which areas to target throughout the day. SmoothLures. A great rig to catch mangrove snapper from the bridge is to use 1 or 2 split shot on a 15-20 lb. The most simple rig is the fish-finder rig. Bernard Yong-Set, owner of Stringease Tackle, developed the first Zero Twist Shot arrangement where the drop-shot hook rotates around the shaft of a tiny swivel. Many fishermen like to hook their shrimp through the head. Renting a boat this weekend and one of the newer species to me I’d like to go for are sheepshead and try out our luck on some bridges at some point…The knot you use to tie this rig is pretty much just a Palomar Knot with a long tag end. 3) Drop Shot Weight - Drop shot weights are the key to making this rig work. Make sure the hook is still facing up. I prefer the Tru-Tungsten weights for this rig. TFF Guru. First, tie a 1/0 straight shank light wire hook with a Palomar knot, leaving an 18-inch long tag end. This is one of the simplest yet effective sheepshead rigs that catches fish. Obviously, that may change to higher tests with heavier cover or more colored water, but the 10-pound. This is best used when fishing around grass lines, or docks. Tie a stop-knot to the bottom of the leader with several overhand knots. The Striped Bass Striker. - In this video by Coastal Angler Magazine Charleston, Jiggin' Jerry gives us a great fishing tip. 5:46 – How to rig the weedless shrimp on a hook. John Eggers, a veteran charter captain and tournament angler in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, is a big believer in the “no-brainer” rig — a simple but ingenious design consisting of a ¼- to 3⁄8-ounce egg sinker tightly snugged on the. New Etsy store! Support the channel here:diving under the surface on the E Park Fishing Channel to see. 1. Further, a drop shot rig allows anglers to present their. EP 182: How To Catch Sheepshead On Fake Crabs!!! 30. Read on and refine your summer drop-shotting game! During the summer months, former Bassmaster Elite Series pro Frank Scalish always has at least one rod on his boat’s deck rigged with a. The minnow-and-brush-jig rig is perfect for fishing live bait in thick cover. However, the best specific rigging and presentations vary by situation. This length depends on how far off the bottom you’d like to fish. Drop Shot Rig Knot Tying Instructions. Make a loop and place it back through the bottom of the hook. To start, I like to make sure my leader is about a foot long. The Most Effective Finesse Tactic for Catching Bass. Stop paying full price for your tackle and get on the water fishing tips every week. One of my favorite rigs for catching sheepshead is a dropper rig. Seeing Deep and Sideways. Best Rigs | Sheepshead Fishing. Another popular alternative is to use a bare jig, ranging from 1/4 ounce for structure in 8 to 10 feet of water and moderate tidal flow up to 3 ounces for depths to 40. Sid quickly moved in to help with the task of muscling up her sheepshead. Now, let’s rig up the leader. One of the best redfish tackle setups is the no-brainer rig. Sheepshead must not be taken with double or treble (any multi-hook) rig with live or dead bait. The first thing you need to do is get your drop shot hook between your fingers and put the line through the top of the hook eyelet. A major advantage to the drop shot rig is the degree of control over the depth of your lure – regardless of the pace that you fish it. for Nov 22 delivery. They were used for catching mackerel for food, or as bait for stripers. My PB: Between 8-9 lbs. The drop shot rig is one of the best rigs to use for sheepshead. Pass the loop end of your doubled line through the eye of the hook. He subsequently partnered. Sheepshead love to feed on crustaceans, such as Fiddler Crabs, Mud Crabs, Sand Fleas, Live Shrimp, Oysters, Clam, Mussels and Barnacles. Fish your shrimp on a fish finder rig with a short mono leader, a knocker rig, a jig head, or with a piece of split shot attached some distance above the bait. Fluoro protects better against line scuffs from wood and weeds, yet the supple yielding. We’ll go over the strengths and weaknesses of each of these saltwater fishing rigs below, so you can decide which one is best for you. How to rig a Drop-Shot step-by-step: Thread the hook. You can also use a carolina rig, with a swivel connecting your leader to your main line, with the weight above the swivel. Most drop shot weights have a crimped swivel at the top that makes it easy to clip onto your line, although weights that you can tie to the bottom of the line will work just as well. Jig rig. Let's dig into the details of how to fish the drop shot rig. Hook: #1 or #2 hook. High low rig. For drum, whiting, sheepshead and. The reel is spooled with 10-pound test Silver Thread fluorocarbon. One of my favorite rigs for catching sheepshead is a dropper rig. With rod in one hand and net in the other, Misak reached down and nabbed a 12-pound sheepshead. I like to use 7 foot medium action rods for best results. More Cold Water Tips Here!How To Tie Drop Shot Rig Fast & Easy Way Drop Shot knot how to rig a drop shot tutorial best way to tie a drop shot rig how to tie dropshot rig the perfect d. fluorocarbon leader. To attach fishing line to the leader, use this tutorial: Or you can use a barrel swivel to attach the main line to your leader. Trosset uses a 1/0 to 4/0 short-shank hook (such as a 9175 Mustad) in the Atlantic and a 1/0 to 4/0 circle hook in. Just rig them on a simple split shot rig and drop them down around bridges, dock pilings, or flats where you see them tailing. #10 · Jul 26, 2012. Leave about a foot below the hook and attach a drop shot sinker with enough weight to get it to the bottom with good feel. The rod itself is a medium-light powered, moderate action rod. In this video I will show you how to make a Carolina Rig for Sheepshead fishing. If you plan to weedless hook suggest using Owners #5133 size 2/0 Down Shot hook and soft plastics that float like Roboworms*. . All you need is a sturdy rod and reel, some 40-pound braid on the reel and a top shot of 40-pound fluorocarbon for your leader. This rig is effective for numerous species including but not limited to Smallmouth Bass, Sheepshead an. 10mm braid is ideal for drop shotting. (0) Write a review. Plus, it allows me to easily switch weights if the current picks up or slows down, or if I move to fish somewhere deeper or shallower. . Recommended Line Size: 6 - 8 lbs. Here we will show you 3 of the best rigs for catching bluegill. October 4, 2021 If you want to catch more sheepshead, you got to use the right rig! There are actually a few different rigs that work well, it just depends on your. What: Dropper loop rig has loop branches stemming from a length of line and a bottom loop with a weight. It consists of a leader with a hook, and a heavy-duty barrel swivel like the SPRO Power Swivel is tied to the mainline behind a Sea Striker Braid-Friendly Sinker Slide. Photo courtesy of B. An 8-18″ tag works for less active fish. The. The drop-shot rig is the perfect setup to use during this time. Click here to join us in the Insider Club: to. Note: Don’t forget to subscribe to the Salt Strong podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review! Click here to join the Salt Strong Insider Club. Catfish are fair on chartreuse (use Worn-Glo) nightcrawlers. This is for smaller species. Rod: 7' medium light to medium action. The bite is typically characterized by a subtle tap. 99 $ 5. You can buy the special drop shot weights or just use bell sinkers or split shot until you decide how much weight works best. Drop-Shot Rig. FREE. Amazon. We’ll go over the strengths and weaknesses of each of these rigs for jetty fishing in full detail below, so you can decide which one is. Setup guide: The first step to constructing this whiting rig is to cut out about 2 feet of 15-20 pound fluorocarbon leader line and tie your hook to it. The drop shot rig is one of the best rigs to use for sheepshead. Carolina rig. Drop Shot Rigs for Smallmouth Bass and Walleye. I know these reels have caught a bunch of Bonitas and many big Sheepshead. First, carefully tear off the tail of the shrimp because it adds scent to attract the sheepshead to the bait. A quick look at a simple rig for dropshotting using a size 6 VMC drop shot hook, 10lb drennan supplex fluorocarbon line. There are a few ways to rig your bait on your hook. The rod is a 12-20# rated. They can grow up to 30 inches in length and weigh up to 20 pounds. Step 5: Tie a loop on the tag end for the weight. Check out for more informat. In this conversational video,. That makes them a good target for this technique. This is one of the most popular loop rigs. Free Floating Shrimp Around Docks And Pylons The free-floating shrimp rig is precisely as it sounds. Saltwater flies, scent strips, and other artificial lures can also work. Best Sheepshead Rig Anglers seeking sheepshead prefer a medium-stout 6 to 7-foot rod and a reel with 15 to 20 lb. Learn the basics of dropshotting with this informative video. Meanwhile, a drop-shot rig is better when you’re fishing directly from a dock or bridge. 4. Don't get discouraged; apply these tips, rigs, and practices, and I promise you will start to boat more fish. Sheepshead fish are in the family Archosargus probatocephalus. This classic technique will suspend a nightcrawler at whatever depth you want and allow for it to move about freely. Make sure your hook point is facing upward and leave a tag end roughly 18 inches in length. fluorocarbon leader and a split-shot squeezed on the line about 8. THE RIGS. Anderson / July 19, 2021. For more information or personnel instruction on fishing the Tidal River Drop Shot Rig during a guided fishing trip go to or call H/Bus. They can't crush your bait without you realizing it! For sheepshead fishing, the drop shot rig is a real plus. The technique does a great job of presenting finesse. Use just enough weight to get your bait to the bottom and hold it there. Shaking. With the drop-shot, the weight may get covered up, but the lure stays clean. Total. They can grow up to 30 inches in length and weigh up to 20 pounds. 2. GULF SHORES The BEST Sheepshead Fishing Rig | How to Catch More Sheepshead Kayaking_Kennedy 9. All the care these rigs get is a good wash down and an occasional oiling. Price and other details may vary based on product size and color. On pressured waters (or days when fish are not aggressive), fishing jigs can be less effective. Use a couple feet of 8-10 lb. Slip bobber rig; Fixed bobber rig; Drop shot rig; Your hook size should be between size 8 and 14, and if you use a larger hook, you can thread several salmon eggs onto your trout hook. What was originally a rig designed for bass fishing, the drop shot rig is now a solid choice when it comes to catching perch. I found mixed feeling on eating Sheepshead but it seems most like them. Sheepshead are powerful and love to fight on their side and use currents to their advantage with their wide bodies grabbing a lot of water, making a six-pound fish feel like they are 12 pounds. To create a proper drop shot rig, begin by tying a Palomar knot to the end of the main line. 1-48 of 148 results for "sheepshead fishing rig" Results. Step 3: Tie 3 or 4 overhand knots at the pinch. This is where the sheepshead are taking cover out of the current waiting to ambush an unsuspecting shrimp or crab floating by. A fiddler crab on the hook of a drop-shot rig can be dropped straight down. Pelayo. The population of Sheepshead over the years seems to be dropping. Sheepshead are also known to stay suspended and even just under the surface near the pilings. Where to find them- around bridge pilings. And, not all undulating drop shot baits are worms. He resorts to the drop shot when the fish are in the cedars because it allows him to keep his. Next, tie a dropper loop about 12-18 inches above the hook. Here’s how to tie the dropper rig step by step: Step 1: Form a loop about 2 feet long. 1. Free Online Library: Get the Drop on Winter Sheepshead: A better way to do it: Vertical fish with crabs over reefs and rubble. I like to use 7 foot medium action rods for best results. The inshore fishing for reds, trout, sheepshead, flounder, black drum , jack crevalle, and a few more other species will be good. I thought about a drop shot rig with a 2 octopus hook. The drop shot rig is one of the most popular f. Circle hook. Where You Want To Use This Rig. Some folks may use a jig as the bottom weight, rather than a sinker, thus creating 2 sources of hooking a fish. Bedding panfish can’t resist a small worm or plastic presented on a drop shot rig. They grab the bait, and hold onto the fuzz ball. Type: Swimbait. For the Carolina Rig, you want to have about 16″ of leader. It’s more action than a drop-shot rig and highly effective whether you’re fishing fast or slow. Take the fluorocarbon line and cut around 3 feet of it off. PUBLISHED 16 AUGUST 2023 by Robert Ceran Are you planning to throw a drop shot rig, but aren’t sure how to set it up, or how to fish it for optimal results? While. The Redfish Raider. Welcome to our comprehensive Guide To Fishing For Sheepshead, where we will dive deep into the world of catching these fascinating fish. Shop all Featured Product – Warehouse Learning Center - rigging a Drop Shot is a must-have skill. "It's very efficient and very precise," he. After casting, watch the line as the bait begins to sink. Tie your leader to the mainline with a double uni knot, and if using clamp on weights, put it right below the knot. Spec rigs will work too of course but not for deeper water and they are harder to keep vertical. Tie a hook onto the end of the leader and add a split shot sinker above the swivel. Drop Shot Rig Image Source. Tip each hook with worm chunks and drop into open water. Trout, reds, flounder, drum and sheepshead can all be caught at the Wall. It's nothing but Aaron Martens walking you through the how and why to fish a. The weight stays on fine either way while fishing, but when you are fighting a fish and. 5 out of 5 stars 38. Click here to join us in the Insider Club: ma. . Size 1/0 to 3/0 short-shank, 2X-strong hooks are preferred. This rig works well fished vertically, but can also be dragged along the bottom. Carolina rig: one-ounce egg sinker on running line tied to swivel; 12- to 18-inch, 40-pound leader running from swivel to hook; Bottom rig: weight on bottom with some sort of dropper hook attached between it and a swivel; use a 30- to 50-pound line; Carolina Rig and Dropper Rig Jigs and Bottom KnockersNow you are ready to create your leader. Trout have pretty small mouths so a size 8 hook is ideal. Mild and sweet, good on the. 2 out of 5. T. When targeting migrating sheepshead, Sagerholm uses a baitcasting rod with 30-pound braid on a drop-shot rig. For m. Kevin VanDam is the winningest angler in the world, having earned more than $6 million fishing for bass. How to fish the drop-shot for common sunfishes. The first step in using drop shot hooks is to set up your rig. Mudshark. So powerful. The second way to rig fiddler crabs on hooks is to go through the side of the crab and out through the back. Seems like their are all kind of ideas. I am a great believer in the newer Penns. The ideal drop-shot line setup is a combination of braid and fluorocarbon, which takes advantage of the best qualities of each. THREE VARIOUS SIZES TO CHOOSE: We have three different sizes to fit any need you may have for Carolina Ready rigging. I've fished quite a bit for kelp bass (nearshore ocean), and we often used a rig called a 'dropper loop' rig. Six to eight inches above the. This takes the simple free line rigging method and adds a split shot or two to get your bait to the desired depth. We would discover that this rod-reel rig was such a powerful workhorse set up as we hooked and landed more than 50 fish in the next 3 hours. (0) Write a review. Join our Insider Club today and get the best fishing spots, tips, and strategies for $12 per month. Tie a loose overhand knot with the hook hanging from the bottom of the loop formed. Winter bass can be challenging to catch — sometimes they want moving baits like jerkbaits or crankbaits, but finesse setupsThe Drop Shot is one of the most useful lures out there, BUT HOW DO YOU FISH IT? How do you rig it? Heck, what the heck even is it?? In this video I go deep. Compared to wire wrapped/tied to standard swivels, the Low-Profile. The drop shot rig is especially effective for Morrow when he fishes the cedar trees on his home waters of Missouri’s Truman Lake. Step #3: Put a split shot about 1′ up from the hook. Your a MH bass rod will probably work as long as you have braid main line. First, tie a drop shot hook (size 2 to 6) to the line. ” For power-shotting, a ½-ounce tungsten dropper weight is fairly standard and the weight he used with his 7-6 drop-shot rod in water ranging from 10 to 40 feet for smallmouth along. When panfish are wary or targeting small forage, tiny flies or "fly jigs" are often just the ticket. Often a simple rig setup works best. A ned rig is a simple mushroom head jig with a small plastic of some kind. To rig fiddler crabs for sheepshead fishing you can use a size 1 or 1/0 J-hook with a long shank that cannot be chewed through by the sheepshead's strong teeth. Over the past few decades, Bassmaster Elite Series angler Jeff Gustafson has used a drop shot to catch countless smallmouth in tournaments and for fun. While most anglers use this rig for presenting soft plastic lures to fish, it’s a superb setup for a wide variety of natural baits and a host of big freshwater fish. 3/8 or 1/2 is usually plenty. One reason it is so effective is it allowed anglers to feel the bite. By keeping the bait just off the. Brandon Palaniuk ranks the drop shot rig among his all-time favorite systems for catching bass whenever and wherever they swim. Sheepshead, Flounder Freshwater and Saltwater Bobbers Handmade in Alabama. I wanted a dedicated drop shot rod that was lighter over all and went. Step 3: Rig Your Bait. . Bass Pro 1Source fishing expert Tim Allard discusses why drop-shot rigs work great for walleyes and what you baits you should use for your presentation. Trout, reds, flounder, drum and sheepshead can all be caught at the Wall. This rig is great for dropping bait into structure, like flooded timber and docks. Jig head weight varies based on depth and current, but a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce generally fits the sheepshead zone, while you may need to go as big as 1/2 for a stronger current. If you ask me how to catch sheepshead fish smoothly, I would tell you to use a short Carolina Rig. Simply put your extra-wide gap hook onto the split ring, then add your drop shot weight. Then, take your octopus inline hook and hook it just underneath the front horn of the shrimp on its head. Live bait- Live shrimp. The first mistake anglers have when constructing a similar rig is that they use too large of equipment. Turn Used Gulps Into Bait Catching Machines. Nice rig. Where to find them- around bridge pilings. The veteran bass pro employs a light spinning outfit and a drop-shot rig. A soft plastic worm or grub is a popular choice for largemouth bass. A good rule of thumb is to shake your rod less when the water is cold, and the bass are less active. Best Rigs For Sheepshead. It’s basically a bobber, split shot, and worm rig. Just about anybody can learn to catch sheepshead. Rig the twitch bait with either a small 1/8 th leadhead (or Mustad Power Lock Plus weighted hook) and tie it directly to your line. Stacking was very popular out west where drop shot started in the US in the early 80's, still is with 3 hooks maximum in CA. Both Van Horn and Watts also employ drop-shots in deeper inlets, passes, channels and cuts, sometimes probing water down to 25 feet. This prevents many hangs and, lost leaders on the rocks, but more importantly, the direct, inline hook provides an instant bite. Capt. • Carolina rig with 6-7-inch leader Bait: • Fiddler or other small crabs • Barnacles • Pieces of oysters and clams • Live or dead shrimp threaded on hook • Sand fleas Tactics: • Keep line tight • Pay attention to small taps. Zoom’s Finesse Worm, Z-Man’s ElaZtec Finesse Wormz, Larew’s Tattletail Worm and Luck-E-Strike’s Con Man worm are also proven drop shot killers. And if you have a real short leader, well, you're basically just hugging the bottom and you're not getting the benefit off of a drop shot. --For information on a. fluorocarbon leader and a split-shot squeezed on the line about 8 inches above the bait. “My basic bottom leader rig in up to 60 feet of water is 10 to 15 feet of fluoro, with a double overhand loop 3 feet up from the sinker,” says Trosset. It’s even easier when fishing in current: get the rig to bottom and let the flow dance the bait. Step 4: Cut one side of the loop so that it’s no longer a loop. This is the rig that I use to catch Sheepshead. Put one loop over the other, the hook through the first loop and pull. Consider you’ll have twice the snagging risk and a less controllable rig, so keep. Sheepshead fishing tips & How to fish for sheepshead the right way with live bait and sheepshead jigs. Notify of. Step #3: Put a split shot about 1′ up from the hook. ” Deep dropping. . Simply drag it up the grass lines keeping the weight on the bottom and your bait floating above it. Tackle for Sheepshead. “This is where the weight will be attached,” Lonchar says. Bait – Sheephead Live cocahoe minnows tend to work better for flounder, and live croakers are excellent for targeting big speckled trout. We will tie a knot in the end of the line, even with the quick clips on most drop shot weights. The hook leg is shorter. Another popular alternative is to use a bare jig, ranging from 1/4 ounce for structure in 8 to 10 feet of water and moderate tidal flow up to 3 ounces for depths to 40. Dropshotting for Perch: Presentation Tactics. This rig works awesome and will out-fish the usual rigs big time. Of course, you can always use artificial baits like Berkley Gulp shrimp, or swap out the khale hook for an offset wide gap hook and rig a fluke, or rig a 1/16oz jighead with Matrix Shad instead. Number 1 baited jig/jighead, 2 knocker rig, 3 fishfinder rig, 4 dropper loop rig, 5 float rig, or #6 a drop shot rig. This style of finesse fishing calls for using 6- to 7-pound-test fluorocarbon line and tying on a size 2, 1 or 1/0 Gamakatsu drop-shot hook with a Palomar knot, leaving a 14- to 20-inch-long tag line below the hook. 50+ bought in past month. 95 $ 29. One of the most versatile and effective drop shot rigs is the drop shot rig. Then, slide the red bead on after the sinker. One person noted that the Florida Sheepshead are delicious, one of their favorites. Pete Sucheski Illustrations. Mount a 5000 spin reel to an 8-foot medium light rod. Keep the sand fleas in a bucket of moist sand. With as much movement as the drop-shot rig creates, shaking your rod can get the bait to act wildly. A dropper rig can be used in all situations,. Step-by-Step Guide on How to Rig a Drop Shot Select the Right Equipment: Choose a spinning rod and reel combo with a light to medium-light power rating. Tie on your weight and you’re good to go. Here are the tackle components that you’ll need for a drop shot rig: 1/4 to 1/8 oz drop shot weight; Size 2 to 6 drop shot hook; Spinning rod and reel setup; 6 to 10 lb test fluorocarbon main line; A selection of soft plastic baits; In my experience, a light line is essential for the drop shot rig, since this is a finesse setup for targeting.