How Do You Drop Shot for Bass, and How Deep Does It Work?

What a drop shot is

A drop shot puts the weight on the bottom and the bait above it. The hook is tied onto the line 12–18 inches above the weight. The weight holds the bottom. The worm hovers and quivers right where the bass are.

That's why it's the go-to rig for deep, clear and pressured water. You can keep the bait in the strike zone for as long as you want.

How to tie a drop shot, step by step

1. Tie the hook. Use a Palomar knot. Leave a long tag end, about 12–24 inches.
2. Flip the point up. Pass the tag end back down through the hook eye from the top. Now the hook stands out from the line with the point up.
3. Add the weight. Clip or tie a drop-shot weight to the end of the tag.
4. Hook the bait. Nose-hook the worm through the very tip of the head. Around brush or grass, Texas-rig it weedless on a 1/0–2/0 hook instead.
5. Optional: add a small swivel 2–3 feet above the hook to stop line twist.
6. Wet the knot before cinching it. A dry knot weakens light fluorocarbon.

Leader length

The leader is the distance from the hook to the weight.

• 12–18 inches: the standard starting point
• Shorter (6–10 inches): for fish tight to the bottom, and for craw-style baits
• Longer (18–24+ inches): for clear water or fish holding a little higher

One tip from Kevin VanDam: when you cast, the line angles. An 18-inch leader cast into 10 feet of water only holds the bait about 4–5 inches off the bottom. Fishing straight down keeps the full leader height.

Weight, hook and line

Weight:

• Use the lightest weight that keeps you on the bottom. Start at 3/16 oz.
• 1/4 oz for 20+ feet or a little wind.
• 3/8–1/2 oz for deep water, strong wind or Delta current.
• Round or teardrop tungsten on rock (you can feel it "click"). Skinny cylinder weights in grass.

Hook: a #2 to 1/0 drop-shot hook for nose-hooking. 1/0–2/0 worm hook for a weedless setup.

Line: 10–15 lb braid main line with a 6–10 lb fluorocarbon leader (8 lb is a good start). Straight fluorocarbon works in very clear water.

Rod: 6'10" to 7'3" medium-light or medium spinning rod with a fast tip, and a 2500–3000 reel.

Delta drop shot is heavier: 16 lb fluorocarbon, a 2/0 hook and 1/4–1/2 oz to handle current and grass.

How deep does a drop shot work?

A drop shot works at almost any depth. That's what makes it special. Where it shines:

The deeper you go, the more a drop shot beats other rigs. A Texas rig or jig is hard to keep in front of a fish at 35 feet. A drop shot sits right there.

Proven example: the 2018 B.A.S.S. Nation event at New Melones was won with 35.79 pounds of largemouth on a 6" drop-shot worm, 6 lb line, at 18–20 feet in brush.

How to fish a drop shot

1. Find the fish first. Use your graph. The drop shot is made for fish you can see.
2. Drop to the bottom and reel up the slack.
3. Shake, don't drag. Shake the rod tip on a semi-slack line so the worm quivers but the weight stays put. Less is often more.
4. Deadstick. Let it sit still for a few seconds. Many bites come when the bait isn't moving.
5. Move a few feet and repeat.

Bites often feel like a "tick" or extra weight. Reel into the fish and sweep the rod. Don't set the hook hard on light line.