as a manufacturer of dropshot weights (quickdrops dropshot Weights), in 1998 sales records clearly show that the two most popular sizes were 1/8-ounce and 3/16-ounce. For more than ten years, these two small sizes dominated 90 percent of sales, compared to the next four heavier sizes. Then anglers gradually learned to try the heavier 1/4-ounce size, which for the past four years has accounted for the majority of sales. More recently, the 3/8-ounce and the 1/2- ounce sizes have made a surge in sales and with each year more and more are discovering that even 3/4-ounce and one ounce quickdrops are important tools for catching bass. if you still believe in using the lightest weight possible, continue reading. Heavyweight dropshotting turns old theories upside down, and may be the only way to trick wary bass during certain conditions. often when i fish with others, they ask why i am using such a heavy dropshot weight. i usually answer, “Why not?” Consider that the dropshot rig places your lure above your weight, which is usually resting on the bottom. From the perspective of your lure and the bass, why would a light weight resting on the bottom be better than a heavy weight resting on the bottom? Both allow the angler to twitch their rod tip and make the lure dance and when a bass grabs the lure the weight is not felt like a traditional texas-rig weight.
Issue 5
October 2012
With a dropshot rig, the weight pulls the line tight as a bass swims away and the bass feels the worm trying to escape its grip and just clamps down even harder. Hook sets are often automatic from this tension and deep in the mouth. try a heavier dropshot weight than you would normally and when you get a bite hold off on setting the hook; you may be amazed the bass will hold the worm harder. Consider noise and the visual value created by a heavier dropshot weight. When fishing a heavier weight, the angler can choose the noise level they desire. a heavy weight allows you to keep it in place, and shaking the rod only moves the lure and not your weight for a silent approach with visual attraction. Should the angler choose to make noise, moving the weight up and down, or by dragging it across a rocky bottom, will make a louder sound than a light dropshot weight. ever see a crawdad scoot across the bottom and then dig into the bottom to hide in a cloud of silt? a heavy dropshot weight allows an angler to duplicate this visual stimulus, so the weight and worm both attract bass. Use a heavy dropshot weight to create your own clouds of silt and when a bass sees your worm darting in and out of the cloud of silt, you can expect the hardest strike you will ever feel when dropshotting. everyone knows the hardest time to dropshot is in the wind. even a mild breeze can put a bend in your
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