How to Fish a Drop Shot Rig: Rigging, Hooks and Why It Works

A drop shot turns the usual rig upside down: the hook sits above the weight. Texas Parks & Wildlife explains: "Unlike some other rigs, where the weight is attached between the rod and lure, the hook is above the weight on a drop shot. This also gets the bait off the bottom."

Quick answer: Tie a hook onto your line, leave a long tag end below it, and tie a weight to that tag. Keep the weight on the bottom and the line just tight enough to hold the bait up (Vermont Fish & Wildlife; TPWD).

What it is

  • The parts: "a hook tied to the main fishing line, with a 12 to 24 inch tag-end piece of line left to which an egg, bell or cylinder-shaped weight is tied" (Vermont Fish & Wildlife).
  • Where it's used: Vermont says drop shots "are generally fished around bottom structure" but "can also be 'counted down' to catch suspended fish in the middle of the water column."
  • When it shines: Texas Parks & Wildlife calls it "an important rig for fishing in clear water, on slow catching days or in heavily pressured lakes" (TPWD).
Drop shot rig diagram The Drop Shot Rig main line Palomar knot hook tag end run back through hook eye 12–24 in. tag weight on bottom bait held off bottom
Drop shot rig, labeled: main line, Palomar knot, hook, tag end run back through hook eye, 12–24 in. tag, weight on bottom, bait held off bottom.

How to rig it

Texas Parks & Wildlife's steps (source):

  1. Tie on a hook "with a Palomar knot about 18 inches from the end of the line." See our Essential Knots for the Palomar.
  2. "Don't cut off the tag end, but run it back up and over and then down through the hook eye."
  3. "Attach a weight on the end of the line."

Vermont's version allows "a 12 to 24 inch tag-end."

Hook styles for the drop shot

  • Octopus hooks: NYSDEC's bass table lists a "2-1/0 octopus hook; 1/8-1/2-oz. drop shot weight; 4-6-inch straight tail worm" (NYSDEC).
  • Size: Texas Parks & Wildlife says "try a 1/0 or similar size."
  • Open or embedded: "Depending on the underwater vegetation or other cover, you may need to embed the hook as pictured or you may be able to use an open hook" (TPWD).
  • Many ways to hook the bait: Vermont says soft plastics "can be nose-hooked, back-hooked, Texas-rigged or wacky-rigged on the drop shot," and live bait can be rigged "in a range of fashions."

How to fish it

  • Keep the line just tight: Vermont's key is "to keep your line just tight enough so that your bait is held up off the bottom, but your weight stays on the bottom."
  • Let it sit: NYSDEC says "When bait hits the bottom, let it sit a few seconds then shake the rod tip. Move it a few feet and repeat." The table pairs it with "Deep clear water."
  • Fish slowly: Texas Parks & Wildlife says "Fish slowly, and don't move it as much as you would think. In fact, many times just a light twitch of the rod tip or none at all works best."
  • Deeper water: "For water deeper than 10 feet, fishing it vertically below the boat can be very effective" (TPWD).
  • Setting the hook: "just start reeling and keep pressure on the line" (TPWD). Texas Parks & Wildlife suggests "a light- or medium-action spinning rod with light line and weights."

Why it works

  • The bait hangs in the strike zone. Vermont says the drop shot "allows for a unique presentation just off the bottom that is extremely realistic and irresistible to fish – both active and lethargic."
  • It tempts cautious fish. "Keeping your weight in contact with the bottom and 'suspending' your bait off the bottom is a proven tactic for catching even the most tentative of fish" (Vermont Fish & Wildlife).
  • Many species: Vermont says it has been used "to chase everything from perch and walleye to panfish, trout and pike."

Sources

  • Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, "Bottom Lures – Drop-Shot Rig." https://vtfishandwildlife.com/fish/fishing-opportunities/fishing-basics/common-lures-and-rigs/bottom-lures-drop-shot-rig
  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), "Fishing for Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass." https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/learn-to-fish/tips-skills/fishing-for-largemouth-smallmouth-bass
  • Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, "Rigging Up, Not Wigging Out," Texas Fishing 2013 (Randy Brudnicki). https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/fishing_rigs.pdf

Keep going: Texas Rig · Wacky Rig · Essential Knots

Always check your state's current fishing regulations before you go. Last checked: Nov 5, 2026 (America/Los_Angeles).

Keep going

Hard Baits: A Beginner Overview Read guide → How to Fish a Wacky Rig: Rigging, Hooks and Why It Works Read guide → Soft Plastics: A Beginner Overview Read guide →