If you enjoy your bass fishing, then we have no doubt that you are going to become quite familiar with the drop shot rig. This is one of the most versatile rigs in fishing, and it is highly customizable. Let's take a little look, shall we?

What is the Drop Shot Rig?

At its heart, the drop shot is one of the simplest possible rigs that you can make. You have a hook attached to a line. Attached to this will be a leader with a weight on it. Honestly, if you looked at this rig, you wouldn't actually think that there is much to it. However, it is so incredibly effective and this is, in part, down to what you can do with it.

How does the Drop Shot Work?

The idea is that you attach your bait to the hook. Live bait works incredibly well here.

As the weight attached to the rig sinks to the bottom, the bait will vibrate. This will cause vibrations to be sent through the water which will draw in fish from far and wide. This is one of the main reasons why you should be using a live bait. It increases the number of vibrations.

Of course, you can change up the amount of line attached to the weight. This will allow you to control the depth that the bait will sit at. The weight will have an impact on how fast and how deep the line is going to sink to the bottom of the water.

As we said before, you can really customize up this type of rig however you want. It is suitable for various depths, conditions, and even fish sizes. Although, it tends to work best when you are tackling bass.

How do you use the Drop Shot?

It is important that you pay attention to the water conditions. You need to know at what depth the various fish are sitting at. This will allow you to change up the rig to meet the conditions. For example, if the fish tend to be sitting a bit lower beneath the water, then you will probably want to be using a heavier weight and a longer leader line.

You can then attach a bait to this. A live bait is always going to be the best option, but you can add a decent artificial bait if you want. 

The idea is to allow the bait to move as naturally as possible. So, cast the lure and allow the weight to hit the bottom of the water. As it does tighten up the line (there shouldn't be any slack) and raise the rod.

As you raise the rod, you should grab a bite. If you do not get a bite, then you can release the tension and allow the weight to sink back down to the bottom of the water. 

If you still can't grab a bite, then wiggle the rod a little bit to draw fish into the area.

Can you make your own drop shot?

Absolutely. It is one of the simplest rigs to make. However, that is the rig. You will likely need to purchase the weights, hooks, lines, and bait separately. We suggest that you have a good mix of different accessories. This way you can experiment and see what causes the fish to bite in your area.

Remember, when you use the drop shot properly, this is a rig that is going to lead to most of your catches. It is the perfect rig for beginners. So, if you are new to fishing and want to see how everything works, pick up the drop shot and have fun with it!