Last Updated: June 2026

What Is It?

The Drop Shot suspends a soft plastic bait at a precise depth above the bottom by tying the hook mid-line with a Palomar knot, with a sinker hanging below on a tag end. The bait floats naturally at whatever height you choose — 6 inches off the bottom for feeding fish, 12+ when they're suspended. It's the definitive finesse rig for smallmouth bass, deep spotted bass, and any situation where fish are visible on sonar but won't commit.

When to Use It

Season	Year-round — essential for cold water and post-front conditions
Best For	Smallmouth bass, spotted bass, largemouth bass, walleye, perch
Water Clarity	Clear — a finesse rig built for pressured, clear-water fish
Ideal Cover	Rock, deep brush, open water suspended fish, steep drop-offs
Depth	8–40+ ft (also works shallow with light weights)

How to Rig It

Cut 18–20 inches of line and pass it through the hook eye from above.
Tie a Palomar knot — loop through the eye, overhand knot, pass the loop over the hook.
Pull tight, leaving 8–18 inches of tag end hanging below the hook.
Pass the tag end back up through the hook eye from below — this rotates the hook to face upward.
Clip a drop shot weight onto the tag end.
Nose-hook a small finesse worm or shad-style bait through the very tip of the nose.

Hook & Weight Sizes

Depth / Conditions	Weight	Hook	Leader Height
Shallow / calm (1–8 ft)	3/16 oz	1/0 light wire	12–18 in
Medium (8–18 ft)	¼ oz	1/0–2/0	10–14 in
Deep (18–30 ft)	⅜ oz	2/0	8–12 in
Deep current / wind	½ oz	2/0	6–10 in

Pro Tips

💡 Keep the rod still. A subtle wrist quiver shakes the bait without moving the sinker — that suspended shimmy is the whole technique.
💡 Use braid main line to a fluorocarbon leader — sensitivity with near-invisible terminal tackle.
💡 Adjust leader length based on what your sonar shows — if fish are marked 18 inches off bottom, set your leader to 18 inches.