Has anyone tried the drop shot hooks that come attached to a swivel? If so, what's the verdict? I've not done much dropshotting; however, I seem to recall that the hook is supposed to be in a horizontal position when tied, properly. It doesn't appear that would be achievable with the swivel/hook arrangement.
Thanks
Drop Shot Hook
-
Brad in Texas
- Elite Angler
- Posts: 225
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:58 pm
Re: Drop Shot Hook
Greg, I use them almost exclusively now and I really prefer them over standard drop shot hooks.
For anything 1/0 and smaller, so 1/0, 1,2, and 4s, the Gamakatsu Swivel Hook is my first choice.
For non-finesse drop shot hooks with swivels, there is Rivera Tackle and he sells them all the way up to 7/0s, as I recall.
With the Gamakatsu swivel hooks, there is a pinch line grip below so you can slide on a different piece of line from below the hook down to the sinker at the bottom . . . and most drop shot sinkers also have that little line pinch gripper. The advantage here is if you are using, say, an 8 lbs. fluorocarbon leader to tie on your hook, you can use a 4 or 6 lbs. separate line piece down to the sinker. Often, if you hang up a drop shot rig, it'll be down at the sinker, so a weaker line will snap off or otherwise pull loose at one of the two line pinch grips. I hope I am describing this so you can understand the issue. The idea here is to save the hook, and clip on another sinker. Better to lose one piece of the rig than all of it.
And, if you use standard drop shot hooks, you'd typically tie a Palomar knot and pass the tag end through the hook eye after the knot is secured so that the hook stands out as you mentioned. You tie that Palomar with the idea of leaving a decently long tag end to then attach the sinker. The way I described is much more modifiable. Say, you want a really long 30" length down to the sinker. My way, you just cut a 30" piece of light line, clip it on below the hook, clip on the sinker. Either way, you can always shorten the line down to a sinker, but my way would make it easier to lengthen it without having to tie the whole rig again.
Well, regarding whether your plastic will stand out like a flag in the wind, yes, if you choose the right ones. I'd say over half of real active drop shot users rely on Roboworms, usually the 4" ones, but there are many other plastics that are popular. Water, even still water, will have currents in it and they create small forces that keep small presentations standing straight out.
One note: If you buy Rivera's drop shot hooks, he shows a swivel above and below the hook . . . but he will put the pinch line gripper on, at least he did for me, at the same price he shows on his website. You can get drop shot hooks up to 7/0 or larger from him. In this case, using a large hook, you'd want up size up the line you use, the worm size of course, and use a heavier sinker.
Nothing says you have to fish drop shot with finesse riggings only. It works great with larger hooks, too. And, with these line grabbers, it takes a matter of seconds to make adjustments on how far off the bottom you fish.
Finally, you'll find that now that your worm can rotate 360 degrees around the line that you have much less line twist, a common issue with drop shot rigs.
Brad
Brad
For anything 1/0 and smaller, so 1/0, 1,2, and 4s, the Gamakatsu Swivel Hook is my first choice.
For non-finesse drop shot hooks with swivels, there is Rivera Tackle and he sells them all the way up to 7/0s, as I recall.
With the Gamakatsu swivel hooks, there is a pinch line grip below so you can slide on a different piece of line from below the hook down to the sinker at the bottom . . . and most drop shot sinkers also have that little line pinch gripper. The advantage here is if you are using, say, an 8 lbs. fluorocarbon leader to tie on your hook, you can use a 4 or 6 lbs. separate line piece down to the sinker. Often, if you hang up a drop shot rig, it'll be down at the sinker, so a weaker line will snap off or otherwise pull loose at one of the two line pinch grips. I hope I am describing this so you can understand the issue. The idea here is to save the hook, and clip on another sinker. Better to lose one piece of the rig than all of it.
And, if you use standard drop shot hooks, you'd typically tie a Palomar knot and pass the tag end through the hook eye after the knot is secured so that the hook stands out as you mentioned. You tie that Palomar with the idea of leaving a decently long tag end to then attach the sinker. The way I described is much more modifiable. Say, you want a really long 30" length down to the sinker. My way, you just cut a 30" piece of light line, clip it on below the hook, clip on the sinker. Either way, you can always shorten the line down to a sinker, but my way would make it easier to lengthen it without having to tie the whole rig again.
Well, regarding whether your plastic will stand out like a flag in the wind, yes, if you choose the right ones. I'd say over half of real active drop shot users rely on Roboworms, usually the 4" ones, but there are many other plastics that are popular. Water, even still water, will have currents in it and they create small forces that keep small presentations standing straight out.
One note: If you buy Rivera's drop shot hooks, he shows a swivel above and below the hook . . . but he will put the pinch line gripper on, at least he did for me, at the same price he shows on his website. You can get drop shot hooks up to 7/0 or larger from him. In this case, using a large hook, you'd want up size up the line you use, the worm size of course, and use a heavier sinker.
Nothing says you have to fish drop shot with finesse riggings only. It works great with larger hooks, too. And, with these line grabbers, it takes a matter of seconds to make adjustments on how far off the bottom you fish.
Finally, you'll find that now that your worm can rotate 360 degrees around the line that you have much less line twist, a common issue with drop shot rigs.
Brad
Brad
Re: Drop Shot Hook
Hi Brad,
Thank you for the reply and information. I'm new to dropshotting; so, any help is appreciated.
Thank you for the reply and information. I'm new to dropshotting; so, any help is appreciated.
Re: Drop Shot Hook
Hi, I have used the VMC spinshot hooks, and the are great hooks but I still had some line twist issues and the line tends to get fouled up a little easier than just using a drop shot hook with no swivels. If you watch some of the A-mart drop shot videos he shows a good knot to use that will make the bait stand out horizontally (double uni, or just a regular uni with tag end down through). I also highly recommend the Gamakatsu TWG drop shot hooks.
-
Teal101
- TT Moderator
- Posts: 4884
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:59 am
- Location: Central Washington
- Contact:
Re: Drop Shot Hook
I tried the Gammy and the VMC ones and went back to standard Gammy dropshot hooks. I bent a few of the swivel pass throughs on the VMC and having to tie two knots didn't speed me up any or make it easier. They arent as adjustable as the Gammy ones. I like the Gammy ones if you arent casting. Once you start casting I had issues with the line snapping off the clip on the bottom of the hook. It did exactly what it was designed to do, cut the line when pressure was applied. I drop shot a ton in the summer and this got old quick. I went back to Gammy Split/Dropshot #2's and #4's.
-
cndbasshunter
- Pro Angler
- Posts: 4216
- Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:32 pm
- Location: CANADA
Re: Drop Shot Hook
1/0 gammy tgw aaron drop shot hook has been stellar last year.
-
Brad in Texas
- Elite Angler
- Posts: 225
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:58 pm
Re: Drop Shot Hook
I posted the URL for Rivera Tackle to Scott via message and I thought I'd drop it here, too.
http://www.riveratackle.net/
One thing about going away from finesse, which is how I normally fish drop shots, is if you really size up to a 4/0 or bigger hook, you can use it as a superior substitute to a Texas Rig. Why? With a clip from the hook to attach to a separate and weaker line down to the drop shot sinker, nothing prevents you from making it super short keeping the worm in close contact with the bottom of the water column. So, make it 2" long or something.
The advantages? One is that it is often the sinker on a T-Rig that gets hung up in cracks and on brush. With weaker line to the sinker on the power drop shot alternative, give it a yank and the lighter line should break off saving your bait and hook. Two is that since the weight is not between you and the fish, you'll feel it a fraction quicker than with a T-Rig.
Good luck everyone!
Brad
http://www.riveratackle.net/
One thing about going away from finesse, which is how I normally fish drop shots, is if you really size up to a 4/0 or bigger hook, you can use it as a superior substitute to a Texas Rig. Why? With a clip from the hook to attach to a separate and weaker line down to the drop shot sinker, nothing prevents you from making it super short keeping the worm in close contact with the bottom of the water column. So, make it 2" long or something.
The advantages? One is that it is often the sinker on a T-Rig that gets hung up in cracks and on brush. With weaker line to the sinker on the power drop shot alternative, give it a yank and the lighter line should break off saving your bait and hook. Two is that since the weight is not between you and the fish, you'll feel it a fraction quicker than with a T-Rig.
Good luck everyone!
Brad
Re: Drop Shot Hook
So, is it the general consensus that the Gamakatsu TWG Swivel Drop Shot Hook presents the bait properly; even though, the hook is not exactly perpendicular to the line?
-
Brad in Texas
- Elite Angler
- Posts: 225
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:58 pm
Re: Drop Shot Hook
Greg,
The hook is a bit loose and actually presents itself perpendicular to the line as well a a stiffer, say, Palomar knot where the tag end (the line down to the sinker) is pulled back through to help the hook stick out.
So, the small worm or bait is actually less constricted in my opinion. Usually, too, unless you are fishing straight over the gunwale of a boat, if the drop shot is cast out at least some distance, the line isn't vertical anyway.
It takes a very, very minor current to hold the worm out horizontal to the surface.
The other thing is since it is riding on a swivel, the bait can actually move 360 degrees. Not sure what conditions would create this but if odd forces acted on the baited hook, it could swing a complete circle. And, this is also the reason the swivel hook is credited with creating less twisting on line.
These hooks aren't cheap so if you give them a go, be sure and clip in a weaker line down to the drop shot sinker. This will save the hook and I have fished with one hook all day on many occasions. Most of the time, as we have already discussed, a drop shot is most likely going to snag down at the sinker where they can get caught between rocks, that sort of thing.
Brad
The hook is a bit loose and actually presents itself perpendicular to the line as well a a stiffer, say, Palomar knot where the tag end (the line down to the sinker) is pulled back through to help the hook stick out.
So, the small worm or bait is actually less constricted in my opinion. Usually, too, unless you are fishing straight over the gunwale of a boat, if the drop shot is cast out at least some distance, the line isn't vertical anyway.
It takes a very, very minor current to hold the worm out horizontal to the surface.
The other thing is since it is riding on a swivel, the bait can actually move 360 degrees. Not sure what conditions would create this but if odd forces acted on the baited hook, it could swing a complete circle. And, this is also the reason the swivel hook is credited with creating less twisting on line.
These hooks aren't cheap so if you give them a go, be sure and clip in a weaker line down to the drop shot sinker. This will save the hook and I have fished with one hook all day on many occasions. Most of the time, as we have already discussed, a drop shot is most likely going to snag down at the sinker where they can get caught between rocks, that sort of thing.
Brad
-
Mothercanucker
- Senior Angler
- Posts: 118
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:50 am
Re: Drop Shot Hook
Didn't like the VMC spinshot hooks and now use only Gamakatsu hooks.
Re: Drop Shot Hook
I like the swivel style in open water, but if there is grass I dont. The grass gets tangled around the swivel too much.
Re: Drop Shot Hook
Same here. I go back and forth between the Aaron Martens DS hooks and the swivel kinds. Usually go for 1/0 or 1 with the occasional 2/0 in there if targeting bigger largemouth.Mothercanucker wrote:Didn't like the VMC spinshot hooks and now use only Gamakatsu hooks.
Re: Drop Shot Hook
So, does the line that holds the sinker merely clip into the clip portion of the swivel drop shot hook; or, does one tie a knot in the end to prevent it from slipping out of the clip. Same question for the end with the weight.
-
Brad in Texas
- Elite Angler
- Posts: 225
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:58 pm
Re: Drop Shot Hook
Greg,
On the Gamakatsu swivel hook, you tie only one knot: the knot to the swivel above the hook.
Then, below the hook, the Gamakatsu has a pinch grip and you simply lace through a separate piece of line, tug it down so that it sticks in the pinched area, then most drop shot weights also have a pinch grip and you clip it on to the other end of the "dropped" shot.
So, one knot and two pinched lines.
That is the issue with VMC and some others, that one has to tie a knot to the swivel above the hook . . . to attach the hook; then, a separate knot to the swivel below the hook for a separate piece of line down to the sinker. If your sinker also has a tie on, that would be three knots.
Brad
On the Gamakatsu swivel hook, you tie only one knot: the knot to the swivel above the hook.
Then, below the hook, the Gamakatsu has a pinch grip and you simply lace through a separate piece of line, tug it down so that it sticks in the pinched area, then most drop shot weights also have a pinch grip and you clip it on to the other end of the "dropped" shot.
So, one knot and two pinched lines.
That is the issue with VMC and some others, that one has to tie a knot to the swivel above the hook . . . to attach the hook; then, a separate knot to the swivel below the hook for a separate piece of line down to the sinker. If your sinker also has a tie on, that would be three knots.
Brad
Re: Drop Shot Hook
Thanks for the explanation.
If one is casting a drop shot rig versus fishing it straight down, is there a tendency for heavier weights to come undone?
If one is casting a drop shot rig versus fishing it straight down, is there a tendency for heavier weights to come undone?