TackleTour

I'm just starting to get into drop shotting. I was able to catch a few fish last weekend on it, but every time I caught a fish my main line above the hook would be all frayed up. I have to think it's from the drop shot weight swinging around while fighting the fish. I'm using 6lb berkley vanish fluoro.

Anything you can do to prevent that from happening? It was very annoying having to re-tie after every fish, so much so I switched to a little swimbait on a jighead which was also catching so I just stuck with that. I'm planning on changing out the vanish to 6lb sunline shooter FC, so I'll see if that makes any difference. The vanish line was spooled on in April so it's not like it's old and brittle.

You have two typical drop shot configurations:

1) a Palomar knotted hook with the tag end passed back through the eye of the hook to help it stand out perpendicular to the line, then the shot down on the tag end of the same line anywhere from 4" to 18" in length I guess, sometimes even a longer separation;

2) a Gamakatsu type hook tied on your fluorocarbon leader or main line, then a separate piece of line from a pinch grip at the bottom of the hook . . . down to another pinch grip mounted on the sinker.

The latter sort of hook is on a swivel and the hook can spin around the line and I'd suppose it'd make the dropper line down to the weight less likely to swing around the line above the hook.

But, I have never heard of issues with line fraying from what you are describing. If you are fishing your drop shot the traditional short cast or vertical drop, the weight usually stays below the hook once it hits the water all the time until you land a fish.

Maybe more details on your approach would help someone identify the problem.

Brad

I was using a palomar knot. I think maybe the vanish was just crap as I moved to the FC Sniper last weekend and barely had any abrasion issues.

There were no issues while fishing, the it was only happening when I caught fish. They were all jumping, some multiple times, so maybe that caused the weight to flail around and damage the main line.

Great! It looks like you worked out a solution.

Drop shotting is really great when and where it works, which is most of the time. It gets an angler about as close as can be to a line/bobber/hook and sinker combo fishing a worm . . . that many of used in some combination as kids and off banks.

It is one of the best presentations for slow situations, too.

Brad

Yea, never use Vanish unless you want your fish to vanish too

But seriously, that line will fray on anything. Oh and I highly doubt it's your weight hitting the main line. The weight tends to stay down, even with a fish on.