Drop Shot rod

[TonkaBass]

So I broke a legend elite, and I talked to a guy at St. Croix and he said I could get a legend tournament instead since they are less money. My question is... I need a drop shot rod, they say the 6'8" ML X-fast is thiers. what do you guys think? Or should I get a more versitile rod (I already own three 6'6"ers) like a 7 footer?

[Fluker]

I have a custom built version of the 4S76MLF. I LOVE it for drop shotting. I haven't seen the stock rod, so can't say for sure on it. But this blank is the perfect DS rod in my mind.

[TonkaBass]

I that a 7'6"?

[Wayne Ek]

I like a 7'-medium x-fast. Sometimes that extra lenght helps of vertical presentations and fighting a good fish on lighter line.

[Sproguy]

Tonka,

Having discussed the fact that you fear me in an earlier post! LOL I will tell you that buying a drop shot rod vs a multi stick is totally up to you. If you are going to buy a rod just for drop shotting it is a lot about taste. I tend to prefer what in most circles is considered a L power with a Fast action. Not a extra fast as Agape prefers. I tend to lean toward about the same action as Fluker but a little shorter. Agape has the right length! So as you can see it is all about taste.

As far as the 6'8" Croix I tend to feel that action is to fast for my taste. I tend to prefer more along the lines of the DSR820 from Loomis. Don't fish with it but have in the past but it is an action that you can find and play with to tell. I have a couple of blanks from Falcon that I took the guides off of and used it for the rod I want. I also have a couple of custom and a few more on the way. So the bottom line is taste in a drop shot rod is like taste in beer. Dark, Light, Amber, Pale Ale, ........... It can be anything that you want.

[BassProAddict]

But fast-ish tip right? No el-cheapo rods allowed?

[Sproguy]

BP - not sure who that question was geared toward but I would and have always said the action is more important then the price. An odd part of graphite is that high grade graphite doesn't stress as well as low grade. That is NOT to say buy an ugly stick but rather to say you can get a really good DS rod for less then a $100. Because of the light power you put a lot of stress on the graphite.

Again just like I said above, a good DS rod is all about taste.

Yes a Fastish tip is just fine. If you get to fast like an extra fast you run out of parabolic and you risk breaking light line.

[BassProAddict]

What's your max test on DS lines?

Can you DS with braid?

[Sproguy]

BP - Not the best one to ask as I have gone to the extreme! Mostly for fun but also for tournament fishing. I use 3 to 6lb Sunline. I have explained in the past that Sunline is IGFA rated unlike the other fluorocarbon's on the market so I when I am using 4 I am using about 2.5 from someone like Gamma. Once you get use to the extreme it gets a lot easier but at first you are snapping it all the time.

A lot of guys use braid as the main line and put a swivel and use fluorocarbon as the leader. Personal taste! I hate that but a lot of guys really like it. Play around and see what you like not what some guy says online late at night! LOL

[BassProAddict]

ohhhkaaayyy

[slipperybob]

 Originally Posted By: BassProAddict

What's your max test on DS lines?

Can you DS with braid?

max #8, I prefer #6

Can you DS with braid? yes, but it's all different.

DS technique is often dependent on line telegraph to tip to hand. Braid telegrapsh nothing when it's limp. You have to line watch at that point.

[luckycrank]

Take a look at the Shimano Crucial CRSDX68MH or CRSDX72MH

designed for dropshotting heavy brush piles I own the 6'8" and I run 6# flourocarbon on a Shimano Symetre reel and absolutley love fishing with it!!

I'm looking into buying a 7'2"

also I use it for light jig worms

[slipperybob]

Shimano Crucial dropshots are very respectable. I own two 6'8" ML and MH spinning versions. The standard medium doesn't give you the same lightness feel of the ML nor has the stronger backbone of the MH. I didn't like the increase in blank size on the 7'2" although I would've prefer the longer one. But it's about how it handles in your hand and the shorter ones have better feel in balance for me. Black Alconite guides works wonderful, and long casts are efforless.

[TonkaBass]

Thats a lot of good info! I am getting one legend tournament and an avid (replacing broken ones). I can wait to fish with the legend tournament I am getting though. My buddy sure seems to like them.

[river rat316]

I have the 7'2" Crucial paired with a Stradic, I got a great deal off hsolist on it and bought it sight unseen, I have played with the 6'8" in the store and liked it. I was very surprised at how huge the base of the blank is on the rod, but wound up loving it! Very good DS rod perfect tip (not to fast) and sensitive.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Great post guys.. .see I miss all the great posts when I am gone!!!

I have 4 drop shot rods.. The 7'2" Crucial is probably the best for the money if you have a rod box that it fits in... The 6'8 is decent too.. I just got the new 7'2" cumara that I cant wait to get on the water!!!

I use 6lb floro on most my dropshot, but have 8 on one when I know the piggies are around and or there is some cover to get caught up in.. .I hve bubba shotted with 60 lb braid, but thats a different post.. I would not normally drop shot with braid.

[BassProAddict]

So how do you know how far to put the d-shot weight from your lure?

[Sproguy]

BP - It is my two cents that in MN, just keep it between 10" to 15" and you are fine. The only time I start messing with it is for experimenting. No time in MN have I seen it make a HUGE difference when it is in that range. I have had days where I screwed up and ended up with a 6" dropper and it seemed like is cut down on my amount of fish. I have personally NEVER seen a day where 12" produces more bites then 15" or vise versa.

Worry a lot more about detecting the very subtle bites that often occur.

[slipperybob]

"How do you know how far to put the d-shot weight from your lure? "

Where the strike zone is best percieved. I typically got about 24" maybe 36" at most. Why? You can cover more water column, but most of all it is dependent on how far you have to cast and the angle of the line is from your target to your position.

Three feet length at 45 degrees is just a little more that two feet off the bottom. At 2 feet lenght, it's about 16+ inches. However that's all tight line and I don't always tight line my drop shot.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

 Originally Posted By: Sproguy

.... Sunline is IGFA rated unlike the other fluorocarbon's on the market so I when I am using 4 I am using about 2.5 from someone like Gamma....

Care to explain this to me more? Are you saying four pound gamma line has a break strenght of 2.5lbs?

[polarsusd81]

No, what he is saying is that the Gamma line is stonger than the rated strength. 2.5 lb Gamma if they made it would be similar to 4 lb Sunline, so 4 lb Gamma is closer to 6 or 7 lb Sunline.

If I catch a record, it wont be a line class record most likely, so I don't really worry about that stuff too much. Most average fisherman are in the same boat as I am on this.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Ahhh if thats the case it makes more sense to me. I had heard that gamma line (and others) were stronger than rated. Im not too concerned with line class record, either.

Sproguy, not knocking your line choice but why use a line that is weaker than say, gamma? That sunline line is pricey stuff like Gamma right? what makes you choose that over others?

[slipperybob]

One thing about line tolerance is uniform consistency. I've notice on Gamma that it is not always a smooth line. It appears to be deformed here and there. However it doesn't appear to affect the strength of it at all.

I haven't used Sunline at all, since my line of preference is Silverthread.

[Sproguy]

Turn Up, I don't take it as a knock at all! I get this question a lot. I will do my best to explain my thoughts. As I explain please understand I am not knocking Gamma or any other Fluoro, just clearing things up.

The reason I use Sunline is that it is the best handling, strongest line I can find at each diameter. Line test is a very subjective thing when you can print anything you want on a box like Gamma printing 6lb but it actually breaks at about 8 or 9 and has the diameter of what Sunline would have at about 8.5 to 9lbs. The reason I use light line is as much about getting a natural movement and cutting down on the chance a fish will detect line. When the bite is tough we all know that you will catch more fish on 8lb (any brand) then you will on say 14lb. I believe the same applies to a true 4lb vs a labeled 4lb that has a thicker diameter. Don't get me wrong for a second, I could care a less about a line test record, but I do really care how thick my line/lb test. The reason I always use the IGFA statement is that for a lot of fisherman they care and thus follow the diameter to diameter discussion. Please don't take offense as it took me most of my adult life as a fisherman to understand that it matters at all.

After spending several seasons fishing with what I would call super lite line you do see a lot more days then I thought I would where 4lb will catch a lot more fish then 8lb and sometimes even 6lb. It seems crazy to say but it really does matter, on some days. So my basic point is that when you are fishing Gamma's 6lb you are actually fishing the diameter of 8 or 9lb from other companies. Thus your head thinks you are fishing 6lb but the fish know you are using 8 or 9lb (no I don't think they actually think, but some days I'm not so sure! LOL). A lot of line companies cheat the rating this way. That is why so many companies have line management issues on your reel. It has to do with the fact that you are using a thick line vs a thin line. Even XL vs XT has some diameter difference.

Regarding how this all came up the person asked max and minimum lb test others prefer to use and I explained that I am not the best one to judge things off of as I am getting a little extreme with the lb test discussion vs diameter.

Lastly regarding price, I would argue that Sunline is no more expensive then Gamma. You get about 100 yards for about $20 from either company. Sure I generally have to order mine but you pay sales tax. If I order enough (say for a season) we come out about the same and if you shop it hard you can find websites that offer free shipping at "X" dollar amount. Yes you can take advantage of Gamma's rebate offer but lets be honest who actually does. I always intend to but never get around to sending in all the info.

In closing I'll say this, I started with Gamma three years ago and it is decent stuff but diameter to diameter (IN MY HUMBLE OPINION!) Sunline is better.

[Wayne Ek]

I feel a little differant than Sproguy when it comes to where you place the bait on a DS rig. I think it depends on (1) the depth of water and (2) the type of structure (rock,gravel,sand) or cover (submergant vegetation). Here is where good electronics are worth their weight in gold. One example, Fish on a hard clean bottom (gravel or rock) hugging the bottom are probably negetive fish and will not move a great distance to take a bait, so your bait needs to be close to the bottom. Second example, Lets take Lake Carlos up by me, on Carlos in 18 to 24 feet of water you can find the Chara grass (perch grass) easily growing up in clumps that are 24 plus inches of the bottom. If you use to short of a distance between the DS weight and hook all that happens is your bait is pulled down into the chara grass.

As to line, for me the best combination has been a braided line with a fluoro. leader added via a back-to-back uni-knot. I have never broken off at the knot with this rig. This has been the most sensative combination I've found, not only for detection of light bites but when fished with a tungsten DS weight to locate isolated hard spots (rock,gravel,kitchen sink) in a sea of soft bottom vegetation.