# Drop Shot Rod advice needed



## Nate In Parma Hts (Jul 4, 2014)

I'm no stranger to drop shot. However I've been wanting to try my hand at rod building for a while now, and strongly leaning toward a drop shot rod for my first attempt. 

I'm planning to go with a Medium Light power blank, but unsure if I should go with a Fast action, or Moderate Fast. I'm leaning toward to MF action for the little extra flex and give. Would that be an appropriate power and action for shore fishing small ponds and lakes? Figured I'd ask those who are more versed in the gear than I for opinions.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

No way would I go with a moderate fast action for a drop shot rod. You want at least a fast action rod to drop shot with. And personally, I'd go with an extra fast action. An extra fast action has a nice light tip that will detect the subtle pressure bites that regularly occur when using a drop shot, and it will give you a nice long back bone for setting the hook. The medium light power will provide more than enough give to protect light line.

Building your own rods is fun and very addictive. I just started building rods myself, this past year. The last two rods I built are spinning rods that I plan to use to drop shot, shaky head, and light wacky worming. I haven't fished either of them yet though. In fact, I have one of them turning on the rod dryer with the first coat of finish drying as I type this response.

I built them using Pac Bay, Quickline QLSJ782 blanks. It's a thin walled high modulus blank. 6'6" long medium light power rated for 6 - 12# line, 1/8 - 3/8 oz lures, with an extra fast action. The blank itself is very light, weighing only 1.34 oz., and is very sensitive.

I used Fuji K series guides, with black stainless steel frames and Alconite rings. Initially I had planned on using titanium framed guides, but the cost for two sets of those was a bit too much for me at this time.

I have no doubts they're going to fish extremely well. Tomorrow will be my first trip out with at least one of them. I'll be putting my second coat of finish on the one I have turning, in an hour or two, so I'll need to wait a full 24 hours before I can use it.

This is a picture of the one finished rods.


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## grub_man (Feb 28, 2005)

You want a 6'6" - 7'6" (length is personal preference and also depends on what is available) ML - M power Extra Fast action with a lure rating of 1/8 - 1/2 or 1/8 - 5/8 oz. These rods come with a limber tip and a a bit of power in the butt to move fish when need be.

Mine is built on a Batson RX8+S822.5 6'10" M power Extra Fast action rod with a lure rating of 1/8-1/2 oz. It's perfect for my taste, and is one of the most versatile rods I've ever used. The line is discontinued and the comparable offering are called Eternity^2.

Drop shot is a single hook technique where you hook them up and control them. The moderate and moderate fast action rods are generally more suited to cranks and treble hook applications. If you do decide to go with a moderate or moderate fast action, take a look at the 3 and 4 power rods from Falcon. You will be hard pressed to find anything else quite like them from anyone. They are a bit more powerful in the mid and butt section than any offering with a moderate action that I've seen.


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## grub_man (Feb 28, 2005)

That's a sharp looking build Dave, well done! Let me know how you like the QL blank after you fish it for a bit.


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## Hotfishinrod (Jan 9, 2014)

Joe or Dave, I'm getting ready to build my second rod and wanted to try the Prism wrap that Roy Miller demonstrated at the show back in March. He did hand out the article but I seem to have misplaced mine. Can either of you send me a copy if you have one? I would appreciate it. I have all the parts on order to build a baitcaster with the blank I won as a door prize at the show. It was the American Tackle Bushido MD68/10-17. Planning on using the Fuji SK2 reel seat to keep the weight down and Fuji micro guides. Going to use Red winding checks and trim rings along with red thread. Will use the Red Scale reflective tape on the butt wrapped with black thread. I think this will look nice with my Abu Garcia SX which has a red spool and trim. I still need to take pictures of the spinning rod I made for momma. It was a learning process.


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## grub_man (Feb 28, 2005)

Hot,

I can't wait to see pics! I bet the red holo tape will look awesome on that build! I've read good things about those Bushido blanks but haven't built on one yet. Let me know what your impressions are before and after the build.

Joe


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## Hotfishinrod (Jan 9, 2014)

Oh, and going to use EVA grips as well. If it turns out like the picture I have in my mind it will be a nice looking rod. So nice the fish couldn't resist biting what's on the end of the line just to see the rod


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## Nate In Parma Hts (Jul 4, 2014)

Thanks for the replies everyone. I thought for sure going Mod Fast would be the way to go. Glad I asked before ordering stuff. After your advice Fast action ML is what I'm going to go with. 

Very nice rod Bassbme! I doubt my first attempt will look even half as good, but as long as it catches fish, I'll be happy. Especially making it myself. 

Still not sure if I want to go with split grips, or full cork. I've never been very fond of split grips, but I've also not used them much. 

Thanks again everyone.


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

I'd personally go no lighter than medium for a dropshot rod unless I'm dropshotting bluegill or crappie.Bass,Medium or medium heavy,w XF tip.I'm ordering a medium MHX blank to build and go along w/the Crucial MH I already have.I MUCH prefer the MH on Erie for smallies but that's just my preference.


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## Hotfishinrod (Jan 9, 2014)

Do you guys use florocarbon line when drop shotting?


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

Just my two cents as a novice compared to others on the subject. I use my medium light fast action loomis and it works fine. I do think extra fast would be better and as far as going with a heavier rod ai would have to base that decision on what weight line and lead you will be using. erie dropshotting seems a step up in tackle from the ultra finesse origins of the technique where 6lb line is standard. I dont think you would want to use 6lb on a medium heavy rod. So it seems like you have to decide just how finesse you want to go.


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## grub_man (Feb 28, 2005)

Nate, I somehow completely missed the remarks about you building this rod. That definitely takes the Falcon options off the table. They don't sell blanks, and their rods are a pain in the rear to strip. As the kids get older, they might get some rods built on my old Falcons, but they'll need some personalization to cover up some of the evidence of the stripping. There are people who will recommend popping blanks for drop shotting, but I'm not one. You could get by with one, but I like having that backbone there if I need it, and it makes the rod useful for other applications as well.

Fast or extra fast is definitely the way to go. Which blanks are you looking at?

Are you building spinning or casting? If spinning, have you given any thought to a Tennessee handle, or better yet a split TN handle? I'm a huge fan, and won't use a reel seat unless I absolutely have to on a spinning rod. The only spinning rod I use with a seat is my little pack rod that I put in a tube and take in the vehicle with the reel in a separate pouch, and that rod has an 18mm seat which is very close to the O.D. of my TN handles.

If you are one who likes to change reels regularly, then the TN handle can be a pain, but if you are like me and put a reel on the rod until one or the other fails, then the TN handle is a fantastic option.

I also have one other comment, if you are going to give the split grip a try moving from a full grip, try to use a butt grip that is long enough to fill the hand. For me that means a grip that comes in at 3.5" to 4" including a mushroom style butt cap. The section in front of the butt cap is about 2.5". In my opinion a well executed split grip functions no differently than a full grip. It only removes material that doesn't need to be there. When making two-handed casts, you should have enough material to fully support both hands. The split grip also encourages proper hand placement while casting, and the mushroom shaped butt cap serves as a natural stopping point for your hand with it's flair at the end.

My personal rods may not always be pretty, but they are designed to do a job and do it well. When I get a chance, I'll snap a couple pics of a couple of my rods to clarify things.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Joe, thanks for the compliment. Honestly, and I'm not just saying this, but the rod looks even better in person, and it fishes great. I had it out at Milton today, and it is no longer a virgin. The first fish I caught on it was about a 2 - 2 1/4 lb smallie that I got on an 1/8 oz. shaky head with a 4" Roboworm, straight tail worm. 

The fish was in 12 - 14' of water. The bite was one of those little ticks, and the sensation of something alive on the end of the line. I normally would have been using a 3/16 oz jig head for that water depth and with a light wind, but I was trying to get an idea of how sensitive the rod is. It's probably not GLX sensitive, but it's pretty darn sensitive. Better than any of my factory rods, that's for sure. And it casts much better as well. Hook set was surprisingly good considering the medium light power rating. It has a very good back bone. 

Hotfishinrod ..... I know I met you at the Ohio Rod Builders gathtering, and I have to say I'm a bit embarrassed, I'm terrible with names, my apologies ...... Larry was it? Yes I'm pretty sure I still have that copy of Rod Makers with the holo wrap that Roy passed out, I'll have to go through my magazines to find it. When I do I'll send you a private message, and we'll figure out how I can get a copy of it to you. 

And yes Hot ..... I use 8# Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon line for drop shot and shaky head. 

Nate, thanks for the compliment as well. And I'm sure if you take your time the rod will come out quite nicely. The first rod I ever built wasn't perfect, but it came out pretty decent, and it catches fish.Which is what really counts in the end. And Nate, I suggest you become a member of Rodbuilding.org. That site is awesome. It has members like Joe (grub_man) and others that really know their stuff when it comes to building rods, and they're more than willing to help. Joe and others on that site have helped me immensely, that's for sure.

Cajunsaugeye, I can understand wanting a more powerful rod for Erie, or if you were drop shotting in 30' plus of water. And to be honest I was a little leery about going with a blank that was rated as medium light power. But through research, and comparing published numbers with numbers I came up with from testing a factory rod I own. The medium light rated blank I built the rod pictured on, has a higher IP (intrinsic power) number than my 6'8" medium power, Shimano Crucial with an extra fast action. And the hook sets I made today, bear that out. 

And Joshy. I understand what you're saying about light line on a medium heavy power rod, but the drop shot hook set is different than a Texas rig hook set. I just pretty much just lift my rod when I feel a bite on a drop shot. Some times slow, some times fast, but I never use a slack line Texas rig type hook set when I'm throwing a drop shot.

Just figured I'd take a picture and post it of the 4 builds I've done thus far. 

Joe, the casting rod with the red trim bands and winding check is that crankbait rod that you and I talked about a couple years ago. It's built on that Rainshadow RX7 crankbait blank. That blank is super sweet. Today was its first time out as well. And it's caught its first fish. A nice little 1 1/2 lb. smallie that took a wake bait.


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

Bassbme,I completely respect anyone who wants to use a med/Lt setup.I just have always preferred medium at the lightest.I want to fight the fish,not let the fish fight me.And I regularly use 6#or 8# fluoro even on the med heavy,depending on how clear the water is.When its super clear ill bump down to 6#.All about the drag at that point.I may build a medium light in the near future for "testing". At worst it'll become an inland crappie/bluegill rod or maybe a nice perching rod when I get up there for that.At this rate,I may soon hit the 40 rod mark.Made 5 ice rods this winter and getting ready to make a Cranking rod,drop shot rod and a longer med action spinning rod to whip them jigs/joshys out this fall for the saugfish! Rod building is an ADDICTION!


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## grub_man (Feb 28, 2005)

Dave, that's a good looking set of rods! Every time I build a rod for someone else and add in a little bling, I always think, man that looks good. Then when I build one for me, I always talk myself out of it, and almost always end up with black or some shade of gray wraps and no bling.

Your finish work looks great right out of the gate. The longer stretches of finish on my early rods leave a lot to be desired, particularly on decals. Once I finally got a dryer set up and running, my finish improved greatly, but I could really benefit from a well centered option that turns true and faster.

I also have a habit of using my rods for experiments, such as wrapping the guides and only applying color preserver, just to see how well they stand up. By the way, this is a fantastic option if you want to try something you aren't used to in the guide train, say you've never used a spiral wrap before and want to try it for a while, or you want to try a different spinning guide layout. Wrap them on and coat with CP. They'll stay put for years if you aren't grinding the wraps on the side of the boat or trees and such. If you are happy, give the rod a good cleaning, add a fresh coat of CP and then finish. If you want to move them, the water based CPs will clean up with rubbing alcohol usually, and leave no evidence of the wrap as long as the blank didn't fade.

One thing I learned early on is to make sure that guide foot tunnels get filled to keep guides from pulling out. I had one pull out on my second build for that reason, and fish a rod with the tunnels left unfilled purposely, but surprisingly, only one guide has pulled out on that one in that last 6 or 7 years, but I have noticed some corrosion around the foot of the guides. One of the best tips when dealing with the tunnels is to focus on the tunnel when you start applying CP or finis to a wrap. I'll dab some on the outside of the tunnel, and then go to the opening and start pushing finish or CP off of the top of the thread, and it usually will wick into the tunnel, and keep feeding it until the finish or CP bulges our around the foot of the guide letting you know the tunnel is full. Then when you apply the finish around the wrap, it lays down nicely and doesn't soak into the tunnels, making it a little easier to get a decent looking finish job.

Edit: That cranking rod, is that the CB70MH? The 3/8-1 oz blank? If so, glad you like it. It's lighter sibling scared me off of the line. I think I'll stick to my glass cranking sticks though. That Lami that you were to busy talking to pick up is a good'un. Sorry, had to give you a hard time about it. I put it on the duplicator (the red board that I used for static testing), and it is slightly slower, and ever so slightly more powerful than the RFLE blank that I trimmed up a bit. Those blanks can handle just about all (small shallow divers through DD22 sized cranks) but the giant ultra deep divers. They will serve as a nice pair when cranking.


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## grub_man (Feb 28, 2005)

Cajun,

Rod building is as addicting as it gets. I still have a list a mile long of rods I want to build, but the budget hasn't allowed in the last couple of years. Once it does, though, watch out.

I've had a few rods not quite pan out the way I would have liked. It's good to experiment. The Batson CB66M was underpowered for my taste, and constantly hooking fish on only the rear treble took its toll, but they wouldn't shake off. The MHX MB782 didn't lock up in the butt the way I would have liked, so I stripped it, rebuilt it as a spining rod and gave it to my brother-in-law. The Bastion ISJ 781, I built to fish weightless flukes on the bait caster. It casts them great, but doesn't have the power to drive the hook home. I might have to give it another shot before I tear that one down. If I do tear it down, it'll get extended to 6'10-7' and built as a spinning rod for UL bassin. I'll have to put it on the board and check, but it should become the lighter cousin to my drop shot type rods with an extra fast action and a really light tip.


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## Nate In Parma Hts (Jul 4, 2014)

Thanks again for the advice and suggestions. I'll have to join that rod building site, it will help me immensely. 

As of this moment my initial plan is a spinning rod, 7'6" possibly 8' since I'm 6'4" and prefer longer rods. 90% set on a 2 piece that I can throw in the trunk and go when I get the urge to hit a pond or small lake at the spur of the moment. ML power will do just fine. I've never run across a Bass bigger than a few pounds at the places I frequent. I have stouter gear if I fish Erie and could run into something substantial. 

Hadn't given a TN Handle consideration, but that might fit the bill nicely. Just checked Jan's and there's a Graphite TN kit that looks promising. I bet cutting the graphite down to a smaller length, and adding a cork butt cap would make for a nice split grip. I don't switch reels too often, and a TN style would give me a reason to buy the Helios I've been lusting after.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Joe, I built that crankbait rod on the CB66MH blank. And I'm very happy with the results. I can't really say how much power I lost by taking the 6" off the butt, but it has good power for the baits and the length of casts I'll be making with it.

I actually think it will make a good more open water buzzbait rod, as well. My Shimano Convergence crainkbait rod is rated as a medium fast action, and the Batson blank seems to have a slightly faster action than it. It really is about perfect for what I was looking for.

I know one thing, the Rainshadow blank blows away the MHX blank I built the jerkbait rod on. The finish on the Batson blank is beautiful.


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## grub_man (Feb 28, 2005)

Oh yeah, the short cranking rod. I was a little concerned about chopping that blank down, but glad it worked out. I've been a fan of the Batson blanks since I started building. They are great blanks at a fair price, though that price is starting to creep upwards, especially with their redesigned lines of blanks. Their blanks are almost always what I expect when they come in, but there are a ton of good blanks out there these days. They normally contribute a very nice care package for ORBS door prizes, but I think some communications got crossed up this year and the goodie bag didn't make it.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Cajun .... the point I was trying to make is that one company's power rating may be one thing, and another company's may be something different.


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## Hotfishinrod (Jan 9, 2014)

Dave, you were close on the name. It's Jerry. Parts for my 2nd build should be here tomorrow. Can't wait to get started.


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## Hotfishinrod (Jan 9, 2014)

Oh, and I found my copy of the article I asked for. Thanks anyway.


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