# Dropshot perch



## buckzye11

I am a long time slip bobber fan, and until now i haven't really tried a ton of different ways to get at deeper water panfish. This year i'm going to switch it up and do some dropshoting. From what ive seen on you tube and read in mags im sure it is an effective waty to get at panfish(especially perch). I,m just wondering if any OGFers can add testimony to this, or what your rig would include. Thanks, Buckz


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## Shortdrift

It was a very calm day about seven years ago when Misfit and I tried dropshoting for perch as the fish were suspending about three or four feet off the bottom. Used a #4 Carlisle hook Palomared to the Seagaur leader and hooked the minnow through the head. Worked good and eliminated gut hooks. Never used it again since then,


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## CRAPPIE LOVER

Can not see why it won't work for perch..I fish at least one rod with drop-shot rig when I am Crappie fishing...If they are hitting it pretty good I will fish both rods that way...To me fishing Erie perch is the same as drop shotting...Heavy sinker with perch rig..What is the difference....JIM....CL....:F


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## Lewzer

I use this homemade perch rig all the time when crappie fishing. Pretty much the same as dropshotting. I use this from 5' deep to 35' deep. Fish it just like Lake Erie perching. Drop it to the bottom and bounce it. Maybe raise it some depending on where the thermocline is or where the fish are suspending.










Here's Crappie Lover with a double on while crappie dropshotting.


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## buckzye11

Thanks Lewzer, first pic ive saw of you, i wonder how many times people look over and say.... "hey, its Bill Dance at Nimi, what a small world" I think ill try your home made setup there. I should i try to get away with as little weight as possible on this rig right?


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## Lewzer

That's not me. That's Crappie Lover. I never thought about it but your're right. Put an orange "T" hat on him and they would be twins (sorry Jim).





> I should i try to get away with as little weight as possible on this rig right?


Depends on the winds and the waves and the current and the depth and whether I'm using an ultralight or my regular pole. I just want to make contact with the bottom and feel it. I also use Fireline to feel the fish.

I use 30lb Trilene Big Game line as it's stiff and holds the hooks out from the mainline. Also notice how the hooks face down as I drop this in brushpiles quite a bit and this helps minimize catching the branches as you pull it up.


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## Intimidator

Lewzer said:


> That's not me. That's Crappie Lover. I never thought about it but your're right. Put an orange "T" hat on him and they would be twins (sorry Jim).
> 
> Now that's just "messed up"!


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## Intimidator

Buckeye11,

they have hooks out, (and I have some but for the life of me I can't remember the name) that you run the line through and the hook stands straight out from the line...Maybe "Stand-Outs". But anyway I used them to drop shot and they are Excellent. They also come in many different sizes.


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## CRAPPIE LOVER

Intimidator you got the name right..They are called Stand-Outs..And I also use them from time to time..When I do I put the stand-out on the bottom about 1 foot from the drop shot...Then the next hook is about 18 inches up from the dropshot..but it has a leader to give the minnow room to move around...Mike I will take the Bill Dance double as a compliment..But I don't think I am as accident prone as he..I love drop shotting....JIM....CL....:B


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## buckzye11

Thanks CL and Intimidator, can't wait to try it out. CL, just for fun one day, you really should get a Vols hat and see what happens on the lake I cant believe i haven't given dropshotting more of a chance, except for Erie, but i called it a spreader then. Hopefully this will be the summer im able to catch fish in the hotter months!


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## mrphish42

Great conversation on these techniques!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to learn more about this...Hum


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## Shortdrift

Lewzer said:


> Also notice how the hooks face down as I drop this in brushpiles quite a bit and this helps minimize catching the branches as you pull it up.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have been pursuing this wonderful sport of fishing for 68 years and continue to learn something new on a regular basis. Never thought about the hook facing down and that sure is a good idea. Thanks Lewzer.


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## creekcrawler

Did good at Ladue a few years back.
A split shot or three, one hook a foot above, a second a foot or two
above that. Worked good on the crappies.
I had a shiner on the bottom hook, minnow on th etop.


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## Lewzer

You're welcome Shortdrift. 
I didn't think that rig was a big deal. Been making them for several years. So one last tip. 
I use connector sleeves to attach the hooks and beads to the line and then connect those to the main dropline using the connector sleeves.
Something similar to these.

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/products/terminal-tackle/leaders/connector-sleeves

Just take a pair of pliars and sqeeze them tight. I never had them fail or cut into the mono.

The line from the hook goes out the top of the mainline connector sleeves so they arch out away from the mainline. If they came out of the bottom of the sleeves, the line would lay against the mainline.

When I get caught in a brushpile or a drum mangles the hook while perching, I cut the swivel and snap swivels off along with the beads and reuse them when making a new rig with new hooks. The only tackle you cannot reuse are the mangled hooks, connector sleeves and mono.


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## Lewzer

Those standout hooks are weird looking. I never used them. What kind of knot would one use to tie them to a mainline? The usual Palomar?

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/dropshot-hooks/861117.aspx


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## CRAPPIE LOVER

Lewzer said:


> Those standout hooks are weird looking. I never used them. What kind of knot would one use to tie them to a mainline? The usual Palomar?
> 
> http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/dropshot-hooks/861117.aspx


Hay there Mike...I went and looked at the package mine came in..and all it said was (Use your favorite knot)..I use the Palomar knot almost all the time..and it works fine..Something more for the fisherman to try in his bag of tricks....JIM....CL....:T


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## Rod Hawg

I hate those Perch/Crappie spreaders! They get tangled up to easy and I like to have a nice easy rig. So I started just tying on Fluro leader to my main line(10lb.) Braid and would tie two Rod Hawg Pan Fish hooks into my Fluro leaders. Then attach a swivel at the bottom of the fluro to attach your weight. Works great on Erie for Perch and Crappie. Also have caught Pike on them while Crappie fishin.


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## Intimidator

Lewzer said:


> Those standout hooks are weird looking. I never used them. What kind of knot would one use to tie them to a mainline? The usual Palomar?
> 
> http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/dropshot-hooks/861117.aspx


I used these for Walleye also, just after Ice out a few years back! Find youself a good balanced floating tail worm and the action never stops. I also set this up for my son with little "trout" floating worms to teach him how to catch 'gIlls and crappie, when I was trying to get him off the bobber.


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## buckzye11

Well i had some sucess with the dropshot. Just got back from east with 12 9" perch. I had a 1/4 oz weight on the bottom, and a ice fishing glow jig tipped with a pinch of crawler a foot up from the sinker. And a catfish and 4 crappie on the same rig at Hower yesterday The bite is so light it hard to tell the bite though, i know i missed alot of fish. I think i may have to find a 8-10 foot light action rod with a real sensitive blank to work it most effectivly.


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## jonnythfisherteen2

hm.. i wanna try that. can this work from shore? i don't have a boat because... i cant swim.... and would this work with plastic minnows? i dont use live bait anymore.


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## buckzye11

Yep, i got the perch from shore, you just need to keep your rod tip high and make sure you can keep the line somewhat tight so you can feel the sinker on the bottom. then give it a few jigs(drop your rod tip down then back to tight). You can try artifical, and im sure in some situations it will work, but for the perch, some kind of live bait tip will catch you WAY more fish.


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## papaperch

Here is my greatly altered drop shot rig . Two weightless jigs ( no lead ) tied with palomar knots to 4# test leader. 3/16 ounce swivel sinker as weight. If you look real hard you can see line that big dark line is the shadow not the line. Jigs are hand tied by me on a # 4 streamer hook, EZ-Body braid covering chenille body with 3d eyes.

Does it work ? Don't know as this is going to be my experiment this year. Drop shotting with jigs and grubs and live bait.


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## Kindlebeard

For crappie I have used berkley 3in power minnows. They worked almost as good as live minnow. I havethe hook come out the side so the bait moves on it side. I like to think it looks wounded, but just my preference.


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## Wow

I cut my teeth fishing for perch on Erie about 45 years ago. My uncle showed us a method that caught literally hundreds of perch. They didn't call it dropshotting then, but thats exactly what it was, my uncle would tie on hooks to stand out on the line. We'd use a minnow imitation that he tied with white hair and feathers directly to the hook--Tim....................................................................................................................


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## buckzye11

I fished the dropshot from 7am till 2pm today........:S The perch moved on from my hot spot or they just plain wern't hungry today. Not even a bluegill to boot. I felt like a lost puppy out on East trying to find the fish. I also tried for crappie on a slip float in 10-15 fow with no takes. My rig today was 1/4 oz bell sinker with varied lures 6 in to 3 ft up from the sinker. Tried ice jigs, minnows, twisters, tubes, hair jigs, crawlers. And all i have to show for it is a sore back Maybe next time.


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## buckzye11

On my first year of dropshotting.... Well i fished the dropshot quite often all year, and had some real good days and off ones too. It was very effective for the post spawn summer gills, i fished in depths up to 20 feet with it, picking up some nice fish i previously wouldn't have had a chance at. In mid-summer i was very suprised how many fish will hold that deep. It worked good also in the early Fall caught most fish in the Fall in 10-15 fow. For the most part i just used a pin-min or unweighted fly tipped with whatever. To keep the hook away from the line i cut coffee stirrer straws(clear) that went around my loop knot off the main line, and then super glued. i HATED it if i got these snaged though, because it took 10 minutes to tie up another And a swivel at the sinker is a must if you don't want line twist. I'm really glad i found this website... I have tried so many new techniques and presentations form things i have learned on here. thanks to all you you guys out there who helped me put more fish in the boat. See ya on the ice!


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## Rod Hawg

We use it on Erie. Never had a trip where we didn't get our limit. Works really well


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## buckzye11

It's been a couple years since i started dropshoting for panfish... thought id let you all know about a go-to Summer pattern thats been working on the Perch last year and this year.

Ive been using a 1/4 oz bell sinker at the bottom of line... around 15" up, i tied on(polymer knot, thanks PapaPerch))(forget that straw and loop knot, takes to long, and is useless,) a 1/64 oz black jig with a 1" white curl tail grub, dipped it in some smelly jelly with just a tiny pinch of crawler or dug worm.
Find a good rocky bottom in 8-10 fow with weeds near and it's on. I got a bunch of good inland lake Perch filets using this method the last couple weeks... so far it's been the best way ive found to consistently catch the buggers in Summer. The jig hangs sideways with the polymer knot, so the fish are almost always hooked right in the side of the mouth.
Ive used mono only with this rig, but if you were to fish for deeper Perch, i'd go with braid, and a heavier sinker.


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## Scum_Frog

Its the only set up I use on the western basin.....I have used it from the bank as well in reservoirs and so forth and have caught perch this way....some good ones too boot....but like stated...keep the rod tip up so you can feel the bites....no slack....also a firm hook set pending on LB line you are using....be careful on bank fishing though because if you bounce it to close to shore be prepared for snags! Tight lines!! Literally!!:B


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