The drop shot rig
A drop shot rig hangs the hook out from the line with the weight below it, so a lure or bait hovers at a fixed height off the bottom. It is the all-rounder for perch and zander, fished from the bank or from a boat, and the most versatile rig in this set.
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Braid, PE 0.8 (≈0.14 mm, ≈12–16 lb) |
| Swivel | Small, size ~10–12 |
| Leader | Fluorocarbon 0.22 mm (≈10 lb) |
| Hook | Drop-shot / wide-gape, in-line, #1–#4 (perch #4–#2, zander #1) |
| Weight | Clip-on drop-shot weight, 3–14 g |
| Lure | Perch: 2–3" shads. Zander: 4" paddletails, yellow or blue |
What it's for
Perch and zander, from the bank and from a boat. It is the rig I reach for first here, because the same setup works in both places and for both fish. From the bank you fish it light, at first or last light when the perch move along the edge and off the fishing pontoons. From a boat you fish it heavier to hold the bottom in deeper, windier water, where zander sit. The lure hovers off the bottom at a height you choose, which is exactly where these fish feed.
The rig at a glance
Read top to bottom, the way it hangs. The main line (braid, PE 0.8) comes down from the rod to a small swivel, tied at both ends with a Palomar knot. Below the swivel is the fluorocarbon leader (0.22 mm). The hook is tied in-line on the leader with a Palomar knot, about 20 to 40 cm above the bottom, and it stands out horizontally with the point up. Below the hook the leader continues down as a tag end to a clip-on drop-shot weight (3 to 14 g) at the very bottom.
How to build it
- Tie the braid main line to one end of a small swivel with a Palomar knot, then tie the fluorocarbon leader to the other end with a Palomar too. The swivel stops line twist.
- Tie the hook onto the leader with a Palomar knot, leaving a long tag end hanging below it. Set the hook about 20 to 40 cm above where the weight will sit.
- Pass the tag end back down through the eye of the hook, from the point side, so the hook stands out horizontally with the point up.
- Clip the drop-shot weight onto the very bottom of the tag end. No knot needed. 3 to 7 g from the bank, 7 to 14 g from a boat or in wind.
How to fish it
Drop or cast it out, let the weight settle on the bottom, then lift the rod tip until you feel the weight just leave the lake bed and the line comes tight. Now the lure hovers at the height you set, and you work it on the spot with small shakes of the rod tip, twitching the lure without moving the weight. Pause often. Most takes come on the drop or the pause, and they can be soft, so watch the line and lift into anything that feels different.
Where this rig works
Right now this rig is fished on one water: Lac du Bourget, in France, for perch and zander from the bank and from a boat. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses it will link to this same page.
Drop shot questions
Hovering a lure or bait at a fixed height just off the bottom. The hook stands out from the line with the weight below it, so the lure stays in the feeding zone without lying on the lake bed. It is a versatile rig for perch and zander, fished from the bank or a boat.
For perch, a drop-shot or wide-gape hook in #4 to #2; for zander, a #1. For the weight, a clip-on drop-shot weight of 3 to 14 g, lighter from the bank and heavier from a boat or in wind. Go as light as you can while still holding bottom.
A Palomar knot, which also ties the swivel at both ends, so one knot builds the whole rig. Tie the hook on with a long tag end, then pass the tag back down through the eye so the hook stands out point-up. Clip the weight to the bottom of the tag.
So the lure sits proud of the line at a fixed height, free to move, rather than hanging down against it. Passing the tag end back through the eye from the point side makes the hook stand horizontal, point up. That presentation, hovering just off the bottom, is what draws perch and zander.