Drop shot jigging
The idea behind drop shot jigging is largely the same as with jig casting. However, this technique can occasionally be significantly more effective than casting. In drop shot jigging, the jig stays above the weight, allowing us to fish effectively in areas where the bottom is more difficult. One of the strengths of drop shot jigging is the option to move the jig in the immediate vicinity of the bottom without having to reel in the line at all while doing so. In drop shot jigging, the angler’s personal style in terms of rod handling and pacing of the retrieve plays a larger role and provides opportunities to use various techniques to provoke passive fish to attack. As is the case with all styles of fishing, it is important to choose your equipment correctly to ensure that your drop shot jigging is as enjoyable and effective as possible.
Rod: 180–195 cm long, highly responsive, and equipped with a sensitive tip.
Reel: Size category 1000–1500 (2500 if targeting pike). The reel should be equipped with an anti-reverse bail to ensure the best possible feel and avoid leaving slack line for the fish during the counter attack.
Line: Without question 0.10–0.16 mm thick braided line (for pike even 0.20 mm). Choose a line that is highly visible, such as a fluorescent yellow option, as that will allow you to detect bites. One of the advantages of using a braided line is its non-stretching quality, which improves the feel and enables more effective hooking. Thinner lines also allow for longer casting and are less vulnerable to wind while fishing.
Leader: We recommend using a 0.35–0.60 mm fluorocarbon leader at the end of your braided line (even 0.80 mm for pike fishing). The leader will improve abrasion resistance in rocky areas, is more resilient against the teeth of pike/zander, absorbs shocks, and stabilizes the jig. 50–150 cm is a suitable length for the leader. Drop shot hooks (such as Shogun Drop Shot) are attached to the fluorocarbon leader. 1–3 hooks are typically used (the hooks are dressed with drop shot jigs, for example, split-tail designs). The leader is followed by the drop shot weight, such as K.P Drop Shot Tube or Round.
Various jig designs can be used for drop shot jigging. For example, K.P Crystal Minnow and K.P Happo Minnow introduced in 2017 have provided excellent results with both zander and perch.
