Best Size Drop Shot Hook: Making a Selection
The drop shot rig may well be the most powerful finesse presentation available to the modern-day bass angler. It offers an incredibly realistic action and for this reason, it gets a ton of bites even in the toughest of conditions. As with any technique, choosing the right terminal tackle is crucial. In this article, we are going to give you a simple plan of action for choosing the size of your drop shot hook.
A Quick Disclaimer
The information below is written assuming you will be using a traditional, nose hook style drop shot hook. See image of the Gamakatsu Aaron Martens G-Finesse Hook below for reference.
The Quick Answer: What is the Best Drop Shot Hook Size?
While there are considerations to be made when choosing hook size for a drop shot rig we thought we would give the quick, easy answer as to what the most commonly used drop shot hook sizes are. The most commonly used sizes for a drop shot rig are a size #2 and size #1. To find out why, keep reading.
What to Consider When Choosing Drop Shot Hook Size
Probably the most important factor to keep in mind here is the action of the bait. A drop shot is as successful as it is because of the natural, free flowing action it enables. Just in case you are not have familiar with this action, we have included a great video showing it off by TacticalBassin below.
This application would work incredibly in more open water scenarios for smallmouth bass.
Use the Smallest Hook you can get Away With
The bigger the hook you use, the bigger the negative impact on your bait’s action. Always use the smallest hook you can get away with as this will allow for the most natural action possible.
Choose Based on Bait Size
You should always try to adapt the size of your drop shot hook to the size of the bait you are throwing.
For smaller baits
For really small baits, around the 2.5-3 inch range you are going to want to go with a size #3 or size #2 drop shot hook. If the fish are really finicky you may even want to drop this down to a size #4 or size #5. Just keep in mind that the smaller you go, the harder time you will have landing fish once they are hooked.
I love fishing a a 3 inch senko on a drop shot, my go to for that presentation is a size #2. It gives me a great balance of action and hook set quality.
For larger baits
If you are fishing larger baits on your drop shot rig, you can get away with using a slightly larger hook. I am by no means suggesting you put your bait on something big and bulky, but you can use something in the size #1 range here. A good example of an extremely popular bait that would fall into this category is the Roboworm. For the 4.5 inch version I use a #2 drop shot hook for this bait and I bump it up to #1 for the 6 inch version.
Consider your Conditions
As stated earlier, you really want to try and use the smallest hook you can get away with in order to optimize your bait’s action. One thing to consider however is how readily the fish are biting on the given day. The reason for this is that bigger hooks give you a better chance of landing fish once they are hooked.
On a day where fishing is tough and you are struggling to get bites, stay on the smaller side and prioritize the action of the bait. If they are biting like crazy, bump your hook size up a little and give yourself the best possible chance of landing fish, you may as well if they are going to be biting anyway!
Wrapping Up
It is easy to overthink choosing a hook size for drop shot. Overall, you want to consider the technique you are fishing and what it is used for, in this case that is achieving the most natural presentation possible.
Stay on the small side (#2 or #3) for small baits, bump it up a bit (#2 or #1) for bigger baits but always know, the smaller the hook the better the action. When the fishing is tough, prioritize action by using a smaller hook and when the fish are feeding, go with something bigger so you lose less fish.
Hopefully this helps you choose the best possible size for a drop shot hook!
