Zander in Drop Shot

Drop shot fishing is possible from a distance or under the rod. It is therefore possible to launch its assembly or place it under your tip in a space of a few square decimeters. If necessary, move your assembly to bring it to the desired spot then keep your banner taut.

The possible setups for handling a lure are very varied and involve different presentations of it. We know that zander is a particularly demanding fish and sensitive to this parameter and the drop shot is sometimes a solution to explore, particularly in winter when the fish group together, are not very mobile and most often need to be approached with fine and slow techniques.

A specific assembly
Before even tackling the applications and animations of the drop shot, it is important to imagine the montage to understand its interest.

In drop shot, the lure is mounted on a pole, either using a specific eyelet hook (Trokar Helix Drop Shot for example) or a hook connected to the leader via a Palomar knot a few tens of centimeters above the lead.

A weightless lure
It is this independence of the lure in relation to the weight of the rig and its geographical location in relation to the bottom which makes all the difference of this rig compared to others.

In drop shot, your lure is presented suspended above the bottom and not on it or in a perpetual descent phase.

A deported weight
This independence also has the effect of dissociating the needs for casting or sinking linked to depth, current or wind from those necessary for animation. In this context, you can perfectly present a lure in a natural and hovering way, like on a weightless rig, but with a 20 gr lead if the conditions require it, at long distance and at great depth.

The right spots and contexts
The drop shot can be diverted from its initial function to be animated by casting and retrieving, linear for example or drifting in the current, but its primary purpose is precise fishing from a position. Thus, its field of application is to seduce pike perch on very marked and sometimes very restricted positions.

It can then be a dead tree, a scree, a structure in the middle of the desert, a space between moored boats or even a very small eddy at the edge, along or behind a bridge pier. In summary, all the spots where presenting a lure at length with another technique proves particularly difficult.

The objective is therefore precise fishing but also a slow approach where your lure taunts the zander until it makes them break! Dynamic and precise in spring, it can be extremely slow in winter but formidable... The violence of the touches it generates will convey to you all the aggressiveness it can trigger in a zander.

The animation diagram
Drop shot fishing is possible from a distance or under the rod. It is therefore possible to launch its assembly or place it under your tip in a space of a few square decimeters.

After dropping or launching your rig, check the descent to the bottom, rod at 45°
If necessary, move your assembly to bring it to the desired spot then keep your banner taut.
It is then possible to make your lure jerk on the spot by slightly relaxing its banner, then tightening it with a sharp jerk without moving its sinker from the bottom.
But it is also possible to simply relax your banner slightly to let your lure sink to the bottom as naturally as possible.
After alternating animations and pauses, move your montage from 50 cm to 1 m and start again or move to another position.

The right material

Thus, a fast and fast rod but with a playful tip is necessary to be able to carry out precise and minimalist actions. Resonance, and therefore the use of high modulus carbon, is also an essential criterion to take into account when making your purchase.

A length of 2.10 m is a good compromise on a boat whereas it will be necessary to aim for 2.40 m when fishing from the bank in order to optimize line handling and be able to extract a maximum of banner from the 'water.

When it comes to targeting zander, soft lures of 4 to 6 inches are indicated and you will therefore have to focus your choice on a 7-21g or 10-30g power model depending on the leads commonly used.

A size 2500 reel equipped with a PE1 braid and a 25/100 leader will be a relevant complement.

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