Most bass fishing fans associate Kevin VanDam with power fishing techniques like spinnerbaits and crankbaits and it makes sense.
He is one of the best in the world at catching big bass on moving baits and has the wins and Classic titles to back it up.
He’s a well-rounded angler and has a fondness for finesse that partially has to do with his upbringing in Michigan and also because he knows it works. The dropshot is one technique that he always has rigged and ready to go.
#1 Power-Fishing Mindset
There is no doubt that KVD would rather move quickly than shake a dropshot, but he turns to it often.
“I am definitely a power fisherman and generally use that as a way to locate fish. Once I find them, I know that sometimes I need to slow down some and fish a dropshot,” he begins.
“I grew up fishing finesse a ton, and I know that as a professional angler, I have to be comfortable with every technique to do well. I like to locate fish and then maximize that spot’s potential with something like a dropshot. I always have several rigged up, both weedless and nose-hooked baits.”
He employs some unique dropshot offerings and approaches to cover many situations. Using a heavier weight, dropshotting a tube, a soft plastic jerkbait, and punching a dropshot are four that he mentioned and shared for this article.
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#2 Big Weight Dropshotting
When fishing deep water and especially when on the Great Lakes, KVD uses a heavy dropshot weight.
“I use weights of all sizes, but on big water, I usually start with a ½-ounce and go up from there. It is crucial to get your bait down quickly and to stay in the zone,” he says.
#3 Dropshotting a Tube or Soft Jerkbait
One of KVD’s go-to baits for smallmouth is a tube. He fishes it traditionally on a jighead but says it is also a great way to bulk up your dropshot presentation and appeal to bigger fish.
“I like to use a 3.5” or 4” tube on a 2/O Mustad Double Wide KVD Drop Shot hook. It has a big gap, and the tube fits great. Using a tube is a great way to imitate sculpin and gobies that big smallmouth key on,” says VanDam.
When bass focus on baitfish, one of the best ways to fool them is with a soft plastic jerkbait.
KVD agrees and rigs one up on a dropshot to appeal to both bigger than average fish and to match what they are eating.
“The Strike King Baby Z Too and standard Z-Too are great shad imitators, and since they are so durable you can easily catch 10, 15, or 20 fish on each bait,” he says of the baits that are made from the durable ElazTech material.
“I like to thread them on a straight-shank hook instead of nose-hooking them because you can make the bait stand horizontal and I think it hooks them much better.”
His hook of choice is a Mustad Grip-Pin Edge Finesse Hook in a 1/0 or 2/0 size that helps to secure the bait in place.
“I’ll even rig my Dream Shot like that sometimes because it helps to prevent fish from tearing the bait off. When you are fishing for smallmouth or spotted bass and nose-hook it, they rip your bait off constantly, and you lose some fish,” he says. “If you thread it on the Grip-Pin hook you can drop it back down if you miss one and have a chance at getting them to bite again. If they tear your bait off, you don’t have that chance.”
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#4 Bubba-Shotting
This technique has been around for years and involves a standard dropshot rig bulked up in every sense.
It entails a strong rod, heavy line, big hook and generally a bigger soft plastic bait. VanDam is a fan of the five and six-inch Strike King Ocho and also the 8” Bullworm and rigs on a heavy dropshot rig.
“When I am around big fish, I’ll use a ¾ ounce tungsten dropshot weight because I want it to fall quickly. It is almost like punching, and that initial fall is what triggers bites, and with that weight, you can get into some pretty heavy cover,” he says.
He’ll rig the large worm on a 4/O, 5/O, or 6/O Mustad Grip-Pin Edge depending on the bait and Texas-rig it and fish the rig on heavy line and baitcast gear.
The power of a dropshot is undeniable, and it has helped anglers everywhere tempt bass into biting. VanDam is among the many dropshot fans and knows that there are times when it produces when nothing else will.
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