Dropshot help

[occasionalfisher]

Ok guys, I have watched as many videos as I can, I have the right equipment and most times I am fishing in at least OK places with it, but I can't catch a keeper fish on a dropshot to save my life.
Tuesday night I threw it for over an hour, had at least 6 bites, never got a hook in anything but a brush pile, and this is pretty typical for me with a dropshot.
My setup is as follows, Loomis Shakeyhead Mag-med rod, Daiwa Spinning reel, 20 pound braid tied to a 8 to 10 foot piece of 8 pound Seguar Invisix leader. I have used roboworms, Zoom Finesse Worms, Dream Shots, senkos, baby flukes as well as a few other things on it. I have used the rebarb hook, open hooks and even the owner downshot hook and still can't get a hook in a keeper fish.
Most of the time I throw a 3/16th to 1/4 oz weight depending on the boat traffic and wind and try to make my drop length from 12 to 16 inches long.
If I drop down to fish on the depthfinder about half the time I am hung almost instantly, if I throw the dropshot out and work it back in like a shakeyhead I can normally work the texas-rigged ones through brush without too much trouble, but hooking up a fish is almost impossible.
What gives, I know other guys can do this but all I can catch are little fish that grab the worm and run and set the hook on themselves.
Any help would be appreciated.
Ron

[pheonix819]

When fishing brush I use a 1/0 hook with a bait keeper and Texas rig it along with a cylinder weight. I will go back and forth between a robo worm and a TRICK worm. I use a 6-8" leader most of the time and weight depends on depth I'm fishing. I seemed to struggle with braid and a leader I'm using straight fluro now and catching more fish. Braid makes a different sound than mono and fluro being reeled in, I believe it can hinder the bite but I have no proof. I will switch to j-braid when I'm flipping cause it's soft and don't make that sawing noise when you reel the bait in or work the bait while tapping on your eyes. Just my .02

[f1sh0n]

First I should warn you:: I'm fairly new to the drop shot, I have only been doing it for about 3 years now, it is not my favorite way to fish, but I do have confidence in it and I have caught plenty of 2.5-3.5 lb fish on it. I have spent some time fishing with a Forrest Wood Cup Winner (Kevin Hawk) trying to master the technique. I have learned that when I'm video game fishing (vertical w/sonar) I do best using a 3/8 to 1/2 oz weight. I assume this is because once I drop on a fish on my graph my worm actually gets to the bottom before I drift too far over the fish. I have tried and still use both strait fluro and braid to fluro and I like them both. There is much less knot tying in the strait fluro and my butt does not pucker a much worrying about the knot connecting the leader to the braid when I catch a decent fish. Allatoona is full of 12-13 inch spots, I don't really fish it much, but in the past month I have been out quite a few times trying to master my electronics more than anything and have caught some decent fish with the drop shot in about 25 ft. I think if you want to catch some big fish on it, go to Lanier or Smith Lake. If you want to learn from someone who is solely a dropshot fisherman on Lanier I highly recommend contacting "Lanier Jim", especially if you have Humminbird electronics. Jim is a great guy who loves to drop shot and for $150 he will take you out in his boat and show you everything you need. If you feel like driving to Smith Lake and want to fish with Kevin Hawk, he is also a great teacher, far and away the best guide I have ever fished with.

Tight lines,
Allan

[occasionalfisher]

Thanks guys for the info

[bfriendly]

I have straight 6 or 8lb flourocarbon and like using a #4 Gamkatsu hook, nose hooking it, making the point sit right in the center of the bait to where you can feel it if you put your finger on it and give just a little pressure. That way it wont spin during retrieval(got that from KVD). Use a heavier weight when fishin over 15 feet deep and LET IT SOAK. I have had many bites and more of the better size fish eating the bait when it seems to sit there forever. Let it soak and dont work it much at all. When you feel like you are going to pull it to you, let it fall one more time. Many strikes happen right at the boat.......ever see one follow your bait to the boat? I have had very little success using any different bait hooking styles.....I will put a big bait on there too, but still use the small hook and always let them hook themselves by just adding slow pressure.....I dont fish brush with it(Not purposely), but I will drop a spoon in a brush pile in a minute .