How to Tie a Drop Shot Rig

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

A drop shot rig is a hook tied part-way up a fluorocarbon leader with a Palomar knot, so it stands out point up, with a small weight on the end of the line. The lure hovers at a fixed height off the bottom, almost still, beside the boats, trees and lock walls where perch hold.

The popular rig guides miss a legal catch. Drop shot weights run from a few grams to about 10g, and in England you can only use lead weights of 0.06g or less, or more than 28.35g. Step 3 covers the non-lead fix.

By the end you will have a tied rig, a drop shot set up matched to your depth, and fixes for the usual faults. It is built for perch but suits other predators. For more rigs, see our rigs section.

Step 1: Choose Your Mainline and Fluorocarbon Leader

One guide says 1.5m of leader. Another says 90cm. A third says about 2ft. All three are right, depending on the swim.

The goal: braid on the reel and a cut length of fluorocarbon ready to tie.

Mainline. Use braid. It has no stretch, so every knock on the lure reaches your rod tip. Angling Direct suggests 6 to 8lb (0.06 to 0.10mm), and Angling Times uses about 10lb. No stretch also means the line gives nothing back when a fish lunges, so pair it with a soft-tipped rod. A typical drop shot set up is a 6 to 8ft rod rated about 0 to 15g with a 1000 to 2500 size reel. That is a common spec, not a requirement.

Leader. Use fluorocarbon of about 6lb. It is less visible in the water than braid, which matters with wary perch. Length is where the advice splits:

Leader length	Published by	When it suits (our reasoning)
About 1.5m	Angling Times	Clear water, wary fish, longer tags
About 90cm	Angling Direct setup guide	An easy all-rounder
About 2ft (60cm)	Angling Direct perch guide	Short casts, close structure, keeping the join outside the rod rings

By now you should have braid on the reel and a length of fluorocarbon cut, with a little extra for knots. If you are starting out, cut about a metre and adjust from there.

Step 2: Tie the Hook On with a Palomar Knot, Point Up

A hook that hangs limp along the line spins the lure and misses bites. The fix is one extra pass of the tag end back through the hook eye, and short rig guides rarely spell it out.

Your goal: a hook standing out at 90 degrees from the line, point up. This is the core of how to tie a drop shot rig, so take it slowly.

Double over about 15 to 20cm of leader where the hook will sit, forming a loop. Leave the long end below untrimmed, because it becomes the tag that carries the weight.
Push the loop through the hook eye from the point side, so the hook finishes point up.
Tie a loose overhand knot with the doubled line, letting the hook hang in it.
Pass the hook through the loop.
Moisten the knot and pull it tight slowly by both the main line and the tag.
Thread the long tag end back down through the hook eye from the point side. The hook now kicks out horizontally, point up.

Steps 1 to 5 are a standard Palomar (see how to tie a Palomar knot if it is new to you). Step 6 is the drop shot finish that makes the hook stand proud. Some anglers use a dedicated drop shot knot on a 30cm tag instead.

Hook choice. Angling Direct recommends a size 4 drop shot hook, or a match hook down to size 14 for tiny lures. Match the hook to the lure, and go smaller for 1 to 2in worms.

By now the hook should stand out from the line, point up, with the long tag hanging below.

Step 3: Set the Tag Length and Add a Lead-Free Weight

Most perch drop shot weights sit in the size band where lead is banned. Under GOV.UK’s freshwater tackle rules, you can only use lead weights of 0.06g or less, or more than 28.35g. Supplying lead weights for weighting lines in that band is also prohibited in England by the Environmental Protection (Anglers’ Lead Weights) (England) Regulations 2015.

Drop shot weights run from a few grams up to about 10g, so they must be non-lead. In Wales, Natural Resources Wales byelaws appear to set the same exemptions, so check the NRW rods and lead guidance before you fish. Scotland and Northern Ireland are not covered here, so check your local rules.

Material. Tungsten is dense, so it is smaller for the same weight. Brass and steel are cheaper but bulkier.

Tag length. The distance from hook to weight is the height your lure sits off the bottom. A 30cm tag is one published starting point. Go shorter when perch hug the bottom in cold water, and longer over weed or silt, or when fish are sitting higher. On Windermere in the colder months I keep the tag short and the lure close to the bottom. Adjust by sliding the weight or retying.

Weight size. Use the lightest weight that holds bottom and still lets you feel it. Go heavier in deep water, wind or flow, and lighter in shallow still water.

Attaching it. Clip or pinch-on drop shot weights grip the tag end, or you can tie an overhand knot in the tag to stop the weight sliding off. Clip weights can damage line, so check the tag after every snag.

Step 4: Join the Leader to Your Braid and Hook the Lure

Where the hook goes through the lure decides how much it moves, and nose-hooking gives the most movement for no extra effort.

Your goal: the rig on the mainline with a lure on, ready to cast. First, choose a join:

Double four-turn water knot. Slim, so it passes through the rod rings easily.
Back-to-back grinner. A knot many coarse anglers already tie.
Micro swivel. Cuts down line twist (see Step 5), at the cost of a slightly bulkier join.

Figure-of-eight loops on leader and mainline, joined loop to loop, let you swap leaders quickly.

Hooking the lure. Nose-hook it through the tip of the head for the most movement. If snags or weed are a problem, hook it wacky style through the middle, or weedless with the point buried in the body.

Lure size. Angling Times gives 3 to 9cm. Small worm and minnow shapes are the usual start for a dropshot rig for perch. For types worth carrying, see our pick of perch lures.

By now, when you hold the rig up, the lure should sit horizontal with the hook point up and the weight at the bottom.

Use a micro swivel if line twist keeps catching you out. Skip it if you want the slimmest join through the rings.

Step 5: Fish the Rig and Fix the Common Problems

First sessions with a drop shot often end with a twisted leader and a lost weight. Each fault has a simple cause.

Cast or drop the rig beside structure and let the weight settle. Keep the line just tight to the weight, then twitch the rod tip so the lure moves while the weight stays put. In cold water, when perch hug the bottom, Angling Times suggests a slow, hesitant retrieve with pauses. Lift, move a short distance, settle, repeat. In my experience drop-shotting perch on Windermere, bites often come while the lure is held almost still.

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Line twist	Lure spinning, or no swivel at the join	Add a micro swivel at the leader join and check the lure sits straight
Hook slides or hangs limp	Tag not passed back through the eye, or knot not bedded down	Retie as in Step 2
Constant snagging	Weight too heavy or the wrong shape for the bottom	Go lighter or slimmer, and hook the lure weedless
Weight comes off or tag frays	Clip weight damaging the line	Check and retie the tag, or use a knot stop

Unhook fish carefully. A pike can take a perch lure, so carry long forceps or a disgorger suited to pike. For retrieves and seasonal tactics, see our guide to drop shot fishing techniques, and compare it with other perch rigs.

Tie it right once and the drop shot is the simplest perch rig in the box.

Frequently asked questions

Can you use lead drop shot weights?

In England, only if they weigh 0.06g or less, or more than 28.35g, under the GOV.UK tackle rules. Supplying lead weights in that band is also banned under the 2015 Regulations. Typical drop shot weights fall inside it, so use tungsten, brass or steel (see Step 3). In Wales, check Natural Resources Wales.

How far above the weight should a drop shot hook be?

The tag length sets it, and about 30cm is a common starting point. Go shorter for perch hugging the bottom in cold water and longer over weed or silt (see Step 3).

What size hook for drop shot perch?

Match the hook to the lure. A size 4 drop shot hook is a typical retailer recommendation, dropping to a size 14 match hook for very small lures.

Can you drop shot on rivers in the close season?

Not for coarse fish on rivers, streams and drains in England between 15 March and 15 June. Most stillwaters and canals have no close season, but private waters can set their own, so check GOV.UK. You also need a rod licence to fish in England and Wales, plus the fishery's permission. Under 13s need no licence and 13 to 16s get a free junior one. Rod limits depend on your licence and the water, so check GOV.UK.