10 Best Dropshot Rods – Our Favorite Models For 2022

Dropshot fishing is known as a finesse technique for luring fish that like to hang out in the middle of the water column, or rather fish that aren’t at the surface or hanging out at the bottom of your favorite lake.

The idea is to use bait and a specific knot called a Palomar knot to make your drop shot hook lie horizontally in the water and make you bait look more natural. Your line is almost straight down with the weight at the very bottom to keep the line steady.

As dropshot fishing had become more popular manufacturers have begun to make rods specifically to match the technique used in dropshot fishing.

To help get you dropping faster I put in the time and research to put together the best dropshot rod. I have included a few different brands and price ranges so that any angler will be able to give dropshot fishing a try. 

Top 10 Best Drop Shot Rods - Comparisons

The St. Croix premier is an excellent intersection of power, action, and length. The SCII graphite rod blank is durable enough to fight off the torture you put it through season after season of fishing but is still light enough to not wear you out on those long fishing weekends.

The Premier is a medium-light rod with fast action. It has lengths available between 6-feet and 7’6”. This is a great range to provide a reliable rod for new dropshot fishers who need to learn on a shorter rod, while still providing longer rods for more experienced anglers. The line guides are made from aluminum-oxide that give them the strength they need without adding unnecessary weight to the rod.

Abu Garcia is a premier name in fishing gear that gets you on the water and fishing without having to worry about your equipment. The Veritas 2.0 was engineered by Abu Garcia using a spiral core construction technique that greatly increases the strength and durability of the rob blank without adding weight to the body of the rod. The process focused on making the tip even stronger to resist the wear that comes with flexing during a fight.

The Veritas 2 Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 Spinning Rod is a 6”9” length medium light rod with moderate action that is still quick and sensitive enough to give you and advantage while in the heat of battle with a bass you caught trying to steal your bait.

This 7-foot rod truly earns its title as “elite”. This lightweight rod is built to maximize both performance and comfort for almost any technique. For dropshot fishing, the cork handles provide the level of comfort needed to continually hold the steady as you make your lure dance in front of a hungry bass. The grips even stay comfortable after getting wet.

At 7-feet this rod is right in the middle of the butter zone for dropshot rod length, it gives you the casting power to get the line out far enough for good weight and bait alignment. The power of the rod is medium heavy, not ideal for dropshot, but the fast action and lightweight materials still let the Fenwick elite maintain the sensitivity it needs to be an effective rod. 

Also Read: The Best Spinning Rods to Help You Catch Big Bass, Trout & More

Don’t be fooled by the “inshore” stamp on the St. Croix Mojo rod. This medium light rod hits all the marks as an excellent choice for your dropshot rig. Made from high strength SCII graphite to put you in the fight without having to worry about the rod snapping at the first sign of a stubborn fish. The split grip cork handles are comfortable in your hand while giving you options for extra torque when you need it to haul in that trophy that will make your wife fall in love with you all over again.

The Mojo features fast action that is prefect for setting the hook without ripping the line right out of the fish’s mouth. The medium-light power gives you the flex you need to withstand the wrestling match, while retaining the sensitivity throughout the blank to make sure you don’t miss a nibble.

G. Loomis’ E6X line of rods uses a combination of low resin and high strength carbon fiber materials to form an impressively well performing rod for dropshot fishing. The length of the rod is highly sensitive and has a soft tip that lets a fish play with the bait without pulling back and scaring it off. The soft tip and fast action give you control over the bait that lets you give a smooth wiggle to your worms that curious fish just can resist.

The medium-light power and fast action of the rod make it so sensitive and responsive that you will be reeling in the bass before they even realize that have been nabbed by a hook. If this rod was a warrior, it would be in the ninja class thanks to its sneaky fast and effective performance.

Dobyns has designed a dropshot specialized rod sing high modulus graphite to create a rod that doesn’t lack for stiffness. While stiff is often not what you want in a dropshot rig, the material uses the combination of stiff and lightweight to make a surprisingly fast and strong rod. The Fury series is rated as medium-light with fast action, and it doesn’t lack for sensitivity or effectiveness in setting the hook.

What I like about this rod is that even though it is recommended for dropshot, it still has the versatility to work well with other fishing techniques. This is really nice for those days where you plan to dropshot, but conditions, or lack of bites motivate you to change up your plan.

Shakespeare has introduced the GX2 as the wave of the future for the Ugly Stik line of rods. The GX2 uses the most modern materials and manufacturing methods to create an effective and good-looking rod that brings the classic and reliable Ugly Stik name into the modern fishing world. This rod retains all the features of its proven predecessors, so you don’t reliability for sacrifice new and fancy.

He GX2 spinning rod has medium power and medium-fast action that still give you sufficient power and sensitivity to nab a fish on your line. The blank of the GX2 is made from a combination of graphite and fiberglass that make it a little stiffer but also add strength and durability to the rod. Shakespeare’s clear tip design helps to balance the stiffness by adding extra sensitivity.

Also Read: 8 Best Catfish Rods – With Buying Guide & Comparisons

The original Ugly Stik is one of those staple names in fishing, so it shouldn’t be all that surprising that the Stik has found its way onto a dropshot list. Where the GX2 uses a combination of fiberglass and graphite, the Elite uses 35% more graphite to give this rod and enhanced level of strength, power, and sensitivity. The single piece stainless steel line guides in the Elite make sure the guides don’t slip or pop out, no matter what kind of line you are using.

The Ugly Stik Elite series comes in a variety of lengths and power options, including medium light. This makes this a great option for a variety of angling experience. At the budget price point, you can easily have a couple of them to try out multiple power, action, and length variations to find that perfect mix for your comfort and experience level.

The Fenwick Eagle is the budget option to get into the well performing line of Fenwick rods, and is a great option for building your dropshot rig. The Eagle series has length options between 6-feet and 8-feet. This is a large range, but that means that you have access to a wide range of quality rods to match your comfort level. You can also get your hands on different power ratings to help you dial in what you feel best using for your dropshot fishing.

The 7-foot Eagle is in the ideal zone for dropshot fishing and comes in the medium light power that experts recommend for the best chance of success while dropshot fishing. The graphite blank provides a good mix of lightweight feel and durable strength. Burled cork rod grips help keep handling this rod comfortable, especially during long waits and heated battles.

I decided to throw the Piscifun fishing rod into the mix because it offers the highest amount of portability to the fishing game. Rods are great, but they are sometime harder to transport, especially if you are going on an extended trip with limited space. I like this portable option that helps reduce the chances of accidently snapping the blank in tight spaces.

As a dropshot rod, the Piscifun is a medium power rod with fast action and a 6’6” length. This is a good set of specs for a new angler that isn’t quite ready to handle a longer rod with more flex. For the experienced angler, this is a great back-up that won’t take up too much space in your boat or car.

Features of the Best Dropshot Rod 

Length 

To give you the casting power you need to master the dropshot technique, aim for a rod that is in the 7-foot length range. While the 7-foot casting power help to master the technique, don’t bite off more rod than you can chew.

Your rod is not dissimilar from a performance car, choosing one that is more powerful than you can comfortably handle will just land you sore and empty handed.

Action 

The action of the rod refers to the capability of the rod to flex and return to its native position. For drop shot fishing you want a rod with fast action that puts the majority of the flex near the tip.

The fast action will give you enough strength to put up a good fight against a fish but is till light enough to give natural movement to your bait.

Power 

The power of a rod is the balance between the flex tension of the rod, and how sensitive the rod is to detecting a fish biting your line.

Since dropshot fishing is about catching a fish mid-water, you need to rely on patience and therefore need a rod with a medium-light power rating to give you the right mix of balance and flex.