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Drop shotting is a high finesse technique for fishing plastic baits like Senko's, and consist of a small thin-wire hook with a weight attached to the tag end of the line about 12-18". This is in contrast to the more traditional Texas Rig, where the weight slides inline, resting on the nose of the bait, or the Carolina Rig, where the weight is fixed above the bait. The drop shot rig provides the ability to slack the line and twitch the rod, giving it an enticing wiggle on the way down. This simple, but versatile technique has endless combinations with the different hooks, soft plastics and weights that can be used.
Usually the hook is rigged to stand out ninety degrees to the line when tight. It can be flipped, jigged, or hopped along the bottom. Retrieves usually include a flicking the rod with the wrist to impart a pulsing action to the bait. The aim is to present a free floating, slow twitching lure to induce predation in non-aggressive fish. The technique is most frequently used for Largemouth Bass in colder months when fish are deeper and less active.
Drop Shot rigs can be beneficial in rivers as well with a larger weight that leaves the lure in the target spot. You can use all sorts of plastics with a drop shot. The larger ones are preferred because they make more of a disturbance in the water as opposed to a slim design.