i am an old fisherman & i am not sure how to rig a dropshot & how best to fish it.
 i fish in az. and the water temp. now is 81.4 degrees at 8am on roseovelt lake

Hold a bass hook with eye up. Tie a Palomar knot so that the bulk of the knot falls to the inside of the hook shank, above the bend of the hook. Still holding the hook upright, take the tag end of the mainline coming from the knot, pass it up the mainline past the hook, then pass it DOWN through the hook eye to the "backside" of the shank. Leaving enough tag line hanging down tie a sinker to it. The weight of the sinker ought to stand the hook out horizontally if tied right. Try using a small tungsten sinker. You can also buy specialized drop shot hooks that hold out horizontally better.

That lake has plenty of shallow weedy water holding largemouths, and that rig will work well there. Rig a plastic critter Tex-posed, the hook point slightly buried in the back spine. Let the sinker land, then just jiggle the bait. Pop the sinker loose and let it land a few feet closer to you, then jiggle the bait at least 30 seconds.

If you find the bass holding in deeper water over structure then simply lower the rig vertically to where they are and jiggle it around the boat. If the bass are on the move and schooling try casting past them then slowly drawing the rig through their path.

The rig is meant to be sedentary, moved slowly or even not at all. I use it on spawn beds, dragging it to the edge of a bed, then let it sit there barely ticking until taken by a bass.

Jim

There is a much easier way to rig a dropshot. You still need to tie a Palomar knot but use a Stand Out hook made just for dropshoting. They come in red or black both are carried by Cabala's and BPS. They also sale dropshot wights.

They are best fished horizontally. Just drop it to the bottom and just move the rod tip slightly but maintaining contact with the bottom with the weight.

Harry

That's it, I couldn't remember the name of the Standout. "Much" easier, or more certain of a horizontal position? I can get the same angle using a simple worm hook in the same amount of time rigging it. It's just a matter of doing it a few times with success either way for me. Once the Palomar is tied to a Standout hook you've done the biggest part, needing only to run the tag end back through the eye. That's the same for other hooks, not saving a single step. Practically all hooks, except trebles, can be used, and cut your cost. Just tie on what you have. I have some Standouts, but once I tied one I realized even an Octopus or circle hook will work. Selection of hook style would be based on some other factors, especially what kind of plastic or live bait you want to use. Once you figure out the fulcrum lever principle you should be able to modify any shank/eye scenario.

The one MUST for drop shot is a very sharp hook. I want the fish to hook itself. I can't begin to estimate the number of times I've given up, started reeling the line in for another cast, but finding a fish wanting to eat that rig.

I forgot to mention to leave enough tag end at the start to allow the desired distance between sinker and hook. The Palomar doesn't take up enough line length to matter, but inexperience tying it often causes line waste. Be sure to spit on the knot before tightening it, regardless of type of line used.

The dropshot sinkers that have the line clip are for me a terrible investment and an unnecessary expense. I prefer a bell-shaped sinker that can nudge through weeds, but stay in place for a session of lure jiggling. I also have a lot of pyramid type lead sinkers in light weights that work very well in thick weeds. I don't want the sinker dragging off the tag end, leaving all the more lead in the lake. If it gets snagged I can at least try to get right over it and jerk it free. I carry a telescoping pole to push up into shallow water to get right over a hooked bass buried in deep weeds, or just to get that sinker back.

On the sinker end there's yet another innovation I can't name right now. I have quite a number of plastic baggies of "bungee" cord that allows extra bait maneuvering, stretching between hook and sinker. When it comes to hook-setting power, it is there. I can pull quite a lot if inches on the rod tip without moving the sinker. But when I pull past a certain point the sinker jumps up then drops a few feet up. It works in weeds, but also when fishing off bottom. The sinker stays put easier, but I get more action in the bait. I'll try to get the name for that cord.

Jim

Go to youtube...theres plenty of videos on how to tie a drop shot rig, and many other rigs. Also tons of videos on tying knots.