>>2708491the whole point of a drop-shot is to jig a bait near the bottom with precise depth control, that's why it's focused on soft plastics, but you can put a cricket/worm on it and it will work fine. a minnow will just struggle to swim against the weight though. if your goal is to use worms/crickets near the bottom and/or eliminate fish swallowing hooks, it will work great for that. just make sure to keep the line tight by having your rod tip high. also best to use lighter wire hooks that are very sharp, that way you don't even have to react to a bite, it simply "sets itself" every single time. I use owner mosquito light hooks exclusively, they are a perfect drop-shot hook. I have them from size #6 up to 1/0. you won't be dissapointed if you use those for drop-shot rigs. the only potential downside to them is that the smaller sized ones have very tiny barbs, but that's only an issue with bass because they can shake off if your rod is too stiff. it's a non-issue with anything else, and it makes rubbery catfish mouths very easy to unhook. pic rel is on a #6 hook. that's probably the best size for large bluegill/sunfish and perch, just use smaller pieces of worm and rig them like you would a jighead.
