Wednesday Review… Drennan E-Sox Drop Shot Range

This entry was posted on 21st January, 2015

As seen in Coarse Fishing Answers Magazine…

E-Sox Drop Shot Range

Lure fishing is booming in the UK and the tactic of drop-shotting is leading the change. It is only one tactic in a range of approaches for catching predators on lures, but it's one thats created a flurry of excitement and got people switched on to this exciting and accessible branch of the sport. Because of this, manufacturers have started offering a range of tackle and lures, including the mighty Drennan under it's Esox banner. This includes lures, fluorocarbon and drop-shotting weights.

E-Sox Drop Shot Lures

Four lure types in four colours, making a grand total of 16 new drop-shot lures to wet your appetite. The first is a Lobworm style lure available in Pearlescent White, Earthly Brown, Chartreuse and Blood Red colours. I rigged these in the centre, in what is known as 'wacky' style, and they fished well with a decent action in the water, although I feel they could be a little softer. The colour choices are great and at five inches long they're a good size for Zander and big Perch.

The second worm-type lure in the range features a curly tail that delivers much more movement to the lure and also measures five inches. Again fished wacky it looks good in the water and with the thin tail flailing around it looks attractive. I also had a go fishing it on a jughead with an inch lopped off the worm end and it makes a great cast-and-retrieve lure for jigging. It's available in Whiskey Brown, Deep Purple, Blood Red and Chartreuse Lime.



Also in the range are two Shad-type drop-shot lures, one split tail, one paddle tail, creating different actions. Deep bodied down to a point with slender tail wrists they sit nicely and are well balanced on the hook, and have plenty of action in them when worked correctly in the water. Both also feature split belly designs that allow for the hook to be rigged in them weedless style (so that the hook point sits flush to the top of the body, the space in the middle of the lure allowing the hook to then pull through to the fish more easily).

The split tail is available in Amber Nectar, Pearl Red, Natural Silverfish and Ecto Green while the paddle tail comes in Pearl Red, Red Shimmer, Golden Speckle and Aqua Sparkle. All of the lures are well made, well detailed and will catch you fish. I'd fish with the two shads on jighwads too, and will be trying them vertically for Zander when I get the chance.



The only criticism I have is that I would like to have seem some smaller sizes available in the two shad patterns. The paddle tails measure four inches and the split tail three-and-a-quarter inches - great for Zander and big Perch, or Pike fished on a jig head with wire, but for smaller Perch (which is what most anglers using drop-shot tactics are after) I'd like to see 2in versions of what are great for soft lures from Drennan.

Buy The E-Sox Drop-Shot Lures



E-Sox Drop Shot Bomb Weights

The right weight is a vital part of a drop-shotting setup. It provides the anchor point at the end of the rig for you to work your lure against, allowing you to tightly control where and how the lure operates.

The bomb style of weight from E-Sox is different to the usual constant-diameter pencil weight that most anglers use in that it features a bomb-style, bulbous end. The thinking here is that is allows for better precise casting thanks to the weight being forward and right at the end of the lead and rig - which is true to an extent.



It is also designed to provide a heavier point on the lead as it sits on the bottom, giving it a point to pivot off and in theory allowing more movement and range in the lure from its fixed point. I like the idea and can see how it works, and they do cast very well.

The main thing I like, though, it the quality of them. The clamping eye is robust (which you can't say for all drop-shot weights) and the finish is brilliant. They're available in five weights; 4g, 8g, 12g, 16g and 20g and in packs of four.

Buy The E-Sox Drop-Shot Fluorocarbon



E-Sox Drop Shot Fluorocarbon

Fluorocarbon line is a staple of any serious lure angler's bag, especially for drop-shitting leaders. What you want is quality and durability, and E-Sox has delivered that here.

Available in four breaking strains - 6lb, 8lb, 10lb and 12lb - this stuff is lovely to use and is great quality, perfect for standing up to the abuse it will certainly get when lure fishing.

I also love the dispensers that house the line, meaning it won't jump off the spool in you bag, but remember you need to pinch the edges of the dispenser hard to release the line without it dragging across plastic lips, which might cause damage.



I also think the price is as good at just under seven quid for 50 metres - that should last you a while. Again, though, I'd like to have seen the addition of 3lb fluoro to the range for more finesse fishing for Perch.

Buy The E-Sox Drop-Shot Weights