Drop-shotting is lethal for fall walleye—if you use the right line

My good friend and professional angler Derek Strub (pictured above) is widely acclaimed for his bass-fishing prowess using a drop-shot rig, so it’s probably no surprise he uses the same rig to catch walleye in the fall. Unlike most drop-shot anglers, however, Strub never spools his spinning reel with braided line. Instead, he opts for fluorocarbon—and for a truly fascinating reason.

Since super-lines are so sensitive and don’t stretch, he says, it’s easy to overwork your baits, which turns off neutral and negative walleye. Fluorocarbon, on the other hand, provides just the right amount of elasticity and absorbs the tiniest amount of perceptiveness to help you land more and bigger fall walleye. And when you drop-shot with fluorocarbon, adds Strub, you tend to give the walleye an extra second or two to get the bait well inside their mouth.