2 Drop-Shot Tips for Catching More Summer Walleye

Here at Virtual Angling we’re big fans of Target Walleye and the extensive work that content creator Brett McComas puts in each week to report the latest and greatest goings-on in the walleye and ice fishing scenes. 

Besides having a knack for putting together great news, McComas also spends a good deal of time on the water. Along the way, he’s been privy to some great insider information given his daily contact base, as well as coming up with some cool techniques himself – for example, the “cheater rig” for early-season Rainy River walleyes.

So, we like to talk with McComas every chance we get. The guy’s brain is full of great walleye info. 

For example, we talked with Brett about one of the latest techniques to hit walleye fishing—borrowed from the world of finesse bass fishing—namely, drop-shotting. 

What we learned was super cool and out-of-the-box. While a lot of anglers are fishing smaller soft plastics that look like minnows, leeches, or ‘crawlers, as well as live bait—McComas does something entirely different (and unexpected, honestly) to tap mid- to late-summer ‘eyes. 

“Because I’m a bass fisherman at heart I drop-shot a lot,” says McComas. “I started catching a lot of incidental walleyes while I was targeting smallmouths and largemouths. So I thought to myself, there’s a lot more to this drop-shotting thing than you might expect.”

Drop Shot Tip 1: Try Crawfish Profile Baits for Bigger ‘Eyes

McComas continues: “I caught a lot more eater-size fish on a drop-shot with live bait, so I switched to fishing soft-plastics, which generally produces bigger walleyes. While I started with minnow, leech, and ‘crawler imitators, I started using crawfish patterns to get big walleyes to bite a drop-shot. You don’t catch many fish but when you do it’s like a 24- to 27-inch fish,” divulges McComas. 

“My favorite soft plastic craw is the 3.5” Craw D’oeuvere by PowerTeam Lures and it’s weird because when you see it in the water it doesn’t have a whole lot of action. It’s a smooth-moving bait. You can nose hook it and fish it on a slow glide. You can thread it on the hook, too, but I prefer to nose-hook,” continues McComas. 

“I don’t know if I’ve caught a big walleye on a drop-shot and a ‘crawler, but last summer I caught eight or 10 walleyes that were 24- to 27-inches on that craw. Walleyes love crawfish. Everybody’s using minnow-, leech-, and ‘crawler-profile soft plastics and live bait but those big walleyes are eating a lot more crawfish than you’d think—and there aren’t a lot of presentations that can duplicate them easily in the walleye world. But you look at the smallmouth bass world and bringing over some of those baits is a great way to get big walleye bites.”

When we heard McComas talk about drop-shotting plastic craws, a lightbulb immediately went off. Might be a great rig for Mille Lacs in late July and August when both smallies and walleyes hit the rocks to devour molting crawfish. The same thing probably happens on a lot of other walleye waters, too. 

Drop Shot Tip 2: A Great Way To Drop-Shot “Eaters”

When McComas is just looking for table fare, he says it’s hard to beat a half ‘crawler on a drop-shot. 

“You can catch eater ‘eyes all day long on a half ‘crawler,” says McComas. “For that, I’ll size down to 6-pound fluoro and run a 15- to 20-foot leader. If I’m fishing faster and deep, I’ll use a 3/8-ounce weight to stay get down quick and stay in the zone. I will fish a 3/16- or ¼-ounce weight if I have to, but I prefer to power drop shot with the heavier weight,” adds McComas.

McComas says that after trying tons of different drop-shot hooks, his confidence hook has become the VMC Finesse Neko Hook.

“It’s got a longer shank for solid hook-up ratios. I don’t like using short-shank hooks on a drop-shot because when they inhale the bait they’re getting line in their mouths, too. It’s kind of like when you hear of guys like Korey Sprengel using Aberdeen-style hooks on their drop-shots. A little longer shank is important. The #2 size VMC Neko Hook is my go-to and it’s got that two-strand fluorocarbon bait keeper on it that helps keep your plastics or live bait pinned.”

Walleye Drop Shot Wrap-Up

Starting to play around with drop-shot rigs for walleyes? If not, you should—and take a page out of McComas’ playbook – try craw-style baits for bigger fish—and half ‘crawler for eaters.