The Death Drop

How to Turn a Missed Strike into a Pinned Fish

Tips & Techniques / Walleye Fishing Location: Lake of the Woods

Want to catch extra fish every time you go out?

Picture this: You are in the middle of nowhere on Lake of the Woods, fresh out the door of the truck in full scouting mode. You’ve got your setup—for me, that’s a 40" prototype blank we’ve been working on this winter with a #5 Rapala Rippin’ Rap tied on.

This setup lives on the dash of my truck for exactly this purpose.

In a recent scouting trip, I had a school of walleyes swim in. naturally, I slowly started to jig up, trying to get the fish to turn its head up and commit. The problem? A different fish in the school shot up about 3 feet off the bottom and "up-bit" or slack-lined me. I didn't get a hook in it.

Most anglers keep jigging at that same depth. But if you stay at the height of the original bite, those fish rarely bite again.

Instead, I immediately flipped the bail and dropped the bait straight to the bottom. I call this The Death Drop.

Why It Works

When you drop the bait instantly, the fish follows it straight down and pins it to the bottom. By plummeting the lure, the fish thinks it successfully stunned or killed the bait on that initial strike, and they dive down to ensure it doesn't get away.

This technique works with all predatory fish, both winter and summer. However, to make it work, you need to dial in two very important factors:

1. Drop Speed

I talk about this a lot. When you flip that bail, the bait needs to drop.

This is where matching custom rods to your reel makes a massive difference. If your line coils up or sticks in the guides during the free fall, the game is over. You need a clean, fast drop to trigger that reaction.

2. Premium Hooks

For this scout, I was using a #5 Rapala Rippin’ Rap. While rattle baits are the one category not currently in our lineup (yet), I use them often for scouting because they are fast and efficient since they don't require bait.

However, with reaction baits, your hookup ratio can be lower than desired. That is why this specific bait was upgraded to Owner ST-36 treble hooks.

There is no better way to increase your hook-to-land ratio than with good hooks. NONE. It is exactly why all our Custom Tackle Co. baits come pre-rigged with the best hooks in the business.

Next time you get slack-lined and miss the hookset, try the Death Drop. Hopefully, this gets you a couple of extra fish next time out.

Want to see in action check out the video!!!

Go get some this week.