Big. Hungry. Either word is a good one when describing a walleye. When youcan use both words in the same sentence, that’s as good as it gets! Such isthe case when it comes to fishing for walleyes in the fall. It’s a magictime of year, as fish strap on the feed bag to put on winter weight.
For the purposes of this article, I want to discuss “post-turnover” fallfishing. The turnover is a temperature-driven event in a lake where coolingair temps reduce the surface water temperature to a degree lower than thewater beneath it. Since warm water rises in the same way as warm air does,the water in a lake literally “changes places.” Cold water sinks; warmerwater rises and the lake “turns over.” While it’s happening, there’s a greatdeal of turbidity and a lot of suspended debris. The fishing is typicallyslow during the turnover. But after it’s done, and water temperaturesachieve equilibrium, the water gets extremely clear. It’s party time!
An important thing to keep in mind during this time of year is that thewalleyes are relating to schools of big baitfish, like ciscos, that operateon a fall spawn. The bait moves from mid-summer, deep-water lake basins tospawning grounds on gravel bars, rocky flats, etc. and the walleyes travelwith them.
Because the water temperatures are cooling, the walleye’s metabolism slowsdown. When this happens, Mr. Waldoon wants a big meal that he doesn’t needto expend a lot of energy to consume. So, big bait is the order of the day.Without a doubt, the best live bait for fall walleyes is a big “redtail”minnow. By big I mean 6″-7”. Redtails react fearfully to the presence of apredator and really dance on that hook to incite a strike. In fact, you canoften predict a strike with a redtail based on his agitation level. When hestarts a-quiverin’, be ready.
A fall-pattern redtail rig consists of a standard Lindy Rig. I prefer 8-10pound test monofilament line on my reel with a 3/8 ounce slip sinker above agood swivel. For your snell, you can’t go wrong with a 3-foot fluorocarbonleader in 8-pound test. Hook preferences (style, size, color) vary, but a #5works well with big minnows. You can hook the redtail up or down through thelips, at the dorsal or through the tail. Tail-hooking provides a lot ofaction from the minnow.
The best way to fish a redtail Lindy Rig in the fall is slow and vertical.Concentrate on the steep breaks of points and humps on whatever walleye lakeyou’re fishing and you’ll be most likely to find fish. They like those deep,steep structures during daytime hours. 25-35 foot depths are among the mostproductive, but I’ve had amazing success in water as deep as 50+ feet.
Using contour maps and/or GPS, get on those steep breaks and locate fish onyour sonar. Drop your rig to the bottom and troll or drift slowly, keepingthe rig directly beneath you as much as possible. Walleyes will often betightly schooled during the fall bite, and very possessive of the meals theygrab. So when you get a strike, expect that fish to move with the bait tokeep away from his buddies who could possibly steal his morsel. When youfeel the bite, give him line and plenty of time to eat that big redtail.
For the best hookset, reel up any slack line and, with your rod tip close tothe water, give the fish a firm, sweeping hookset to drive home the point. A7-1/2 to 8-foot spinning rod with a medium to medium-heavy action is idealfor a big hookset. If you’re a fan of fishing with no-stretch braided line,adjust your hookset and rod action accordingly to prevent “oversetting” thehook and tearing the fish’s mouth.
Remember that these walleyes will often stack up on a structure thatprovides a hearty bait buffet. If you tag a nice ‘eye on a particular break,throw the marker buoy and work the area over thoroughly. You just mightscore your entire limit of “eaters” plus some big brutes off a relativelysmall spot in a short amount of time.
Also note that as the day progresses towards dusk, the fish will most likelymigrate up the structure from deeper water to the shallower breakline edgesand even spread out up on the flats to roam and graze during the nighttimehours. Switching over to slip-bobber rigs to intercept fish as theyprogressively move up the break is a solid strategy. Long-line trolling withcrankbaits is also a killer way to cover a lot of water on top of structuresto pick off walleyes that are roaming. Pay close attention to moon phasesespecially when it comes to the nighttime fall bite. The three or four dayson either side of a full moon are usually dynamite.
If there is a time of year to connect on that 30+ incher that haunts yourdreams, with enough pre-winter fat to send her over the coveted 10-poundmark, it’s during the post-turnover fall season. Buy a bunch of big redtails(or creek chubs if your bait man doesn’t sell redtails), pack a warm jacketand get out there this autumn. I promise, you’ll be glad you did.
Good Fishing!
Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people tofish and hunt for more than 25 years. Watch the award-winning “Good Fishing”and “Outdoor Secrets” television shows on Versus (formerly OLN), Fox SportsNet, WILD TV, WFN and many local networks.By: Babe Winkelman / Babe Winkelman Productions
