Their friends have already put up their boats to log time in the tree stand bowhunting white-tails or to sight in guns for firearms season. But, not Mr. and Mrs. Dedicated Walleyeangler. They know that the autumn period is the time to be out on the water hunting huge walleyes.
The true trophies have been harder to find since the end of the spring spawning run. They’ve been scattered on river systems or schooled in small numbers in reservoirs and lakes roaming far from shore over deep water to feed on suspended baitfish or moving to shore only after dark.
This all changes as the water temperatures start to cool down. No matter what kind of system, big walleyes become vulnerable as they start a feeding frenzy to bulk up for the winter to come. Their locations become far more predictable, and Mr. and Mrs. Dedicated Walleyeangler are there to catch them.
Methods to catch the brutes will vary. But one dynamic remains the same – your net could hold some of the biggest walleyes of the year.
Autumn on the river
Three keys unlock the secrets of fall walleye locations on river systems – dams, water temperatures and current breaks.
Cooler temperatures and shorter days give a signal to the walleyes and their smaller cousins, saugers, that it’s time to start moving upstream. They begin to move toward current or dams, where they wait in preparation for the winter and spring spawning run.
Don’t worry about launching early at this time. You might even have time to spend a few hours in the tree stand with your friends. Give the sun time to do its work. Baitfish move to the shallows when the water warms and predators move with them.
The warmest water will be near riprap. The best spots will be near deeper water where fish hold until it’s time to begin feeding.
As always on rivers, search for current breaks that create slack-water eddies. Walleyes can rest in these eddies, yet remain close enough to the faster moving water to ambush prey swimming by.
The area below dams is perfect, offering deep water and eddies to the sides of the dam. Shorelines are usually covered with rock.
Flip jigs and plastic bait. A 1/8 ounce Max Gap jig with a Thumpin’ Ringworm, or a Techni-Glo Fuzz-E-Grub jig tipped with a minnow are great for targeting water 1-5 feet deep. Use the lightest jig you can and still stay in contact with the bottom. Smaller jigs are easier to free from snags in the rocks.
Try different colors. Let the fish tell you what they want. Add a willow cat, minnow or nightcrawler if the fish want something live.
A 6- to 7-foot long St. Croix rod with a fast tip is perfect for this application. Keep your line diameter small to reduce wind and water resistance. High-vis Power Pro braided line allows you to ‘line-watch’ for light bites and is strong enough to resist breaking when the jigs fall into the rocks. Keep your rod tip up and feel your jig slipping along the rocks during the retrieve to better detect strikes.
Wingdams near main dams will also hold fish. Anchor above the wingdam and cast jigs or crankbaits to the face. A three-way rig with a Lindy No-Snagg sinker on your dropper will help you avoid snags. Cast it toward the upstream side of the wingdam and let the current take the bait to the face where an eddy forms.
The water is usually low in fall, so walleyes will generally be closer to the bank.
Warmer water gets harder to find as autumn turns to winter. That’s when you should switch to using heavier jigs and target fish below the boat in deeper water.
Still water runs deep
All summer long, you’ve been trolling the reservoirs and lakes to look for scattered schools of walleyes. Walleyes will move toward deep water structure in fall. Check out points nearest the channel in reservoirs. Add mid-lake humps to the list of potential targets in natural lakes.
After turnover, they’ll move up and down the sharpest breaks they can find.
Start the search by identifying the structures nearest deep water. Hard bottoms are best. Then, look for the spot-on-the-spot.
Focus on points and inside turns where fish will congregate. One boulder amid the gravel may hold the monster fish.
Look for baitfish and signs of walleyes on the sonar screen. But, don’t worry if nothing looks like a walleye below the boat. They are often so tight to the bottom they don’t show up.
Rigging with heavy _- to 1-ounce sinkers lets you move fast to look for active fish. Slow down once walleyes are found.
The best rig for the situation features a Lindy walking sinker or a No-Snagg sinker. Use a standard leader length of 30 to 40 inches and a #2 hook, because this is not the time to offer a snack to a hungry trophy. They’re feasting on forage fish that have been growing all summer long. Use big baits, like 4- to 6-inch chubs, air-injected nightcrawlers and big leeches. Make sure the bait is fresh.
A fast-tipped, 7-foot-long rigging rod with backbone lets the fish take the bait without feeling resistance while letting you set the hook hard.
Use your electric motor to move from deep water to shallow and back. Go slow enough to remain relatively vertical, in order to avoid dragging the chub and getting into the rocks. Hover over any marks you see on your electronics. Note the depth when a strike comes. More fish will often be at the same depth. Try tail-hooking your chub to allow it to struggle against the hook. This will often provoke more bites.
Walleyes will gradually slide to deeper rocks, sand bars and mid-lake humps as fall turns to winter. Try switching to slip bobbers and a 1/16-ounce Max Gap jig. If you need more weight, add a rubber core sinker above the jig. Don’t use bigger jigs. You can also substitute a simple red hook.
Anchor upwind, set the bobber to ride just above the bottom and cast out to the side of the boat and allow the bobber rig to drift with the wind toward the structure. The Thrill Pro-Series slip bobbers are perfect for this application.
Don’t set the hook right away. They need time to eat big bait.
We’re talking big fish here, and big fish will tax your gear. There’s no doubt that the big fish will find the weakest link. Retie often to avoid nicks in your line.
Don’t head for the tree stands just yet. There are still trophy walleyes to hunt.By: Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson
