Discussing Fall walleye's

[Flakehead]

Ok, I've read article after article and have come up a little over informed and confused about the location and habits of walleyes when the water temp begins to fall prior to turnover. Since last summer was my first MN fishing trip in 15 yrs and I love to read about Walleye fishing I have surfed the net at all hours of the day and night. Some authors say walleyes will school and others say they will scatter in search of prespawn baitfish, if present and other species. This scattering may be prior to their schooling once the baitfish have been found but for those of you who have kept journals or remember with out, where do walleyes locate when the water temps reach the low 60's - high 50's? Most articles say they will drop off deeper on steep breaks (reports also say this is happening now) and move up shallow at night. When we get there we'll be putting the sonar to work for locating but for general discussion what do you guys generally see this time of year? Also, do any of you wade around feeder streams at night to cast for shallow walleyes?

James

[pureinsanity]

You know it all depends on the lake, river or stream. Each is different.

Every lake should be different based on a variety of things. Same with rivers. This is a hard one to answer but I am sure someone will chime in. I mainly fish walleyes on the river as I know where they are at certain times of the year. Where as lakes I am clueless!

[tacklejunkie]

Once the turn over happens they could be anywhere.

But.....my experience seems to say fish shallow and deep

[pureinsanity]

I know in the river in the fall ive caught them a couple feet from shore in the shallows

[PerchJerker]

The walleyes go where the forage goes, and in the fall a lot of the forage goes shallow.

Steep breaks close to shallow feeding flats are a typical location, you can find the fish in deep water, and you can find them in shallow water when they move up to feed.

Trolling shallow at night is a great fall tactic. Shallow can be as shallow as 2-3 feet, out to 8-10 feet especially if you're over rocks or weeds (or rocks and weeds together, one of my favorite types of locations).

Regarding water temps, where I fish it's nice to see the water get under 60 degrees, although I prefer to see it below 55 degrees, and when it gets around 50 degrees the fishing usually gets pretty exciting.

[scott b]

You mentioned prior to turnover... which has me speculate, are you a hunter? Prior to turnover the walleyes are right where you found them late summer..deep. Just before turnover you will notice that you will start catching the smaller ones. With a week long pause at 57deg. You will find that the night time is the right time. Like Perch Jerker said 50 degrees is the magic number in any lake in the fall. PIGS!!!. 5" swimbaits are my favorite. Make sure you buy the body seperate from the jig head. Cast them over shallow rocks by the biggest dropoffs in the lake and you should have no problem. My name says it all also.. watch the moon phase and the hot time. (4" white twisters have never done me wrong at this time of the year either.)

[Flakehead]

Great info, guys. I am a hunter but mentioned pre-spawn because I predict that when I arrive in Crow Wing County the water will not have turned over yet. I chose this the days of 22nd 23rd 24th and 25th to fish because of one of my most memorable fishing trips where we fished Cutfoot under a full moon and pounded eyes. No pigs but 2 limits of 18" - 22" fish trolling 5" original black and silver rapala's. I hope to replicate that trip! I have maps and a plan but just to keep my blood boiling I thought I'd pose a discussion. It's great to hear others perspectives.

Thanks,

James

[Borch]

Deep during the day and shallow at night. Like perchjerker I prefer to troll cranks and as the temps approach 50 I upsize my bait up as big as 7". Even eater fish will hit baits that big.

[anchor man]

would you look at middlake humps surrounded by deep water in the Fall, or do you focus nearer shoreline structure and steep shoreline breaks?

[Burbot]

How do you troll that shallow? Are side planners the only way or are you positioned deeper and casting shallow?

THanks

[PerchJerker]

I never use planer boards at night --- not needed and too much hassle.

I'm pretty easy-going on the water and don't get worked up about much ---- but some idgit pulling planer boards at night on a breakline crowded with other boats will set me off every time (the key there is crowded breakline).

Some times I cast at night but usually I troll. Even if I get in as shallow as 2-3 feet, I'll just troll right through it. It takes some nerve and takes some caution, and I try to learn the water before I get that shallow.

[anchor man]

Burbot, I'm guessing your question was how do you troll that shallow and not spook fish..therefore the question about the planer. When I troll shallow I put out quite a bit of line to let the fish return to their "spot" before my lure gets to them. I usually give a long cast and peel off a few rod lengths of line and start trolling. maybe I could get by with less line out, but this is just the way I've always done it

[slurpie]

This is a stupid question but how do you find fish in 2 foot of water. Alot of spots i fih top out at ten foot then have weeds. There is spots on the lake where i have tried and came up with nothing really shallow. I can catch them in 10' at prime time then nothing after dark. What type of areas are you guys fishing that they are so shallow flats, shallow humps weed beds. Any info would be great.

[tunrevir]

Slurpie, it isn't so much that you find fish in 2-3' but they find you Forest lake has many areas under 6' where the fish will run in shallow and when you get to large lakes like Mille Lacs you can find fish almost right up tight to shore on some nights. A handheld spotlight can tip you off to some of the ultra shallow fish but after you spot them and turn it off you will need to wait a bit before fishing through the area as they tend to scatter. Like PJ said, you should have a good idea of what the lay of the land is before it is dark to avoid some of the problems that you could have with running in shallow. We have caught fish on many occassions running over the spine of the reef 2-3', casting back and making a slow run towards the deeper water and as the bait dings bottom and slides off we start catching fish.

Tunrevir~

[slurpie]

Tunrevir thanks but isnt shining fish illegal? the lake i fish has alot of humps and flats ill have to stay later and start trying more spots i guess.

[PerchJerker]

how do you find fish in 2 foot of water

When you're trolling you should be experimenting with different things to see what works, and repeating them when you figure out what works. I always start deeper than 2-3 feet, but as the night goes on I might slide up that shallow to see if I'm getting fish up there.

How do I find them? I make a trolling pass or two up shallow to see if they're there, or a vary my depth in a trolling pass and make a lot of 'S' turns. It's all about looking for fish -- if I'm not really on them somewhere or some depth, I'll look somewhere else or at different depths in the same area.

A change in wind or light conditions might move the fish up, later in the night the fish might move up, and a lot of boat traffic that's out a little deeper can move the fish up.

As for the shallow locations I troll, inside weedlines and shoreline breaks are great fall locations. The tops of shallow rocks are great too, although of course it's a little more nerve-racking trolling over shallow rocks.

[JohnMickish]

There is a couple of ways to fish in 2' of water. One is to use your buddies boat. Second is to use your crappy old boat and third is to keep your nice boat in 6' of water and run a planer board or two up shallow.

Practice this during the day and then repeat it at night following your trails you left on the GPS. This time of year fish will start to chase the available minnows up into the shallows. Find some areas that are sandy or rocky, and by rocky I'm talking softball sized and smaller rocks, not bolders.

[tweedlap]

Good stuff, here, boys !

Useful insider tips !

Thanks,

tweed

[tunrevir]

Tunrevir thanks but isnt shining fish illegal? the lake i fish has alot of humps and flats ill have to stay later and start trying more spots i guess.

Maybe someone can help me out here, I didn't mean to hand out illegal advice if so, my bad.

TUnrevir~

[Burbot]

I am really glad I asked, this is GREAT info!

Thanks guys,

[Jim Uran]

I like to find a big flat and locate the drop to deeper water. I'll fish the deeper water after turnover, that's when the fish and the baitfish have free range of the water column and are no longer stuck above the thermocline where the oxygen is. The baifish will go deep and the pigs will follow. After the turn, the deep steep shoreline breaks have always been best for me. Don't be afraid to fish with big baits either, mix it up. I've caught a 24" walleye with a HUGE tulabie tale stickin out it's throat. They aren't shy, that's for sure.

But before the turnover, like we are in now in my area I like to look at deep midlake humps and steep shoreline breaks, or along the edge of those big feeding flats, pretty much mid summer stuff still. Watch the locater for marks and go back and fish them. The last hour and the first hour of the day are always the best. But you'll see flurries of action at anytime during the day. Depending on the depth you can pull cranks, cast cranks, lindy's, pull spinners, jig em, or whatever you want to do.

[buzbunni]

Tunrevir thanks but isnt shining fish illegal? the lake i fish has alot of humps and flats ill have to stay later and start trying more spots i guess.

I've never read a regulation that prohibited "shining" for fish. This is not akin to shining for deer which is of course prohibited, in part because it is after legal hunting hours.

[james_walleye]

Shining deer is not illegal. There are of course restrictions such as you can't do it with a weapon on board and you can't do it 2 hours after sunset.

[PerchJerker]

Shining deer is not illegal. There are of course restrictions such as you can't do it with a weapon on board and you can't do it 2 hours after sunset.

Correct. I don't know the specifics of the law, but I know there are times you can spotlight deer in MN.

The only fishing regulation concerning lights that I can think of is the one that prohibits using artificial light to attract fish. In this case it seems to me than shining a light in the water to look for fish is not illegal.

[tacklejunkie]

IMO...big baits are key.

I've caught walleyes with small chubs in the fall but much better success with at least 4" sucker minnows or chubs.

And that isn't for just big walleyes, either. I've caught a ton of 12" with the same set up.

Slow drift with jigs and minnows on a cool fall day with the leaves changed color...ahhh, the good life