Late Night Walleye Fishing

[mnfisher22]

what are some good ways to catch walleyes after dark

[bmc]

I usually troll shallow running rapalas, but once in a while will anchor and slip bobber fish shiners or leeches. I really like trolling raps after dark.

Brian

[PerchJerker]

I agree, trolling shallow water or fishing with slip bobbers are the two most common methods. You can also cast shallow water, either from shore or a boat, with jigs or crankbaits --- channels, boat harbors, and docks where fish feed are classic areas for this.

[Esox_Magnum]

I like to wade current areas or shallow areas with a jig/minnow or X Rap.

[aanderud]

One simple way to fish (no boat loading/unloading, no trolling in the dark, etc) is to use waders or hip boots, casting raps (floating originals, shallow shad raps, etc) near any culvert or stream into a lake that has a decent walleye population. This will work in spring and fall, but is usually not the best tactic in mid-summer.

[Cicada]

From shore can be a blast. I usually throw shallow running crankbaits. Smaller ones in the spring and large ones in the fall. I like spots that have a culvert between lakes. The number one trick that gets me more fish in these spots is to lay the lure in the water about in the middle of the culvert. Look for which way the current is going. And yes, there can be current without a river. If you are retreiving against the current, crank slower. If you are bringing them in with the current, you will have to crank faster. I usually have better luck on windier nights. Vary the retrieve; usually steady is best but some nights jerking it will drive them nuts. Also, stay on the ball until you pull the lure out of the water. I've had walleyes follow it up to the shore and cream it just as I was pulling it out of the water. Check your drag often, these shallow fish will crush the lure. On overcast nights the bite can start before sundown but on clear nights I've normally started hitting fish about the time it gets hard to see the rocks in the shallow water.

Middle of the summer I will bobber fish with a small jig and leech on off-shore structure. Use as small a jig as you can and a lighted bobber. Those things are a little pricey but a blast to watch go under in the dark.

[Boogaard]

I love fishing bobbers day or night. Can be really sucessful if you know what your doing. Night fishing can become a NIGHTmare if you dont have the proper items. If something can go wrong or tangle it will happen in the dark!

[wplatehunter]

I love trolling raps at night in the spring.

[mnfisher22]

boogaard...what do you all bring with when you bobber fish?

[Team Otter]

Quite a few people have already beat me to the punch but let me add just a few things:

1. When trolling raps, focus on water temperature. Early spring or late fall in and around the full moon phases and/or any evening is prime time when water temperatures are below 50 degrees F. Speed is critical to presentation but often times #10 and #12 HJ's are all you need in a variety of colors.

2. When bobber fishing, stay in a "stealth" mode. Only use a light to net a fish or hook on bait. Move your presentation around the structure often by re-casting and change depths until you get bit.

[Turk]

 Originally Posted By: mnfisher22

what are some good ways to catch walleyes after dark

In rivers anchoring and casting twister tails on light jigs is hard to beat. The trick is to have the right spot identified prior to the night fishing.

Keep Catchin'

Turk

[Stick in Mud]

In respnde to TO's post, I know that slower speeds (like 1.0 mph) are better in the fall, but do you go that slow in the spring as well?

[PerchJerker]

Water temperature should determine your starting speed, after that adjust it until you find what the fish want. Colder water, slower speeds.

General rule of thumb is something like 45 degrees and less, start around 1.4 mph. 45 - 50 degrees try around 1.8 mph. 50 - 55 degrees maybe 2.0 - 2.2 mph. Those are just starting points, vary your speed until you find what the fish want.

[hhguide]

At night too I also use black Lights I dont think the fish can see you when your up shallow but with a big bright light I think the fish spook alittle If its true thats up to you to decide but I think it really helps!

[Boogaard]

Well I have a few different anchors and a nylon type rope that i clip onto the end of the anchor rope and then clip onto the bow. Helps a lot with absorbing the shockfrom larger waves. Nothing is worse than trying to find your spot in the dark and trying to land on it. Head lamps are a must. I mounted some LED lights inside my boat as well, located them towards the bottom. I spliced them into my night stern lights so i just have to flip the switch helps to light the floor area up. I also have a flashlight mounted onto my net. very helpful when trying to land a fish in the dark. other than that any other advice i could give would be to put anything that you dont need away or in an area where you wont walk over it orhook it!

[Team Otter]

Good question. Speed is directly related to water temperature, regardless of the time of year. These are guidelines but certainly not ultimatums:

40 F = 1.0 mph and under

41 - 48 F = 1.1 mph up to 1.8 mph

49 - 55 F = 1.2 mph up to 2.0 mph

56 - 60+ F = 1.5 mph up to 2.2 mph

[ddsbyday]

One thing nobody mentioned is bug spray. On a nice summer night in Minnesota the fish will not be the only thing biting(even in the middle of the lake on a still night).

[RiverBassGuy]

Trolling shallow cranks is extremely fun and can be VERY productive. Pay attention to prevailing wind directions on large bodies of water. I like to fish the wind blown side, as this is generally where the baitfish are congregated. Follow the baitfish, find the walleyes. There are hundreds of crankbaits you can troll with but I have a few favorites I'll share:

Perch Husky jerk-bait

Rainbow floatin rap

walleye shad rap

ghost x-rap

cordell wally diver

[Team Otter]

Great pictures. Pictures always seem to help. Thanks for sharing.

[Stick in Mud]

This is a question in response to Turk's post above. What areas of the river are especially good for night bites? I often find that the fish I catch during the day are not there at night, so I usually just go home. Where do the walleyes head to? Another problem I have with the spots I fish (in and around Saint Cloud) is that the fish may be there after dark, but I'll only catch one or two and then they'll no longer bite. I've had many a night where I've caught two fish in my first ten casts, and then not a thing for an hour or two. What gives?

[Kyle Sandberg]

Keep moving around the lake. Those one or two fish you pull out of that spot may be the active males looking for an easy meal. The best thing to do would to find a couple areas on the lake that has similar structure and hold fish during the time of the year and keep rotating between your spots.

As for river fishing, I'm no expert but I would look to slack water areas that provide a safe haven for baitfish.

[hhguide]

Otherwise go shallower! At night the baitfish move out of the deep weed lines and up to the shallow flats or shallower water depending on what time of lake or river system it is. When those bait fish move up and start picking off bugs in the water the walleyes are usually right behind them. They fish are more spread out though so use maybe a spinner or shallow running crankbait to cover some ground when you catch a fish mark it on the gps then go alittle ways and turning around and see if another one is there.

[JustLOVEit]

My secret has been ( this works on both lakes and rivers ) working the shallow or shoreline with a topwater jig or a popper before night falls or late at night... Sometime it will amaze you what is willing to hit it... i've caught alot of different fish on the rivers especially nice eyes..

"Doing it!! Cause Just LOVE It!!"

[hhguide]

Its what they do in the fall when all the frogs and such are moving to the river!

[Stick in Mud]

My question was specifically about the Mississippi up here--I don't have much of a clue on how to catch walleyes in the lakes around here. The fish we get right away are little males, but there has to be more than two or three in the areas that we fish. These are large, rocky areas with very reduced current. But it seems like 9 times out of 10 it's always the same--two fish in two or three casts, and the next 200 casts, nothing. Very frustrating!