Fall For Walleyes
by Bob Jensen
You’ve
heard it before and you’ll hear it again: The autumn months are a
great time
to go fishing, for a wide variety of fish. However, for many anglers across
the Midwest, autumn is the time to chase walleyes. Spring can be very good,
and lots of people go fishing for walleyes in the spring. Autumn can be
great, and not as many folks are fishing in the fall. Maybe that’s why
walleye fishing will be so good in the near future. Fewer anglers means
less angling pressure, and less angling pressure means the fish are less
spooky and more eager to bite. Here’s how you can take advantage of that
eagerness.
Many angler, I’m one of them, have had their most memorable
walleye catches in October and early November. The biggest walleyes I’ve
caught have come in the autumn, and the highest daily catches have also
occurred when the leaves where bright and the waters were almost devoid of
anglers.
If I was limited to one lure presentation to use in the fall, it would be
a Fire-Ball jig. This jig has a short-shanked hook that has a wide gap.
The wide gap aids in hooking, but also permits a larger minnow to be
attached, and larger minnows in the fall catch larger walleyes. A three to
four inch redtail is the way to go for numbers of fish, but if you are
interested in a big walleye, go with a six inch, maybe even larger, redtail.
A big redtail on a Fire-Ball jig is a walleye delicacy.
In the fall, walleyes can be found almost anywhere. I had one memorable
fall day catching walleye after walleye on a windblown shoreline in two feet
of water. However, I’ve had more memorable days vertical jigging them in
water deeper than twenty feet. Sonar is the key here. Use sonar to find
the fish on deep structures, then hover over them. Put the jig right in
their face and you’ll get bit. The Humminbird color sonar units that have
become so popular with walleye anglers do a great job of revealing bottom
hugging walleyes.
Soft bait on jigs is becoming more popular for walleyes, and for good
reason. Soft bait is much more durable, and comes in more colors than
minnows. Power Bait and Gulp! in the minnow shapes are the leaders in
appealing to deep water walleyes. Use a jighead of one color with a
different color soft bait. The contrast increases your odds of showing the
fish a color they’re interested in.
Use line that will provide outstanding feel in the deep water. Some
anglers like monofilament: If you’re one of them, go with Trilene
Sensation. Sensation has great feel and superior knot strength. Eight
pound test on the heavier jigs in deep water is good, although some anglers
prefer to go with six pound test.
FireLine offers the ultimate in sensitivity and the Crystal color is
invisible underwater. Go with 10/4 line strength.
Fall is a fantastic time to be outside, and is equally fantastic for
chasing walleyes. If you get the time, be sure to take advantage of it. If
you don’t get the time, make the time to chase walleyes in the fall.
Visit
fishingthemidwest.com
for additional information on walleye fishing in the heartland and more.
