Tackling Fall Walleye

By Gord Ellis

Fall can be a trying time for a walleye angler. Fish are in transition, and as the leaves drop, so do water temperatures.

The combination of cooling water, shorter days, and diminished forage puts fish on the move. Surefire spots and techniques that worked all summer dry up. No longer can a spinner and minnow trolled along the shoreline be counted on to deliver dinner. Skunks become a lot more common and there are long faces back at the launch. No wonder so many of Ontario's best walleye fisheries are devoid of boats once fall arrives. Yet, cold-water walleye can be caught, and in the right conditions, the fishing is amazing.

Some anglers believe fall offers the best walleye bite of the year. They know where to look for fish and how to fine-tune presentations. Finding fall walleye is the hardest part of the game. Classic summer structure is often deserted by late September, so many anglers return to their favourite spring hotspots in search of gold. The assumption - one I made for years - is that cooler water temperatures send walleye back to bay mouths and shallow flats they frequented in May. This, however, is rarely the case. In fact, as temperatures drop, walleye tend to head for drop-offs, some of which can be surprisingly steep. There are exceptions, of course, but when water temperatures approach the low 50s or high 40s F, searching deep is almost always better than going shallow.

This usually means a lot of checking with electronics. In fall I'd really not want to be on the water without a good depth sounder. Thankfully, when walleye are in water deeper than 20 feet, they're usually visible to a sonar. I normally zoom in to the bottom 10 feet on my unit and look for lumps or arches attached to bottom. These are often walleye. When I find them, I plot the spot into a GPS unit or drop in a marker buoy, make note of the depth the marks were at, and take a good look at the structure.

While a fish finder is important, I've found underwater cameras to be helpful as well. Last fall, a friend and I used one to get a better idea of why walleye were holding on some reefs and not on others. The camera showed us rocky reefs on sand were holding more walleye than reefs on pebbles and rocks. We actually saw several walleye working the sand edge. Very cool. Cameras are especially good in clear, deep water, as you can see fish from a long way off.

Once you determine the depth and have a general idea about what fish are on, you can look for similar spots around the lake and find more fish. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It's often not, though. Wind, air temperature, the fall turnover, and other factors can wreak havoc on walleye. However, stable weather - even if it's cold - almost always means good fishing. When the sun smiles down during a crisp fall afternoon, walleye become active.

Basic tactics catch them. As much as I like using artificial lures - and deep-diving crankbaits have their place for suspended fall walleye - the late season is when live-bait fishing really shines on the majority of lakes I fish. Primarily, I use minnows, but there are times when dew worms and even leeches (if you can find any) catch fish. On a typical day trip, I'll bring a few dozen medium to medium-large minnows for jigging and several dozen large and even extra-large minnows for live-bait rigging. The bait should be vigorous and healthy. I've had good luck with chubs, but never turn down lively sucker minnows either. There are times when a sucker beats all else. They can be fussy to keep alive, though, especially if they get temperature shocked. Always allow your minnows to acclimatize before dumping them in a flow-through bucket into icy October water.

When jigging for fall walleye, keep it simple. I rarely use stinger hooks, spinners, or rattles then. The key is a plain jig with enough weight to get easily to bottom, as well as a hook with enough bite to handle large bait. Tiny jig hooks and big bait don't catch fish. I usually turn a jig's hook point out a bit to add extra bite. Don't be afraid to use heavy jigs, especially if fish are in current or the wind is blowing hard. The most important thing is to have good contact with bottom. I'll put on a 1-ounce jig if it helps me stay vertical on fish. Brightly painted jigs are fine, but gold, silver, and black jig heads are my go-to colours come fall.

Use a stout jigging rod and fused or extra-tough monofilament line. If you opt for a fused line, add a foot-long leader of 10-pound-test fluorocarbon between the jig and a small ant swivel on the main line.

Fall walleye usually hit a jigged minnow with gusto, but try to avoid an instant hook-set. A little hesitation on the strike allows a walleye to get its mouth around a large minnow. Drop your tip to the water surface and then nail the fish. I've even seen anglers drop line on a jigged-up fall walleye, but when you're using a 1-ounce jig, that's a risky move.

When the bite is a little tougher or if you find fish are scattered along the base of a long drop-off, rigging a minnow is often better than jigging. The standard live-bait rig consists of a slip sinker, swivel, bead, leader, and hook. The traditional boot-shaped slip (or Lindy) sinker works well, but my preference for the past few years has been the No Snagg Sinker. Make sure the sinker is heavy enough to get your rig down and keep it reasonably vertical. I use a lot of 1- and 2-ounce walking sinkers in fall. I lighten up only if the wind is dead calm or the water is shallower than 20 feet.

When it comes to leader length, longer is usually better in fall. Start with a 6-footer and, if the water is clear or fish are especially fickle, go up to 8 feet. Leaders should be about 8- to 10-pound-test clear monofilament or fluorocarbon line. Check leaders carefully when rigging, as deep rocks and reefs can be tough on them.

Hooks should be of an appropriate size for the bait used. Bring a selection of short-shank octopus hooks, from No. 2 to 2/0 for medium to large minnows. If you're pulling crawlers, you can get away with a No. 4 or 6 hook. Coloured hooks, especially with glow, work well on deep walleye.

When you rig in fall, slower is better. If the wind is not too strong, drifting can be great. Generally, a front trolling motor allows you to more precisely keep the rig at the depth fish are holding. Keep it as vertical as possible and watch the rod tip. It can tell you a lot about what's going on down there. Rigging with long lines and large minnows means that sometimes you don't feel a strike right away.

Big minnows on a long leader swim around freely. Walleye often rush large minnows while they're on a slack line, gobbling the bait down and swimming slowly off. Dropping line without being felt by the fish takes practice in deep water. While a fused or braided line gives you a bit more feel, it can also telegraph tension back to the fish. Sometimes, monofilament's tendency to stretch allows you to drop a little late and still not be detected. Timing the hook-set on a rigged walleye is always tricky, but I usually give them at least 10 seconds before tightening up and setting the hook.

While deep-water rigging can be the key to a crowded livewell, there are times when the fish fool you. A couple years back, during unseasonably warm October weather, a friend and I worked deep water for walleye. A few fish were around, but not as many as there should have been. The day was hot and windy, and we shed our floater jackets and opted for short sleeves. At one point, the wind pushed my boat up over the 10-foot top of the reef and I had a hard pickup. "Bass," I said to my partner. When no surface action ensued from the fish, I had to think again. Finally, a lovely walleye of about 23 inches surfaced. "That's a surprise," said my buddy, as he netted the fish.

We took another shallow pass, and this time his rig was jerked. Another nice walleye on the top. The warm weather and wind had moved fish up from the depths for one last feeding frenzy. It was a great bite and a lot of fun. Three days later, we returned to the spot and it felt like fall again. Small snowflakes drifted through the air and our hands froze. One look at the fish marks piled back up at 33 feet told me that our last bout of shallow fishing was over for good. Fall walleye fishing is just full of surprises.