Top 5 Fall Walleye Fishing Tactics

Autumn is a wonderful time of year with mild temperatures, beautiful scenery and big fish searching for an easy meal before freeze up.  It's the later fact of fall that gets me excited to drop a line in the water.

This past fall was the first time I actually had the chance to dedicate time for some fall fishing.  I had the last week of September and the first week of October off, so we packed up and headed off to Canada.  This had been an unusually warm Fall and I was concerned that I might hit the fall turnover.  This is a period when the water temperature throughout the lake hits around 4 degrees Celsius and it mixes top to bottom.   This occurs because water is most dense at 4 degrees Celsius.  The water during turnover becomes murky and the fish are usually turned off the chew for a few days on either side.  Lucky enough though I didn't have to deal with fall turnover at any of the lakes we visited.

We went after some big pike at other lakes, but we stuck to our home base for a few days and went walleye fishing.  Even though this is a small lake and not really known to hold huge walleye we had fun fishing with great numbers and steady action.

Previously I have come up empty handed when trying for walleye in the fall, so what was the problem? Well here are a few tips I learned this fall that may help you catch more fish.


#1 Spread Thin: In the Fall fish tend to be more spread out since the whole water column is now at a suitable temperature with high oxygen concentration.  Keeping this in mind using a strategy that covers a lot of water will help put you on more fish.  For example; I spent some time drifting with a bottom bouncer and spinner / floater set up that worked really well finding walleye along a drop off in water from 20-30 feet deep.  I find drifting or slow trolling a bottom bouncer in the fall is more effective than a crank bait.  Walleye tend to take the slower moving presentations better with colder water temperatures.

#2 Key Summer Structure: Often the key summer locations like mid lake humps and rocky main lake points will still hold fish in the fall.  These well known spots that are often covered by the weekend warriors are largely forgotten as fall approaches.  The truth is these locations may even become more productive into the fall as fish stack up to feed in these areas.  During the fall weed growth dies off and bait fish are left only to the rocky areas to take cover.  These bait fish are what those larger walleye will be searching out during the fall binge.

#3 Subtle Presentation: When the big flashy summer baits are not working you have to downsize and slow it down.  Remember these fish are exposed to falling temperatures and are sluggish at times with the fluctuating weather patterns of fall.  So go for a slow subtle presentation.  You might consider using a slip float that will hold your presentation in place just like dead sticking on the ice.  This is a highly effective method for fall walleye.

#4 The Minnow:  A top fall fish magnet is the jig and minnow.  It is simple, has been around for a long time and still produces catches of large numbers of fish.  When you find them drop this presentation down and you might be into some non stop action.  Don't forget that simple works!

#5 Big Bait = Big Fish:  In the fall this is especially true for walleye.  If you want to catch a big one and you're fishing a lake where they roam then GO BIG!  A great fall presentation is working large swimbaits 5-6 inches in length slowly through the water column.  Give it a few cranks and let it fall, crank it a few and repeat.  This slow retrieve with that tantalizing tail flicker will have some huge walleye going crazy this fall.  Give it a try with a Big Hammer swim bait.  These soft baits can't be beat for fall fishing!

Hope these few tips will help you put more walleye in the boat this next fall.  Go give it a try.

Till next time, Tight Lines!

The Fishing Doctor

Finally Fall Fishing Northern Pike!

Fast approaching the end of another great Canadian fishing adventure in early August, we started entertaining the idea of going back in the Fall.  My wife didn't have to ask me twice before I quickly found a gap in my schedule over the last week of September and first of October.  Flights were booked and it was all planning and daydreaming from there.

Fishing in the fall had always been something I read about in magazines and watched on fishing shows, but never able to experience first hand.  Generally I'd fish over 50 days a year, but these days were highly concentrated around school vacations.  Now after 20 years of education and 4 years of post graduate training life looked more promising for a fall fishing adventure.

As with all new adventures much planning and self education is required for success.  I started reading everything I could lay my eyes on regarding fishing the fall bite.  After a few trips to Outdoor World and hundreds of dollars spent on large swim-baits and crank-baits I was certain I had what was needed to put some fish in the boat.

The Horizon Airlines pilot announced we'd be arriving at the Edmonton International Airport in a few minutes.  Gazing out the window I could see the John Deere combines working the fields and fall colors on the trees.  The weather had been great and the first cold weather was set to hit while I was in town. This was fine with me since everything I had read stated a cooling trend in weather turns fall fish on the chew.

My target fish of choice was northern pike as I'd never really caught much over an 8 lb pike in open water.  Pinehurst Lake in North East Alberta has always been a favorite lake to catch summer walleye and monster northern pike through the ice.  I figured given the presence of large pike in the winter this would probably be our best bet to hook into a dandy.  Keep this in mind if you are after trophy fish, you have to fish waterways known to hold them.

The weather report said we could expect a high of 4 degrees C, wind, overcast and rain showers throughout the day.  We geared up and put a tarp on the 12 foot aluminum boat.  Dressing appropriate to survive a day like this is key.  Layer your clothes, wear a rain suit and don't forget to wear something warm on your feet like winter boots or insulated rubber boots.  This will make all the difference on those cold fall fishing days.

We launched and started to troll large crank-baits on the south shore along deep water rocky points.  These are known fish holding structures in the summer and fall.  As the weeds die off the small bait-fish will move to these rocky areas to find cover from predatory fish.  Naturally the walleye and large pike are drawn here in search of food.  After a few minutes of trolling my dad hooked the first pike of the day, but far from a monster.

Shallow weed lines and reeds can also hold large fish as the waters cool to temperatures that large pike can tolerate while in search for a meal.  We next headed across the lake to a very large weed bed and cast large crank-baits.  This seemed to be the ticket as we started having explosive strikes and hookups on hard fighting northern pike.  I knew we were on the fish and it was only time until we found a big one.

Slow retrieving a 6" jointed crank along the surface was drawing some great strikes.  Then it happened.  I could see a freight train of a fish streaking towards my lure and inhale it.  The line zipping across the water and off my reel, then NOTHING!  What happened?  I reeled up the excess line and found my 30 pound fluorocarbon leader had broke.  This brings me to another tip.  When fishing for these toothy critters it is a good idea to use a steel leader or if using fluorocarbon use at least a 100 pound leader.  I found this out the hard way and that pike was now carrying an expensive lure as jewelry.

We caught many more pike before evening approached and my dad started to suggest we head back across the lake closer to the boat launch.  I suggested we try trolling along the reeds where we had seen a lot of white fish surfacing.  Since big pike eat whites and tulibee I figured there must be some lurking.  I cast out the lure and pumped the rod as we trolled along.  BAM!  another big hit on the line and this time the fish is pulling drag.  I slowly coerce her up to the surface some 50 yards away and notice this fish has a wake, not the usual spiraling snot rocket on the surface.   Soon the big fish was beside the boat and into the awaiting landing net.  It really happened, a big pike!  My fall fishing dreams had really come true.  We snapped a few pictures and video before letting the large female pike swim away for another day.

What a great end to another awesome fishing adventure.  I think I have a new addiction that will have to wait until next fall!  Till then check out these pictures and video of the day.

http://www.youtube.com/v/eMyBJtMuudk?autohide=1&version=3&attribution_tag=by_6mQG05IM3f-z6nBT-NA&feature=share&autoplay=1&showinfo=1&autohide=1CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO OF THE REST OF THE PINEHURST ACTION, COULDN'T GET IT TO SHOW UP.