FALL FOR WALLEYES
By Bob Jensen

Any time of the year is a great time to catch walleyes, but I think if I were limited to one season for catching walleyes, it would be the autumn. The opportunity to catch numbers of walleyes exists in some lakes and rivers in the fall, and the chances for catching a really, really big walleye are best this time of year also. Here’s how to go about it.

First, an angler needs to decide what the goal for the day is. If you want to catch a bunch of fish, you will want to select a body of water that is known for producing numbers of fish. Although a three-pounder will be considered large in lakes of this type, the odds for getting bit consistently are good. I’ve been in on bites like this before where we caught fifty to sixty walleyes a day, sometimes even more, but none of the fish were over three pounds. I enjoy days like that.

If you are looking for a truly big walleye, you will want to select a lake that has good numbers of the big guys. Some lakes have the capability of turning out big ones. You probably won’t get as many bites, but every bite could be from the biggest walleye you’ve caught so far. Usually, deep clear lakes will be best for the big ones.

If lots of walleyes are the goal of the day, I will probably be throwing, drifting, or trolling a Fire-ball jig tipped with a three inch minnow. This set-up is tough to beat for numbers of fish. This same jig with a five or six inch redtail-chub will take plenty of big fish as well.

If you’re on big fish water, the Fire-ball and big minnow will be a good choice, as will a Roach Rig with a big minnow. However, many anglers who specialize in big walleyes will choose to troll crankbaits at night when they are looking for a big one. Get on the right spot on the right night and the odds for taking a trophy, perhaps several of them, are pretty darn good.

In the past couple of years, Frenzy Minnows have accounted for a bunch of walleyes in the six to ten pound range in my boat. In water less than six feet, try throwing shallow Frenzy minnows.

In deeper water, Frenzy Medium Minnows will be a good choice. Try a variety of colors until the fish show a preference. There are times when Mr. Marble Eyes wants one color over another.

In the fall, the biggest walleyes will be where the larger baitfish are. If there is a school of whitefish or cisco or something like that around, there will probably be some walleyes nearby.

Current will also attract hungry walleyes. Often, current areas will be best fished from shore.

The fall season is a great time to be an outdoors-enthusiast. There is so much to do that one can be easily distracted from the excellent walleye fishing that exists. However, if you decide to take advantage of the walleye fishing this time of year, don’t be surprised if you catch the biggest one you’ve taken so far.