WALLEYES IN RIVERS RIGHT NOW
By Bob Jensen

The view throughout the Midwest at this time of year can be very different from area to area. In some parts of the Midwest, the leaves have taken on their vivid fall colors, in other areas the leaves are pretty much off the trees.

In some locations the geese and ducks are abundant, in other areas the waterfowl have not arrived yet.

The fields and sloughs in a few Midwest states are being visited daily by hunters in search of pheasants; pheasant season is still a few weeks off in other states.

The one consistent outdoor activity going on now throughout the Midwest is the walleye action in rivers. Right now walleyes can be easy to catch in rivers that have good walleye numbers, and that's most of the rivers in the Midwest. Here's how you can get in on the action.

Probably the number one lure presentation in rivers this time of year is a jig, although live bait rigs and crankbaits will also work. However, for numbers of walleyes you just can't beat a Fire-ball jig or a Buck-Shot Rattle jig. Tipped with either a minnow or a Power Grub, jigs will be your best bet.

This time of year the walleyes can be found in a variety of locations. Some will be on wing-dams, some will be in deep holes, others will be located on structure near current, and there will probably be more than a few walleyes holding right along the line where the current meets slower moving water. Move around on all these spots until the fish are located.

In the deep water, it works well to hover right over the fish, working your jig as straight up and down as possible. Use a jig that's heavy enough to stay on the bottom. A too-light jig will be swept up off the bottom by the current, and off the bottom is not where the walleyes are.

When working the wing-dams, fish the upstream side and the downstream side of the structure. Sometimes the fish will be on a certain part of the wingdam, other times they will be on the downstream side. It seems like when the water is low, the walleyes will be where the current is stronger.

Many of the rivers throughout the Midwest hold sauger as well as walleyes. Although sauger look like walleyes, they usually aren't as large. If you are catching a lot of sauger and want to up your odds for walleyes, try fishing a little shallower. Sometimes walleyes and sauger will be in similar depths, but much of the time the walleyes will be shallower.

Orange, chartreuse, and glow colors are great for walleyes, but when they're hungry, often they will hit a jig regardless of color. Nonetheless, many times you'll catch more walleyes on one of the three colors just mentioned.

If you're not a hunter, or if you're willing to take a break from the hunting, now is a great time to be on the river catching walleyes. In many areas you'll sharing the spots with eagles, waterfowl, and walleyes, and that can be pretty good company to keep.