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Big. Hungry. Either word is a good one when describing a walleye. When you can use both words in the same sentence, that’s as good as it gets! Such is the case when it comes to fishing for walleyes in the fall. It’s a magic time of year, as fish strap on the feed bag to put on winter weight.
For the purposes of this article, I want to discuss “post-turnover” fall fishing. The turnover is a temperature-driven event in a lake where cooling air temps reduce the surface water temperature to a degree lower than the water beneath it. Since warm water rises in the same way as warm air does, the water in a lake literally “changes places.” Cold water sinks; warmer water rises and the lake “turns over.” While it’s happening, there’s a great deal of turbidity and a lot of suspended debris. The fishing is typically slow during the turnover. But after it’s done, and water temperatures achieve equilibrium, the water gets extremely clear. It’s party time!
An important thing to keep in mind during this time of year is that the walleyes are relating to schools of big baitfish, like ciscos, that operate on a fall spawn. The bait moves from mid-summer, deep-water lake basins to spawning grounds on gravel bars, rocky flats, etc. and the walleyes travel with them.
Because the water temperatures are cooling, the walleye’s metabolism slows down. When this happens, Mr. Waldoon wants a big meal that he doesn’t need to expend a lot of energy to consume. So, big bait is the order of the day. Without a doubt, the best live bait for fall walleyes is a big “redtail” minnow. By big I mean 6”-7”. Redtails react fearfully to the presence of a predator and really dance on that hook to incite a strike. In fact, you can often predict a strike with a redtail based on his agitation level. When he starts a-quiverin’, be ready.
A fall-pattern redtail rig consists of a standard Lindy Rig. I prefer 8-10 pound test monofilament line on my reel with a 3/8 ounce slip sinker above a good swivel. For your snell, you can’t go wrong with a 3-foot fluorocarbon leader in 8-pound test. Hook preferences (style, size, color) vary, but a #5 works well with big minnows. You can hook the redtail up or down through the lips, at the dorsal or through the tail. Tail-hooking provides a lot of action from the minnow.
The best way to fish a redtail Lindy Rig in the fall is slow and vertical. Concentrate on the steep breaks of points and humps on whatever walleye lake you’re fishing and you’ll be most likely to find fish. They like those deep, steep structures during daytime hours. 25-35 foot depths are among the most productive, but I’ve had amazing success in water as deep as 50+ feet.
Using contour maps and/or GPS, get on those steep breaks and locate fish on your sonar. Drop your rig to the bottom and troll or drift slowly, keeping the rig directly beneath you as much as possible. Walleyes will often be tightly schooled during the fall bite, and very possessive of the meals they grab. So when you get a strike, expect that fish to move with the bait to keep away from his buddies who could possibly steal his morsel. When you feel the bite, give him line and plenty of time to eat that big redtail.
For the best hookset, reel up any slack line and, with your rod tip close to the water, give the fish a firm, sweeping hookset to drive home the point. A 7-1/2 to 8-foot spinning rod with a medium to medium-heavy action is ideal for a big hookset. If you’re a fan of fishing with no-stretch braided line, adjust your hookset and rod action accordingly to prevent “oversetting” the hook and tearing the fish’s mouth.
Remember that these walleyes will often stack up on a structure that provides a hearty bait buffet. If you tag a nice ‘eye on a particular break, throw the marker buoy and work the area over thoroughly. You just might score your entire limit of “eaters” plus some big brutes off a relatively small spot in a short amount of time.
Also note that as the day progresses towards dusk, the fish will most likely migrate up the structure from deeper water to the shallower breakline edges and even spread out up on the flats to roam and graze during the nighttime hours. Switching over to slip-bobber rigs to intercept fish as they progressively move up the break is a solid strategy. Long-line trolling with crankbaits is also a killer way to cover a lot of water on top of structures to pick off walleyes that are roaming. Pay close attention to moon phases especially when it comes to the nighttime fall bite. The three or four days on either side of a full moon are usually dynamite.
If there is a time of year to connect on that 30+ incher that haunts your dreams, with enough pre-winter fat to send her over the coveted 10-pound mark, it’s during the post-turnover fall season. Buy a bunch of big redtails (or creek chubs if your bait man doesn’t sell redtails), pack a warm jacket and get out there this autumn. I promise, you’ll be glad you did.
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