Walleye

With fall on its way and the water cooling down, I like to head to the river where walleyes and saugers will be strapping on the feedbag. One of my favorite presentations is pitching a light jig tipped with an artificial tail to rocky shorelines, wing dams and various other fish-holding structures.

To mention walleye is to think "northern climes." Millions of tourism dollars have traditionally flowed to the northern tier of states where walleye is king. However, in the last four decades, the traditional lines of walleye fishing have slipped southward. Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee have produced the four largest walleye on record, all over 21 pounds. Tennessee holds the big fish title with a whopping 25 pounder caught from Old Hickory Lake in 1960.

Have you ever found Walleyes live bait rigging or pulling spinners, and the fish have been in a positive mood, biting all day.... and then they just plain shut down? The Lowrance is still marking fish but they have become uncooperative and are holding tighter to the bottom, no longer taking your faster presentation?

Tube jig

Late Fall on the borders of Minnesota and Ontario out of Baudette Minnesota means one thing for the serious angler...Rainy River Walleyes! The river runs along the border, and divides the State of Minnesota and the Province of Ontario. In the Fall, millions of Emerald Shiners run up the river out of giant Lake of the Woods into the Rainy river. The fishing can be absolutely incredible, and at worst is extremely good for Walleyes.

Autumn is a great time to target walleye. Generally speaking, fish are active and big ones are prowling and eager to eat.

Throughout much of the walleyes' home range, river systems provide a significant though somewhat polarized angling resource. Due to shifts in location driven by propagation needs, forage considerations, and current level and water temperature changes, consistently catching "here today, gone tomorrow" river walleyes is a challenge.

Walleyes are often concentrated

With the rapid approach of fall, water temperatures are dropping. And the walleyes will be biting.

When in doubt about what bait to us in the fall for walleye, it's never a bad idea to imitate their main prey.