Five Proven Spots
For Big Walleyes in Autumn

by Spence Petros

Most anglers are aware of the spring upstream spawning runs in rivers and creeks, and into connecting sloughs and backwaters.

Less known to anglers are the fall runs of some major species.

One game fish that really tends to go with the current in the fall is the walleye. This popular fish will not only make fall mock spawning runs in major river systems but into tributaries of lakes and reservoirs as well.

This is the ideal time to catch big walleyes.

Fall can be divided into two periods--early fall starting with the first cool nights of autumn until about the third week of October, and late fall until the rivers freeze.

During the early period the fish are more active--and shallower, more influenced by current, and more prone to be caught on lures. There are also more fish to be caught.

During the latter fall period, walleyes are less active, in areas of less current, less likely to hit lures, and less apt to be found shallow. You'll also catch fewer, although the average size can be eye-popping.

Each fall period peaks at a specific time. In the prime walleye rivers in our northern tier of states, the early period seems to peak around World Series time in early October under normal conditions. The late fall period is best close to the second week in November.

Here are the five best spots to find fall walleye.

1. Rip-Rap

These man-made areas of rocky shoreline are common on large rivers, especially those with widely fluctuating water levels and currents. The main function of these large rocks is to prevent shoreline erosion caused by the river's current.

Rip-rap is commonly found in the dam areas or along roadways bordering or crisscrossing the river. If train tracks run parallel to the riverbank, or even cross the river, rip-rap might be found on those sections of bank.

Ideal rip-rap is where the rocks extend 6-8 feet or more into the water, where the break into deeper water is sharp, and where an underwater projection or two extends out from the rocks.

During the early fall period it isn't unusual to find walleyes actively feeding along a stretch of rip-rap. Unseasonable warm days, particularly if they follow a cold spell, can trigger feeding sprees. I've seen bait fish drawn to the sun-drenched rocks under this condition, and generally the walleyes aren't far behind.

When the fish are active and shallow enough to reach, crankbaits are my first choice of lures for fishing the rocks. To check out longer stretches of rocks or to reach greater depths, I use parallel trolling passes with the lure skimming just over the rocks.

As the waters got colder and the fish became less aggressive, minnow or jig-minnow combinations get the nod. Most anglers won't be able to swim a jig-and-minnow combo over the rocks very efficiently, so use a slow drift with your presentation as vertical under the boat as possible. Let out just enough line so your jig or weight hits bottom then lift up 6-12 inches. As you drift, every few feet drop your rod tip to make sure you're still close to the bottom.

One final tip: during the late fall period, rip-rap with a deep finger, projection, or cut will be much better than a run of rocks with a straight, clean edge.

2. Rock Bar or Wing Dam

Almost any rock bar or wing dam breaking quickly and close to deep water has potential, but there's something special about the ones bordering the mouth of a backwater area or incoming tributary...and something special usually means big walleyes.

If had to make a guess as to why this type area is so good for big fish, I'd say that the unstable fall weather causes smaller forage fish to vacate the shallower backwater area or feeder and seek the stability of the deep water in the main channel. A rock bar situated at the mouth gives the walleye a place to hold and ambush the passing schools of forage fish.

A key to the size of the walleye you could encounter is the size and depth of these connecting waters. A small creek of a very shallow backwater area connected to the river may harbor just smaller minnows, but larger connecting waters with some depth to them often hold minnows, chubs, suckers, and small perch. I think the larger and more varied forage coming out of these tributaries is more appealing to the larger walleyes.

These rock bars or wing dams can be productive at any time of the year, but during the fall period is prime time for trophies.

In early fall jigs, minnows, and crankbaits are best. During late fall I use a jig-and-minnow combination or a minnow on a slip sinker rig. For fall walleyes I always try to use minnows as large as the fish will hit. This often means smaller minnows for smaller, less aggressive fish, larger minnows for bigger fish.

3. Dam Abutments

Dam abutments show how current-oriented walleyes are during the early fall period and how much they'll shy away from the same spots in late fall.

I became aware of this spot while fishing the Mississippi River about a dozen years ago. I motored up to the dam looking for white bass and began to check out the slack-water eddies located below the cement abutment which separated the gates of the dam. One of my first casts was met with a hard strike which resulted in a nice walleye. A few casts later another walleye...then another. By the time the dust had settled I had 22 strikes which resulted in 21 walleyes being boated, all of which were over three pounds, with several fish in the 7-pound range.

When checking out the abutments there are several tips I can give you. All the good fishing I've had on these areas have occurred in a three-week period from the third week of September until mid-October. When the fish are up there, they are hitting! You need no fancy presentations.

Take a 3/8-ounce jig with hair and toss it to the abutment so it hits it. The jig will drop straight down to the base of the abutment, then it will begin to drift down current. All you do is keep your rod tip up to reduce line drag in the water and reel fast enough to keep the slack out. When the fish hits you'll know it. The jig can be any color and half the hair could be missing...just make sure the hook is sharp. Eight- to 10-pound-test line is recommended.

I've never caught any walleye off abutments located in mid-river. The best action seems to be on the first, second, or third abutment closest to either shore.

Low water, which is common in fall, is one key to this fishing. Also, once the water temperature begins to plummet, these spots shut off. The abutments can be checked quickly and I'd suggest doing it several times a day, because the fish caught will usually be good size.

4. Deep Hump on a Breakline

The top of this spot should be deep, at least 8-10 feet with about the 12- to 18-foot range being ideal. The hump could be a small rock pile, a pile of rocks on a sandbar, an isolated dumping of busted concrete, or anything else that gives us the hard bottom at the correct depth range.

Shoreline connected wing dams or rock points usually don't extend out into deep enough water. The rocks have to be deep, not just break into deep water.

The right type of structure must also be located on a breakline formed by changing water currents or on a breakline caused by a drop in the taper of the river's bottom.

Under adverse conditions I've frequently fished these deep rock pikes all day and have come away with limits of walleyes, including some real horses.

There are several methods to fish these spots. After my anchor(s) has been placed well upstream of the rocky area, I let out enough rope so that the boat hovers at the up-current edge of the rocks. A rod rigged with a slip sinker rig and lip-hooked minnow is fished over the side with the weight as directly under the boat as possible.

After the sinker hits bottom, raise it 6-12 inches, and lay the rod across the gunnels so the tip is parallel to the surface. Any rocking of the boat caused by the current, wind, or angler will cause your presentation to slowly bob up and down. Use a soft-action rod and watch the tip for the tell-tale resistance caused by a pick-up.

I use a second hand-held rod to vertical jig. Soft-bodied jigs seem to be held a little longer by the fish than a plain-hair jig.

5. Fast Breaking Structures Above a Dam

These areas often go completely ignored by the bulk of anglers. While dozens of boats sometimes jockey for positions below the dam during the peak walleye activity, spots just a few hundred yards away see virtually no pressure.

Virtually all dams on major river systems that are classified as federal waterways have locks that permit boat traffic to pass thorough. Even if your favorite damn doesn't have this feature, launch as close as possible above the dam and motor downstream.

While walleyes go against the current and migrate upstream in early to mid-fall the opposite is true during the later fall period. At this time I've found the bulk of the larger fish head downstream into deep spots less influenced by current. The deep quiet pools above the dam can produce all fall, but average size seems to increase as fall wears on.

In my book, rivers hold a lot more potential for massive catches than lakes. They also hold up better under adverse weather conditions, have less fishing pressure, and lack the overall recreational uses a lake receives. The potential is there, but they have to be attacked with a sound strategy and technique.


Copyright (c) 1996 Spence Petros. All rights reserved.

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