Big changes are
coming which can be a real good thing if you’re a walleye angler.
It all starts when schools of walleyes that have been living large
on deeper summer haunts pack it up and make a major change in
location and start showing up on shallower structure like rock and
gravel reefs, as well as weed covered flats. Even before the
infamous fall turnover stirs things up and sets walleyes on their
ears, hot patterns start to set up that are largely overlooked.
They’re overlooked because many anglers have already turned their
attention toward other endeavors (like the upcoming hunting
season), or because a genuine lack of success has damped their
spirits, enough so that they’ve thrown in the towel. By the end
of August and on into September there is a short period of time
when walleyes show a renewed interest in shallow water, which can
result in some excellent angling opportunities. For those that
decide to stick with it the potential is real, and in many cases
the early fall period can produce some of the hottest action of
the entire open water season.
The
big draw for attracting numbers of walleyes back to shallow water
is more than just the structure itself and can be summed up in one
word; food. For most of the summer young of the year perch,
minnows, and baitfish hangout in the relative safety of shallow
water structure where they can live and grow until they become a
desirable size. Reaching a desirable size can be a dangerous
thing if you’re a minnow, as there are only so many places to
hide. Shallow rock and gravel has plenty to offer, providing
hiding places for all of that aforementioned bait as well as
thousands of crayfish. Adult perch will file in and gorge
themselves on immature crayfish making them an easy target for
walleyes on the prowl.
Pro Angler Richie
Boggs went shallow for this big early fall walleye
On lakes that have
big weed flats there are all kinds of nooks and crannies for bait
fish to hide out in, that is until late in the summer when a lot
of weeds start to lay down and die, thus eliminating many of
those hiding spots and pushing schools of bait out into the open
leaving them in a rather precarious position. Walleyes know a
good situation when they see one and big schools of bait left
hanging out to dry is a real good situation. It all happens at a
time when predators instinctively feel the need to feed heavily,
allowing them put on the layers of fat that will help to get them
through the leaner times of the hard water period.
One of the hottest
patterns of the early fall period occurs near the remaining weeds
that are left standing on slow tapering flats, and can happen just
about anywhere you find green weeds. Walleyes will stack up on
the edges or move into the middle of a flat if there are enough
openings. The edges and openings create ambush points and give ol’
marble eyes some room to operate.
Team Crestliner
member Richie Boggs of Nisswa Minnesota likes to pitch crank baits
over the tops of heavy weed beds; “You’d be surprised by how many
fish you can catch by burning a crankbait like a #5 or #7 Shad Rap
through the weeds. The pattern is particularly effective when you
have some wind and waves blowing into a weed flat. It’s also a
great way to catch bigger fish!”
Another top
presentations for working early fall weed flats include live bait
rigging and jigging. A live bait rig and a red tail chub can be
a real killer when worked on the deep edge of a weed flat, but the
presentation loses some appeal when trying to work into the middle
of heavier weeds. In that case a jig tipped with either a minnow
or plastic tail like a 3” Northland Tackle Slurpies Swim Shiner
may be more effective as you can literally rip the setup through
the weeds which can trigger weedy walleyes. The jig can be cast
or trolled depending on how much area you have to cover, or how
thick the weeds are.
It’s time to get
back in the saddle and give early fall walleyes a try. They’re
there, they’re hungry, and they can be caught, and it might as
well be by you or me. See you on the water.
Ron Anlauf
