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Mike Frisch: Last-chance walleyes.
> While big, deep lakes are usually thought of as “classic” walleye waters, small, shallow lakes often harbor good walleye populations that often go on the bite now, too. Plus, the bite in these lakes often stays good into November. Great news for those of us who haven’t winterized our boats yet.
> Typically, I target fall walleyes in shallow, weedy lakes by searching along the lake’s first drop-off, that area where the flat that typically extends out from shore starts to drop to deeper depths. On many of the small, shallow lakes I fish this drop-off occurs in depths from 5-10’ deep.
> Searching along subtle points and turns or finding bottom content changes along these drop-offs is often a good starting point. These areas are often good spots during the spring bite on these lakes and produce again during fall. As fall progresses, I start looking for still living, green weeds which often occur up on the flat and then extend down the drop off as well. In fact, an area of green weeds will often be the “spot on the spot” where numbers of walleyes of all sizes gather.
> Incidentally, the areas where “good weeds” are present one fall are often areas that will harbor weeds and fish in future falls as well. These areas are also often top winter ice fishing spots, particularly during early ice.
> The classic jig and minnow combination slowly trolled or drifted along a lake’s first drop-off is one way to find the subtle differences and/or living weeds that may host fall walleyes in good numbers. Simply drifting with the wind and swimming a light jig and minnow combination on a long line behind the boat is, in fact, my favorite fishing method on these waters because it helps me eliminate unproductive water and find walleye schools.
> Jigs in the 1/16- or 1/8-oz size range get the nod when drifting or pitching to shallow walleyes. The classic round head jig with a sharp hook in a bright color pattern like chartreuse is preferred in off-colored waters. Various minnows will produce fall walleyes, but a scoop of fatheads or a dozen small suckers is often all that is needed. On flat, calm days or in very shallow water, the 1/16-oz size jig gets the nod, though I’ll go to the 1/8-oz size if the wind kicks up.
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and thanks SO much for taking the time to watch and comment!
MN walleye limit change, Bro’s first-ice spots, What to do if you fall in
…and...
