WU-211: Eye Love The Fall - Part 1

by Captain Greg Yarbrough & Dave Truett

Ah, Fall, a favorite time of year!  This season brings crisp, cool mornings, colorful countryside, and the explosive frenzy of monster walleyes gorging themselves before the freeze, building up their body fat content.  Fall has everything to offer for all sportsmen.  It is the time of year that is so anxiously awaited by waterfowlers, bow and rifle hunters and, believe it or not, many die-hard walleye fishermen.  These anglers like to keep the fall fishing frenzy quiet, because there is very little boat traffic and very little pressure by anglers during this time of the year.  Many sportsmen have winterized their boats and have put up the fishing gear by this time, replacing them with shotguns, bird dogs, bows and rifles.  However this is the best time of year to chase crusher walleyes.

A Lake Erie launch site with very few boat trailers in the parking lot, thus less pressure from other anglers when fishing during the Fall

If you dream of catching that walleye of a lifetime, then the Fall is the time of year to do it.  When you talk walleye fishing, the general consensus is that, in the Midwest, if you want to catch good numbers with a greater chance at some trophy ‘Eyes, then Spring is the time of year to chase them.  This is true to a certain extent.  However now you have to factor in a major increase in the amount of anglers on the water during the Spring versus the Fall.  During the Fall you don’t have nearly the pressure, and you can, on any given day, hit key areas where great numbers of fish hold or travel without competing with the famous springtime armada of walleye boats that we are all so used to on our favorite fishing waters.

Remember, that in the Fall, food levels start diminishing and the walleye’s urge to put on the old feed sack starts to increase.  Walleyes are not too fussy now.  When a passing bait crosses their path, man, get ready!  This is real-time Fall walleye fishing.

Since the water temperature is fairly consistent at all levels, for the most part, 25 to 45 feet would be the more likely place to hook onto larger ‘Eyes during this Fall period.

Questions and Answers

1. Why do walleyes seem to gorge themselves with bait during the Fall? They do this before the big freeze, so that they build up their body fat content.
2. In the Spring, walleyes anglers are confronted with heavy boat traffic.  Is this also true in the Fall?  No, there is very little boat traffic and very little pressure by fishermen.
3. In the Midwest, are trophy walleyes only caught during the Spring?  No, heavier walleyes can also be caught in the Fall.
4. When do bait fish levels start to diminish?  In the Fall food levels start dimishing and the walleye’s urge to put on the old feed sack start to increase.