By Lance C. Valentine

Fall draws walleye to areas with current. Look for creeks and rivers flowing in or out of a lake or reservoir. Also look for necked-down areas of a lake or reservoir that create current.

Concentrate on steep drop off areas in the fall. The steepest side of a hump, island or point will be the most productive in the fall.

Check all depths for fish in the fall. Walleye may be feeding in as little as 2 feet of water or resting in water as deep as 60+ feet. Use your sonar for locating deeper fish. Fish only after you see fish on your sonar

Walleye are tightly grouped in the fall, so locating them may take time, but when you find them there will be lots of them around!

Don’t forget the transition area. This is the depth where harder bottom starts to "transition" to the softer, deeper bottom. Check out the sonar tips on this website for what the transition looks like and how to best tune your sonar to find the transition. You can also get a copy of the booklet "Walleye-101: Sonar the Basics and Beyond" by contacting lance@walleye101.com.

BAIT!! Baitfish are a key for fish location in the fall. Be aware that some species of bait such as cisco spawn in the fall, at night on shallow rock areas with current. Check these areas at night or in the deeper water around these areas during the day.

Don’t rule out night fishing!! Some of the biggest walleye each year are caught at night. Concentrate your night fishing around current area especially during the October and November full moons.

On reservoirs that "draw down" in the fall, concentrate in the deepest remaining spots. Walleye don’t want to get caught without water so they move as deep as possible, usually as near to the dam as possible.

Rivers hold great possibilities for fall walleye. Numbers of fish and trophy fish are available in small river areas in the fall. Concentrate on holes and current breaks. For a complete look at walleye in Rivers, order the booklet "Walleye-101: River Basics" by contacting books@walleye101.com.

The Great Lakes and their tributaries are you best spot in Michigan for a trophy. Lakes Huron and Erie along with the Detroit and Saginaw Rivers are your best bets.

Fall and hungry walleye call for using BIG baits. Crankbaits that are 6-12" and 4-8" minnows are preferred. At night use the largest bait possible to create a large visual and sound profile.

On the Great Lakes trolling is by far the most productive method. Large, thin crankbaits with a subtle action are the best. Try Reef Runners, Thundersticks and large Rapalas behind Off-Shore planer boards.

Inland lakes and reservoirs with shad and/or cisco populations are also a great spot to try trolling day or night. Concentrate on steep drop areas next to deep water.

Casting large plugs or jig/plastic combinations also produces, especially in current area at night. This is the time when shore fishermen can cash in on the great fall fishing.

Deep fish are best caught by vertical jigging. Try large jig/minnow combos, jigging spoons and live bait rigs with large minnows. If the weather is too rough for boat control, don’t hesitate to anchor on a good spot.

In rivers, vertically jigging jig/minnow combos is by far my first choice. Experiment with jig size, color and retrieve until you get the pattern for the day.

Don’t forget trolling crankbaits in rivers. Troll against the current moving only fast enough to move upstream. A 3-way swivel rig with a minnow style bait works great as do diving crankbaits trolled behind Off-Shore planer boards.

Be sure to dress warm and stay dry. My fall fishing extends all the way into the middle of December if the weather permits. Fall is a great time to be on the water- the fish are hungry, grouped tightly together and there aren’t a lot of other fishermen at the ramps. One of the best ways to learn fall walleye tactics and techniques is to join us on a "Trophy Hunt" this fall.  Just click on the "Trophy Hunt" button at the top of this page. If you need more information or have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at lance@walleye101.com. Have a great fall!!!