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Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive MarineTournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine

Dr. Jason Halfen
The Technological Angler

Strategies for Late Fall WalleyesStrategies for Late Fall Walleyes

The signs of impending change are all around us. The last dry maple leaves are falling from the trees. Frost covers the windshield as the truck warms in the crisp morning air. Boat lifts and docks are high and dry, adorning the shorelines in anticipation of winter’s arrival.

This is also a time of change for walleyes in northern lakes and reservoirs, as they transition from the fall feeding buffet to typical winter habitat and activity levels. While their environment cools, walleyes must nevertheless continue to feed, both to sustain themselves through the winter and to develop their reproductive tissues that will be exercised during the spring spawning run. Savvy late fall anglers can enjoy walleye success until skim ice starts to encroach on the boat ramp, employing mobile presentations that focus on covering water and picking off active fish during late fall’s brief feeding windows.

Recognize that your favorite lake has two different types of high percentage, late fall walleye locations: steep breaks that lead toward deeper water, and mid-depth flats that still support green weed growth. These types of areas will be easy to identify using a combination of digital cartography, sonar and Aqua-Vu underwater cameras.


By Louie Stout

Michigan River Walleyes Are ReproducingMichigan River Walleyes Are Reproducing

Veteran walleye anglers have contended for years that walleyes always have reproduced naturally in the St. Joseph River.

While there might be some of that in Indiana waters, Hoosier biologists say they have yet to find very many.

They know this because they do young-of-the-year surveys every fall while assessing how previous stockings have gone. They encounter fish they have stocked but no additional youngsters.

The situation must be different in Michigan’s lower St. Joe waters.

Michigan DNR studies conducted the past couple of years reveal a growing number of naturally produced walleye in Michigan’s section of the St. Joe.


(Provided by IDNR)

If DNR plans move forward, Shriner Lake, north of Columbia City, could be stocked with 1,200 walleye fingerlings this fall.

The walleyes will measure 6-8 inches long and will be skimmed from a stocking of 6,690 walleyes at Sylvan Lake in Noble County.

If successful, the transfer could be permanent.

"We have developed a very dense walleye population at Sylvan Lake and think we can scale back the stocking program there without affecting the quality of walleye fishing," said Jed Pearson, DNR fisheries biologist. "Doing so frees up some fingerlings that we can stock in other lakes."

By stocking Shriner Lake, Pearson hopes to expand walleye fishing opportunities into Whitley County. Other DNR walleye stockings occur at Pike and Winona lakes in Kosciusko County.


(Provided by All Creations Media)

Catch more walleyes by choosing the right colored fishing line.Catch more walleyes by choosing the right colored fishing line.

There are many ways to tip the odds in your favor when you're angling for the next big catch. One of the easiest, least expensive and most effective is by spooling up with line that's a perfect fit for the conditions at hand.

After all, line plays a key role in many facets of fishing, from the presentation phase to strike detection, hook-setting and fighting fish.

Many anglers make this connection and work hard to choose lines with the right blend of strength, abrasion resistance, size and handling characteristics. But veteran fishing guides and decorated touring pros Scott and Marty Glorvigen maintain that few fishermen pay full attention to one of the most critical aspects of line selection-the color factor.

"People tend to forget about using line color as a tool to catch more fish in different situations," says Scott. "But choosing the right color can be key to success."

Take spring walleye fishing on rivers, for example.

"Colored line that's easy to see is a godsend when vertical jigging early season walleyes," says Marty. "You can tell whether the bait is directly below the rodtip, which is where you want it for optimum control and to avoid snags as much as possible. If the line is perpendicular to the surface, you're fine. But if it runs up- or downstream, you need to adjust your boat speed or jig weight."