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Late Fall Shorecasting
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by Dave Csanda
Shorecasting for walleyes is not unlike hunting deer from a treestand; mobility is limited, so it's essential to establish a position where fish come to you, much like deer proceeding down a well-worn trail past a well-chosen point of ambush.
Some shorecasting spots are classic and easily understood: river or creek inlets, narrows with flowing water, rock and boulder shorelines, prominent points. Others at first seem like strange locales until you accept the premise that even temporary forage concentrations can draw walleyes shallow at night, even into seemingly weird or improper locations. In essence, the presence of forage is key, and wherever the table's set, walleyes will come to dinner.
Examine some classic patterns. Alewives or shad making fall movements from the Great Lakes into river mouths provide some of the finest trophy shorecasting opportunities on earth. The forage fish remain out in the cooler, deeper water of the big lake during summer, returning to the shallows when the inshore waters drop to more conducive temperature levels in fall.
In nearly any good walleye lake, shiners are often found in the current of inlets and narrows, particularly at night. Walleyes, being exceptional nighttime predators, follow them there under cover of darkness, hunting them along high-percentage current breaks. Logic dictates that such shallow hot spots lying nearest deep water would most likely draw walleyes at night, since the fish don't have to cross expansive shallows to reach their food. That's not always the case, but a good bet nevertheless.
A somewhat temporary pattern occurs in late fall when suspended ciscoes move from adjacent deep water onto sand-gravel flats adjoining main-lake structures. Why? Unlike most freshwater baitfish, ciscoes are fall spawners. Big walleyes that might otherwise concentrate in deep water in late fall are temporarily drawn into the shallows at night to feast upon ciscoes.
How about some less-than-classic patterns? Well, classic is in the eye of the beholder, and if you fish deep clear lakes, the mouths of shallow swampy bays seem like poor choices for nighttime walleyes. But if you fish fertile prairie lakes in farm country, they're logical hot spots where bullheads, bluegills, frogs, water dogs and other forage common to these waters become vulnerable at bay mouths in fall. As the water cools and weeds die, shallow cover becomes sparse. Frogs and waterdogs leave the perimeter of the shoreline and become vulnerable in adjacent open water. In fall, big walleyes intercept them in at night, even though the water's shallow with no deep water nearby-primarily because there's no real deep water in the lake.
And so it goes. Classic is in the eye of the beholder, but hunger is in the belly of the beast, and the best bites occur wherever the table is set, regardless of the ambiance-or lack thereof.
Classic Tactics
Also regardless of the location, certain tactics excel for shorecasting at night. First and foremost is casting long, thin minnow-imitating crankbaits, either afoot along shore or plying the adjacent shallows in waders. Any and all of the aforementioned hot spots could produce fish, depending on what's available in terms of forage and structure. The main point, however, is to set up in casting positions that cause baitfish to cluster and consequently draw walleyes directly within casting range without having to hike through the night. A good spot brings them right to or even between your toes.
As far as the specific lure, that varies according to conditions. Extremely shallow water (less than 3 feet deep) or fishing above cover like weed tops likely requires floating-diving minnow-imitators that run a mere foot or two deep on the cast. If it's a bit deeper (3 to 8 feet) or if cover is absent, a neutrally buoyant minnow-imitator is a good choice, using occasional pauses and hang time to tempt fish into striking. Deeper still, and deep-diving or countdown (sinking) crankbaits might be in order.
In all cases, long casts extend your range. A long 7-foot-plus medium-heavy spinning rod teamed with a large spinning reel spooled to the brim with 10-pound mono or equivalent superline lets you zing that baby out into the surrounding darkness. A slow, subtle retrieve, interspersed with occasional pauses, generally does the trick, regardless of whether you're fishing the Great Lakes or the Great Plains. If you're in the right spot, the fish will come to you, be it classic or not.
Cold water and vulnerable shad line the Lake Erie shoreline off Cleveland, where both fish and fowl gather for the ensuing feast. |
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