At night, slowly longline troll a minnow-imitating crankbait back and forth across the tops of expansive weedbeds, noting which sections, depth levels, or other features tend to cluster walleyes in limited areas. A difference in weed type, depth, or density; the presence of a creek mouth; rocky shoreline structure; or some other factor may congregate fish in limited areas. If potential areas are small enough, fancast lures across weed tops, using you electric motor to silently creep across the weedbed, casting ahead of the boat.

Some large bays, such as Little Bay de Noc and Saginaw Bay, Michigan, feature significant daytime weed walleye fisheries in addition to other major patterns. Other bays are too large and deep to support many weeds. Small lakes connected to the big water by rivers host seasonal visitors that penetrate the weeds at times, particularly at night.

Shallow Manmade or Natural Structures -- Slab piles, riprap, concrete or rock breakwaters, wood pilings, and numerous other manmade objects provide cover options, in addition to natural fish attractors like rock shorelines. Such areas tend to be too shallow to attract fish during the day due to clear water, but under cover of darkness, walleyes may penetrate the shallows and relate to prominent shoreline features, providing they don't have to cross expansive, shallow, featureless flats to reach them. Proximity to deep water generally enhances the productivity of shoreline cover.

Cruise along shore, using your electric motor to position the boat within casting distance of fish-attracting cover. Cast either crankbaits or jigs tipped with plastic tails, bouncing your lures off cover. Use fairly steady retrieves with cranks; lift-drops with jigs.

Breakwaters and Piers -- Concrete and riprap structures projecting into the lake are natural collection points for walleyes at night. Walk out to the ends of piers after sundown and cast a large diving crankbait out into the darkness. Most piers reach fairly deep water, so use lures that dive substantially -- perhaps 10 feet -- rather than a shallow-diving minnow imitator that runs only a foot or two beneath the surface.

Cast a few minutes in one location, then move on to other sections. Key spots occur anywhere a bend or irregularity in pier construction occurs. Particularly good are areas where wind pounds into the wall, or where river current enters the lake, drawing fish through a narrow channel and up into the river.

Piers, breakwalls, and river mouth entrances offer ideal conditions for longline trolling minnow imitators at night, providing other anglers aren't already casting from shore into the same water. Make your initial passes tight to walls or rocks, pointing your rod tip right at the wall and trolling just fast enough to wiggle a shallow-running lure. On subsequent trolling passes, use deeper-diving lures.

Rivers -- Walleyes moving up into rivers at night run a narrow gauntlet past shorecasters and trollers clustered near river mouths. Harbor entrances are particularly good ambush points for intercepting waves of large fish. When you're longline trolling, moving into the current tends to be best. While current normally flows out into the lake, strong onshore winds can temporarily reverse current flow at the mouth. Adjust your presentation to current speed and direction.

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