Here’s an equation it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand; Fall equals big walleyes. Trophy fish go on a late-season feeding binge to fatten for the winter to come, and aggressive fish equal vulnerable fish. That’s means now is the time for all good anglers to don insulated underwear, pack the raingear and head for big-fish waters. Chances are never better than now for that 10, 11 or even 12-pound walleye of a lifetime.

Remember this. Catching big fish is not a matter of luck. But, mostly it’s a matter of preparation and attention to detail. First principle to keep in mind is this – to catch a big fish, you’ve got to fish where big fish live. I don’t mean just one or two 8-pounders that swim around the several hundred acres of your local lake. Connecting with one under those conditions would be largely a matter of chance. I mean places where big fish are abundant, the kind of spots that make walleye anglers drool at the mention of their names.

• Wisconsin’s Sturgeon Bay.
• Michigan’s Bay de Noc.
• Ohio’s Lake Erie, just to name three of the Midwest’s best.

No matter where you fish, start by getting the very latest and best information you can from bait shops and guides in the area to narrow your search on big water.

As you will soon learn, nighttime is often the best time to fish, so be sure to cruise your targeted areas during daylight to look for hazards. Depth perception is tricky after the sun goes down. Pack a good spotlight.

Keep the floor of the boat organized and clear of obstructions. Water is cold. Hyperthermia kills quick. Now is not the time to trip and fall overboard. Have patience. Move until you find active fish.

Here’s details of three of America’s hottest fall trophy spots.

Sturgeon Bay

Chief method for catching big ‘eyes at Sturgeon Bay is long-line trolling at night during September, October and November. The shoreline is just a long cast away most of the time. Boat is positioned in 6- to 10 feet of water. Depthfinder is a must because sharp zebra mussels will cut
less-abrasion resistant brands fast.

At this time of year, the walleyes are haunting the shallows in search of smelt. Use original Thundersticks in chartreuse or blue and silver. Use black and gold on bright nights when the moon is out. Two #7 split shots 3 feet in front of the lure will take it to the productive depth with 130- to 150 feet of line out behind the boat in shallow water. Use more split shot if the water is rough to overcome the bouyancy of the line. This is slow work. Creep along at one-half to three-quarters of a mile an hour.

What’s the prospects?

It was the best spring in a long time with a fair amount of fish running 7- to 12 pounds. There were fish that looked like torpedoes. There’s a lot of fish in the 20-inch range, too, just to keep things interesting. Key locations include Sherwood Point by the old lighthouse, the are known to locals as the high cliff area,’ Larson’s Reef, the western shore of Snake Island and Henderson’s Point.

I believe in using shorter trolling rods, 7- to 71/2 feet, to for easier handling in close quarters of an 18-foot Ranger 690. Hand-holding them is a must. You will lose 50 percent of them if you put the rods in a rod holder going that slow. There is lots of line stretch. You really have to hit them if you feel anything at all.

Bay de Noc

Not so long ago, water clarity at Bay de Noc was poor. You didn’t know exactly what you had until the fish hit the surface. But, zebra mussels there in the past year or two has cleared the bay to the point you can often see 10 feet down or more. Guess what that means – night fishing is becoming the secret for trophies there, too.

Walleyes often hit 12 pounds. Last year, a 14 pounder was boated. Target depth is deeper at Bay de Noc than Sturgeon. Thirty feet is key. Best way to get stickbaits that deep is leadcore.

Use Thundersticks. Or, use a more radical lure like the Deep Diving Thunderstick Jrs. to create a reaction strike during times of tough bites.
As for location, there is a resident group of fish in the north end of the bay. Once the water temperture gets to the 40s, watch for a major migration of walleyes from the main lake into the south end around the Black Bottoms.

Always factor in the wind. With a south breeze, some fish in the south will be pushed northward to the narrows or to the north end of the lake. If you are really looking at a good opportunity of taking a week somewhere and getting a fish over 10 pounds, I would pick Sturgeon Bay or Bay de Noc. Very seldom will you get blown off. There are so many pieces of shore line you can work, typically you can get out no matter which way the wind is blowing.

Lake Erie

There is only one word for Lake Erie – incredible. The numbers of big fish there defy description. Tournament stringers of six fish have topped 50 pounds this year. That’s not bad considering Lake Erie was considered a dead lake in the 1960s.

You couldn’t find two walleyes to rub together. Zebra mussels and tougher water control standards are reasons for better water. A huge walleye class spawned in 1982, another 1986 and good years in between fueled incredible numbers of catchable fish over 2 years old. Individual limits went from six a day to 10 last year.

During Fall, anglers can be seen lining up on piers and docks in mid-afternoon for a spot after the sun goes down. Best locations are the west- and central basins from Catawba Island eastward. Any rocky shoreline will do. The key is to find forage fish during the day. At night, big eyes come to feast. Once they move in, it will be wham, wham, wham. It’s not impossible to get a 10-pound limit.

Best baits to cast are Rat-L-Traps or Countdown Rapalas, anything that can be worked slow. Keep your boat in 10 feet of water and let your shallowest hardbait go into 3 feet. If you get a couple of fish from the same section of riprap, go back and cast it. I use Off-Shore planer boards with a twist. I mount glow sticks to the flags with electrical tape so I can see them shoot back in the darkness when fish strike.

Bigger fish will usually come during the first pass. After that, you may have to settle for mere 7s and 8s.

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