Big River Fall Eyes.....?????

[Moosebunk]

Every year I have a tough time locating walleye. Often the river swells with the fall rains, weather makes for more choppy waters and, the clarity worsens.

I know some of you folks find eyes no problem on the Ottawa and maybe Larry's come fall, and often I see people find them in bigger sizes.

Poor water clarity doesn't really intimidate, because if you think of it for a walleye that just turns day to night in a sense and makes them less spooky.

In a river that doesn't get much deeper than 30' anywhere, is at a constant flow in 90% of places, but on average may run 6-10' this time of year, where should I be looking, what should I be using (because they're off worms for sure) and how should I be using.

I have a poorer fall walleye track record than any other season. I need to change that.

Thanks in advance.

[Big Jim]

ONCE AGAIN GUY'S THIS IS WHY I LIKE PARTICIPATING ON FISH HAWK WHEN I CAN-----PEOPLE ARE NOT SCARED TO ASK FOR HELP, THE EGOS WERE CHECKED WHEN THEY LOGGED ON.
DON'T EVER CHANGE THIS, AS IT IS WHAT SEPARATES US FROM ALL THE REST!!!!!

Hey Moosebunk, I will give my close personal friend----Watch, here it comes--the big name drop---World Walleye Champion Ted Takasaki from Lindy/LittleJoe a call tomorrow night when I get in from guiding and see what he has to say just for you Mr. Moosebunk.

Call me at home on ....Sunday afternoon if you can and I will let you know what he had to say.

Warmest Regards

BIG JIM

[Moosebunk]

Holy Smokes!!!

Thanks Jim. Ted's a guy who knows eyes fer sure and I once happened to catch a night time November fishing episode he did with Bob

If you could, tell him it's a dirty water James Bay trib called the Moose River. He should know that type of water I'd imagine.

[eye-tracker]

Hey Moosebunk...

I am no Ted Takasaki and I do not have a lot of experience in rivers in the fall, most the rivers I do make it into dump into a lake. I usually fish the deep holes and adjacent flats where the river dumps into the lake, wing dams, breadlines or along rip rap next to deep water. I like to use live minnows on jigs, lindy rigs (Ted can help with those ) and crank baits at night.

One thing I know for sure no matter where you fish walleye, they will not be in the open heavy current. Look for them in a place out of the current behind rocks, wing dams and etc. That should help you eliminate a lot of water and spots on the river.

I wish I could offer more help, but I mostly fish open water, lake basins and river mouths.

I am sure Ted will have some great ideas...

In the fall I find you catch less walleye, but they are usually large when they do hit.

Cheers’

-et

[RJ]

Wow.....

If ya get skunked after that convo Bunk.......time to reshingle the teepee....

RJ

[Moosebunk]

Hey Moosebunk...


One thing I know for sure no matter where you fish walleye, they will not be in the open heavy current. Look for them in a place out of the current behind rocks, wing dams and etc. That should help you eliminate a lot of water and spots on the river.

I wish I could offer more help, but I mostly fish open water, lake basins and river mouths.

I am sure Ted will have some great ideas...


Cheers’

-et

Thanks ET. You are a fountain of info when it comes to walleye and I appreciate any input. Quite often in the fall I continue to try for eyes in eddies and pools off of rapids, but if this isn't a good idea (and it's probably not because I'm lucky to catch any) and I'm eliminated of current I'm not really left with much. One local, and I'm not sure I trust him fully says to try an area of the river that is littered with islands, what do you think???

And RJ Tell me how you really feel about catching walleye though And why reshingle when I've got all this narwhale, walrus and seal skin just hanging around.

[jammer]

Bunk;

In stained water go with bigger presentations, glo jigs with a bigger minnow. Fish the structure anywhere they can beat the current... rocks even sunken timber will hold eyes... They will also hold off these islands if they have a slow taper, sand bar or fingers... Find baitfish and you'll find the eyes... Haven't really pursued eyes in a few years, but definetly something i would like to get back into... Jammer

[Moosebunk]

Bunk;

In stained water go with bigger presentations, glo jigs with a bigger minnow. Fish the structure anywhere they can beat the current... rocks even sunken timber will hold eyes... They will also hold off these islands if they have a slow taper, sand bar or fingers... Find baitfish and you'll find the eyes... Haven't really pursued eyes in a few years, but definetly something i would like to get back into... Jammer

I threw down my minnow trap on the w/e and got about 5-6 dozen overnight. Unfortunately they were all dace with the biggest maybe 3" or a little more. Wish I could trap some suckers, whitefish or fallfish cause they're bigger and that's probably what they're after. Thanks Jam

And I hope to have enough water still next w/e to get far enough up the French River to these islands.

[M.T. Livewell]

My $.02 would be to find the deepest hole in the river and start looking around there. How is the current through the deep holes?

BTW, I know as much about walleye as I do muskie ... I catch 'em by accident while bass fishing. Get yourself a nice white spinnerbait ...

Good luck though.

MT

[Moosebunk]

My $.02 would be to find the deepest hole in the river and start looking around there. How is the current through the deep holes?

BTW, I know as much about walleye as I do muskie ... I catch 'em by accident while bass fishing. Get yourself a nice white spinnerbait ...

Good luck though.

MT

White Spinnerbait, gotcha bud Still don't have one, send me one of your extras, I'm sure you've got a few baziliion

[M.T. Livewell]

My $.02 would be to find the deepest hole in the river and start looking around there. How is the current through the deep holes?

BTW, I know as much about walleye as I do muskie ... I catch 'em by accident while bass fishing. Get yourself a nice white spinnerbait ...

Good luck though.

MT

White Spinnerbait, gotcha bud Still don't have one, send me one of your extras, I'm sure you've got a few baziliion

Would you believe I am out?! Gotta stock up before Quinte, they're gonna be the hot bait this year, I'm sure of it.

BTW, why would the ugliest angler on this board select a pic with the ugliest fish I have ever seen, and use it as his avatar?

MT

[Steve G]

Moose

The Grand River is constantly chocolate milk, and with a strong current, 8- 14' deep.

My experience has been to use a White or Yellow Big O or Walley Diver (Purple)...constantly bouced off bottom while slow trolling.

Largest to date for us on the Grand is 20", caught by my son.

Good luck.

[eye-tracker]

Moosebunk...

I was reading my weekly dose of The Next Bite when I noticed a timely article by PWT pro Keith Kavajecz.
Hunting Season River Walleyes
I think this article, along with any info Big Jim passes on from Ted Takasaki should have you ready to fish a few PWT events next year when they come to Northern Canada

cheers'

-et

[saskie]

Get yourself a nice white spinnerbait ...

Good luck though.

MT

Actually this summer Mrs Saskette had a huge (for Jan Lk huge 5-6lb) walleye on, but it spit it at the boat. It was a perch pattern spinnerbait though.

Hopefully I'll tag out on deer quick enough to go chasin eyes on the Sask River in a couple weeks...good luck.

[Moosebunk]

ET. Thanks again, the article does get me thinking about some select places where the current will hit the face of a flat. I now have a friend at work that wants to go out for a day in November though (brrrr) to put what advice we get here to the test.

MT, now now buddy, play nice. Don't make me rattle a musky buck off the side of your head next time we fish.

Steve, I often use white, silver, gold and chartreuse for my fishing up here. Wally diver, shallow Wally diver, Hot N' Tot, Grappler Shad and Shad Raps. Those colors are tough to beat in the chocolate I find, and in spring I seem to have better luck with white and silver, then in the past a little luck with gold in the later summer. I often don't troll though, and that's maybe why I'm not locating the holes once the walleye fall patterns are underway.