Night fishing for fall walleye

[KraTToR]

I'll be heading up to Georgian Bay (moon river basin) for my final GB fishing trip of the year in Mid October. I'll be exclusively targeting muskie during the day but as the days are relatively short, I would like to give walleye night fishing a go. I've also picked this time as its a full moon and I'll be camping in the park.

 

Just wondering if anyone can give me some ideas about what patterns to try.

 

TIA!

 

 

 

[Gnote]

Couldnt help you with the walters, but if you are going to fish at night anyways why not fish skis in the dark? The best bite usually runs from before sunset to complete darkness. Especially on well travelled waterbodies when the boats go home.

Either way good luck!

[OhioFisherman]

Are you familiar with the area? Never made it there myself, but like Pointe Au Baril there are a lot of rocks, shoals? A lot more caution is needed at night!

 

Worm harness slow trolled in shallower water (6-10 feet) first break near shore, edges.

 

5-7 inch shallow running rapala, cast it, troll it near shore.

 

jig and worm or jig and pork-plastic

 

rattle trap style lures cast parallel to shore, pick a depth.

 

shallow-medium running crankbaits.

 

Points, edges of shoals, shoreline breaks shallow to deep, flats, long channels between islands can be migration paths, doesn't hurt to try them.

 

They will come shallower at night to feed.

[Joeytier]

I would trolling a shallow running bait over rock shoals and maybe weed beds too, although my only experience night fishing is jigging plastics in high current areas.

[mike rousseau]

My experience is on a river so I don't know how much will apply to Georgian bay

 

Fish the steepest breaking weedbeds you can... I fish the point getting hit with current... you'd look for wind blown I guess

 

Bright colours like clown... fire tiger and even UV colours work well

 

Don't be shy to search with a spotlight... it'll cut down your search time A LOT... I look for fish in 3-10 feet then troll the 15-20 (wherever the weedline starts to grow) foot depth adjacent to where I located the fish... I do NOT change my target depth in fall when night fishing as others suggested... I run the same lines I do all summer...

[JoshS]

Funny I was looking at a map of the area this morning. Maybe try by the current areas back of Arnold bay, rock ledges off deep water and rocky shoreline areas 2-10ft of water. They'll probably use all those areas. Can't go wrong swimming the old jig n grub or slow moving swimbaits or stickbaits. The deep shadow rap's been the stickbait on my rod this year if I'm having a cast for night time walleye.

 

If you wanna see if they're there, do some scouting with a big flashlight.

[KraTToR]

Are you familiar with the area? Never made it there myself, but like Pointe Au Baril there are a lot of rocks, shoals? A lot more caution is needed at night!

 

Worm harness slow trolled in shallower water (6-10 feet) first break near shore, edges.

 

5-7 inch shallow running rapala, cast it, troll it near shore.

 

jig and worm or jig and pork-plastic

 

rattle trap style lures cast parallel to shore, pick a depth.

 

shallow-medium running crankbaits.

 

Points, edges of shoals, shoreline breaks shallow to deep, flats, long channels between islands can be migration paths, doesn't hurt to try them.

 

They will come shallower at night to feed.

 

Its just like Point au Baril in a lot of ways but I do know the area very well and I won't be going far from camp. Never considered the rattle trap tho.. Nice idea. Thanks!

[KraTToR]

Funny I was looking at a map of the area this morning. Maybe try by the current areas back of Arnold bay, rock ledges off deep water and rocky shoreline areas 2-10ft of water. They'll probably use all those areas. Can't go wrong swimming the old jig n grub or slow moving swimbaits or stickbaits. The deep shadow rap's been the stickbait on my rod this year if I'm having a cast for night time walleye.

 

If you wanna see if they're there, do some scouting with a big flashlight.

 

As I'm staying up near vanderdassen island I wont be trekking down to Arnolds bay at night but your idea has merit! I have a super bright mag-light which I'll put to use.

 

Anyone who wants to get a good look at the topography in this area should check out the Navionics Webapp. It totally free and no sign up required.

 

As everyone says, they move shallower at night so I'll be trying pretty much everything everyone suggests until I find something that works. I'll do a fishing report when I get back if its worth while...

 

Thanks everyone for your ideas and other inputs.

[OhioFisherman]

 

Its just like Point au Baril in a lot of ways but I do know the area very well and I won't be going far from camp. Never considered the rattle trap tho.. Nice idea. Thanks!

 

I was actually looking for information on the Moon when I found this board years ago, I had been to Pointe Au Baril many times and was looking for some place a little closer and more family friendly since my kids were younger.

 

My impression was it was like the Pointe also, just a new challenge. Illness and disability prevented me from ever making that trip, and within a few years fishing even locally ended for me.

 

Rattletraps, search baits, and you never know what might hit them, bass, walleye, pike or skis, a spinnerbait might be worth a shot too, my biggest walleye anywhere came on one at the Pointe, on the very next cast I got an out sized crappie on it.

 

Good luck!

[AKRISONER]

good timing, expect lots of smaller fish with bigger ones mixed in...the monsters typically show up a lot later, like february later.

 

Numbers though will be had a plenty, although i would have waited until halloween, but hopefully they are getting fired up while you are there.

 

I will say that currently our 2 year class fish population is very very solid so expect some serious numbers, last year we were catching 40+ a day. Big fish was caught the 28th and was 25 inches long but 8lbs...GB walleye are pigs.

 

Strict slot with tight possession limits...make sure you read the regs and stick hard to them, consider bringing a bumper board.

 

Patterns

 

Dead sticked jig with a shiner

 

Carolina rig with a shiner

 

hair jigs

 

minnow raps in areas with heavy current.

 

and drop shots with shiners

 

holes, drop offs, areas with shelves surrounded by 40 FOW.

 

12-25FOW

 

slow slow slow...lots of guys troll, but i always get them stationary.

Edited October 3, 2016 by AKRISONER

[KraTToR]

good timing, expect lots of smaller fish with bigger ones mixed in...the monsters typically show up a lot later, like february later.

 

Numbers though will be had a plenty, although i would have waited until halloween, but hopefully they are getting fired up while you are there.

 

I will say that currently our 2 year class fish population is very very solid so expect some serious numbers, last year we were catching 40+ a day. Big fish was caught the 28th and was 25 inches long but 8lbs...GB walleye are pigs.

 

Strict slot with tight possession limits...make sure you read the regs and stick hard to them, consider bringing a bumper board.

 

Patterns

 

Dead sticked jig with a shiner

 

Carolina rig with a shiner

 

hair jigs

 

minnow raps in areas with heavy current.

 

and drop shots with shiners

 

holes, drop offs, areas with shelves surrounded by 40 FOW.

 

12-25FOW

 

slow slow slow...lots of guys troll, but i always get them stationary.

 

Thanks for the help. Not looking for monsters, I'm an hour away from Erie if that's what I want. I have a rapala measuring guide stuck on the inside of my boat

 

Taken from the 2016 publication for zone 14. -

 

S - 2 in one day, possession limit of 4;

none between 41-56 cm (16.1-22 in.), not

more than 1 greater than 56 cm (22 in.)

[Big Cliff]

I've done a lot of night fishing for walleye, a slow moving, shallow running crank bait in shallow water close to shore has been one of my best producers. My favorite has always been firetiger patterns but I've had plenty of success with other things too.