We love to fish based on memories. Captain Ross Robertson, a veteran of the Lake Erie walleye scene, sees it all the time. Returning clients go on and on about how during their trip last year they hammered on this lure or with this presentation and they so badly want to recreate the scenario they’ve been playing in their heads for the last 365 days. Sometimes it happens; often it does not. The calendar dates might align with the glory day from a year earlier, but that doesn’t mean the conditions are the same.
I recently had Robertson on the Quick Strike podcast and he explained that in fall walleye fishing, success is found either casting or trolling, and many anglers have a preference.
In fact, they can become so set on their method that they end up catching fewer fish because they’re unwilling to or unsure of when to switch tactics. But those cues aren’t as difficult to recognize as you think. Understanding them is especially critical in the late fall and even into the winter as a lack of ice in many parts of the country is extending open-water season. By being prepared and willing to shift on the fly, you’ll make the most of those precious windows when Mother Nature lets you out, and Robertson’s tips will help you get on fish faster, stay on fish longer, and increase your overall efficiency.
Let’s Be Clear
Most walleye anglers, I imagine, would agree that catching them on light spinning gear is far more enjoyable than towing lines all day. The fuel bill can also be a lot cheaper. According to Robertson, however, a good day of casting is tied to two critical factors.
“I get people that call me up and say, ‘I only want to cast’ or ‘I only want to jig.’ But when you start handcuffing yourself, you’re going to leave fish on the table,” he says. “In many cases, regardless of where you fish, good casting is tied to water clarity. When I was a kid in the 90s, Lake Erie had pretty chalky water. We could cast lures like Eerie Dearies to suspended fish in those conditions and catch piles. Now, our water is very clear, so if you can’t get lures 50 to 80 feet away from the boat, you do not catch fish.”
Clear water tends to create spooky walleyes, especially at locations that are heavily pressured. Conversely, good jigging action is usually found when walleyes are orienting to a piece of bottom structure like a rock pile or submerged tree. Whether walleyes are suspending or schooled on structure, casting and jigging require getting close with the boat, and if the water’s too clear, this can be a challenge.
It’s fair to note that forward-facing sonar has lessened this challenge, as it allows you to keep more distance and cast on target. But not everyone has this technology on board, and Robertson points out that it’s very difficult for multiple anglers in the boat to utilize it at the same time, so, even though he has live sonar on his boat, it’s not as useful when he’s out with two or three clients.
Let’s Be Efficient
Photo courtesy of Ross Robertson
If walleyes are holding on an isolated rock pile and eating perch, can you troll them? Absolutely. You might hook up every time you cross over that structure. But how long does it take for you to swing around and make a new pass? Probably enough time that a more efficient angler can slide in, post up right over the structure, and start jigging your fish. Point being, you were catching, but not in the most efficient way possible. Robertson notes that this is common because many anglers are simply more comfortable with one style of fishing or the other, but if you’re not versed in both methods, you lose out.
“You could be the most dialed jig angler in the world, but now let’s say the walleyes get on schools of gizzard shad,” says Robertson. “Even with forward-facing sonar, you’re not going to be able to cast at those fish because they’re constantly moving. You can’t keep up. Now you have to troll. The only constant in walleye fishing is that things change fast so you have to be able to adapt.”
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Robertson points out that during the late fall, walleyes do, in fact, orient to the bottom more than chase suspending baitfish. This alone is a boon for anglers that prefer to jig. However, their position is based on a food supply at the bottom, and if the position of the food shifts even slightly upwards, the walleyes will follow, and trolling can quickly become the better move.
Let’s Be Quick
These days, thanks again to forward-facing sonar, it’s become possible to target open-water walleyes via jigging and casting. But to get good at this, you first must be able to afford the equipment and then you must spend the time learning how to use it. If you’re just relying on that old-school sonar and using spinning gear is your preference, you need a milk run of bottom structures to target, because you can’t rely on the same piece producing over and over. Furthermore, if casting is your game, Robertson believes it’s wise to swallow your pride and use live bait, or at least have it in the boat.
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“If you don’t want to get caught with your pants down in the early or late season, bring live minnows,” says Robertson. “I personally don’t use them a lot, but if the water is in that 44- to 38-degree range, I always have them. Quite often it’s more of a mental thing with clients who feel like [minnows are] the magic answer if fishing is slow. Sometimes they are, but when things set up for a jig or casting bite, I always prefer to use soft plastics.”
Robertson says he can simply fish faster with soft plastics and, therefore, cover more water. And the faster he can rule out structure on his milk runs, the faster he gets on the fish and the longer he can stay on them. It’s important to note that if walleyes are genuinely hugging the bottom around structure, they can be very difficult—if not impossible—to mark on your sonar, so Robertson says you often have to put baits down at each new location to determine if anyone’s home.
