Fall Walleye at DC questions.

[BADFISH]

First up, not asking for honey holes here. Just information.

I want to begin honing my skills for the coming ice season but that means i need to begin locating now. I have yet to catch an eye and was wanting this year to capitalize on the fall fishing up at Deer Creek. I want to focus on the fall patterns on this lake for walleyes primarily, I can pretty well get out and catch slimers anywhere this time of year and DC with the options of fish (cats, walleyes, whities, trout, perch ...etc..etc..) is a very tempting place for me to learn alot about many different fish.

SO, In your opinion or experience for say the last ten years in general at DC only, what are the patterns for fish movement and what would you use to begin targeting them (IE.. bouncing bottom, jigging, wind drift lures, cranks???) I have all of it.

I will be fishing either out of a float tube(need one) or my kayak. I do have a finder and camera I can use, I will be paddling about if you see me, c'mon over and say hello.

Thanks in advance, my first inkling is target the west side of the lake off rocky points or where bottom converges from sand/mud to rock and weed lines am i correct?
what I don't know about is if there is any movement other than go where the food is for walleyes in the lake, do they make fall spawn? do they run up the provo? do they go to the flats, or do they move in on shore lines becoming more predatory to put on the winter coat so to speak?

lets all open up a dialog and catch us all some eyes!!
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[Kent]

535 views and no replies. Someone surely has some experience that they can share.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Should start by saying that this has not been a good year for walleyes...at least for most of the folks who usually do well on them. The low water and higher temps either made them move to new venues or thinned the herd. Only the spear fishermen were getting many...or any big ones.

The lake is down about 20 feet or more from typical levels at this time of year. But before they go deep for the winter you can often find walleyes along the same rocky shorelines as smallies...fishing the same cranks or plastics. They eat perch, sunfish, small crappies and crawdads too. And purple plastics can be quite effective in shallow water...early in the morning...before water temps drop much below 60.

As fall settles in, and temps keep dropping, the walleyes will go deeper...30 to 40 feet...or deeper. In years past they have seemed to move across the lake to the north and west...following a line out from the shoreline down from the railroad tracks. They gradually move toward the dam and then cross the lake...following an underwater ridge. Then they set up winter quarters in deep water out from the highway on the south side of the lake...between the sailboat beach and the buoy line.

As long as the fish are active and moving you can often get them to bite...if you can find them. But they may only be active for a few minutes on any given day. You have to time it right. Finding them is never a guarantee of catching them.

You can get them on bottom bouncer and crawler rigs when they are moving and active. They will also hit a variety of plastics and cranks trolled deep. But most experienced wallieholics troll only until they find a concentration of fish...or at least their preferred depth...and then either slowly drag a crawler or vertical jig with any kind of lure sweetened with crawler.

One of the best ways to get "stray" walleyes is to jig around any perch you can find on sonar. Big walleyes often stay near the groceries and can often be found in the same areas and at the same depth as the perch. So if you rig up for perch and fish them aggressively it is possible you will also score a toothy critter or two. Jigs or plastics in white, chartreuse, pale perch, fire tiger, crawdad colors, black, purple, orange or pink will all produce...both perch and walleyes...and an occasional deep smallie.

I still maintain that there are probably more walleyes caught by folks fishing for other species than by someone who is targeting walleye specifically. That does not include a handful of Deer Creek walleye specialists who have devoted a lifetime to learning the ways of those wascally wallies. But if you are still learning the game you can expect to catch more of the other species fishing for walleyes than you catch your primary target. Better than having to drive home with the windows open to get rid of the skunk smell.
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[Lundman]

I'll throw in half cent of my many years of DC fishing and say that lake is never the same year to year. I have caught walleyes on flatfish, Mepps spinners (last Saturday), crank baits, worm harnesses, and jigs.

First off a walleye honey hole only lasts about one or two hours at most. They move and you need to have a game plan to keep up while the bite is on.

It seems this time of year the walleyes head to deeper water, I have been catching them in 32' to 34' deep a few weeks back but now that's a hit & miss.

If you have really examined the shore line at DC you know it's a series of 1' to 2' little drop-offs. The fish seems to hang out on these little edges along with the bass and some do suspend over deeper water.

In general I've found the bite comes on when the west wind starts blowing. That was the fact this last saturday - as soon as the east wind stopped and then the west wind picked up - bang the fish started biting. The bite somethings is in an area of 100' so once you pick up a fish continue to beat that same spot. Once they stop biting switch lures, presentations and pick up a few more.

Most important tip is to go SLOW in you presentations. Make sure your spinner blade is rotating with the slowest speed possible. I pinch off the head of the crawler to send down a wiggling worm. I also use snap-on weights when trolling to get my lure just off the bottom.

I haven't had any luck with side-planners in the fall expect for slimmers and bass.

Lastly - get to know the far bank line - points, humps, rocky bottoms - that's where the fishing seems to be best.
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[utwalleye]

fish at night with big cranks, fish the river channel up against steep banks, fish the points on the rr side with deep water close by.
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[BADFISH]

Thank you Gentlemen, I will be sure to try those tactics out. My trip up there did land me the skunk, but it was middle of the day when i arrived and i was playing with the boat. Next time I will go to the second ramp (not Island marina) and launch from there and head west.

I appreciated your willingness to share info. my last ten years fishing DC trying to learn to accidentally hook a eye have been unfruitful. I guess im paying my dues. LOL.

see you on the water/ice.
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