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Walleyes Under the Bridge
By Rick Olson
There are good solid walleye patterns that set up late in the open water
season and one
 of
the best is close at hand. As close as it is, unfortunately for many
anglers, the best of the last is often overlooked. It could be that they
simply don’t know what they’re missing. If they did you might have to share
a spot occasionally with someone else but that isn’t the case, at least not
yet.
The hot late season pattern in question is a unique one that includes a
bridge and at least some current. Bridges that have extended embankments
can create necked down areas whereby current is concentrated and funneled
through smaller, easily defined channels.
Current can be a real magnet for attracting foraging walleyes as they
instinctively know that a good flow can deliver scads of baitfish right to
their doorstep. To get fed they simply have to wait for the next “meals
without wheels” delivery which conserves energy and provides an efficient
manner for putting on the layers of fat necessary to get through the
upcoming hard water period.
Reservoirs that have bridges spanning creek arms and bays can really heat
up by late season as there is almost always some current flowing beneath
them. The fall draw down drops existing water levels and creates current
with or without an incoming and flowing creek or river. Natural lakes that
connect via a small channel or a bridge with an extended embankment can also
provide the same opportunities as long as there is current present. Without
an incoming creek or river you may or may not have enough current to attract
foraging walleyes depending on the existing conditions. In that case the key
would be the presence of strong winds that push current through necked down
areas and pile up water on one side or the other. Even after winds have
settled down there can still be sufficient current present as water returns
and stabilizes to normal levels.
Smaller bridges can make the process of finding and catching walleyes
easier as there are only so many areas that can hold active fish. Look for
walleyes to stack up at the base of the break where the embankment meets the
bottom of the channel, although they can still be caught further up the
break into shallower water.
Pitching jigs, vertical jigging, and live bait rigging are three of the
top presentations for extracting bridge bound walleyes. Pitching lighter
jigs in the 1/16oz range tipped with smaller minnows can be just the ticket
for nailing shallower running fish while vertical jigging and rigging may be
better suited for working the deeper channel. Vertical jigging with a heavy
jig tipped with a chub minnow can be extremely deadly, especially if you’re
after big fish. To keep a big minnow down it takes some extra weight and
means jigs in the 3/8oz range or more. A live bait rig with a slip sinker
and three foot snell and plain hook can be tossed out and allowed to sit
while waiting for tell tale tap in the rod tip or the line starting to move
off. A Coleman lantern and high vis line can make a real difference in the
detection of the lightest of bites.
Excellent fall minnows includes the chub family, like red tails and creek
chubs. The problem is that they are often hard to find and can be expensive
but are worth the money and the drive if you can get your hands on them. A
good option that may be more readily available is sucker minnows which seem
to get more active in the cooler water temperatures of late fall and are hit
just as hard as the chubs.
While there can be plenty of below the bridge action timing is critical,
and you better be prepared to burn the midnight oil to get in on your share
of the fun. The last half hour at dusk and the first half hour after dark
can produce the hottest action of the night, but you never know for sure and
may have to wait till midnight or later to find out if old marble eyes is
making use of the area. Typically you get a good run at dusk and then spurts
of activity as active schools of fish move in and out all night long.
Getting to a hot spot and back to the ramp can be made much easier and
safer with the aid of a Global Positioning System that has a chart plotter
like that of the Raymarine C120. It’s easy to get confused after dark as
things really don’t look the same and you can get into trouble fast. A GPS
that shows you exactly where you’ve been and how to get back to where you
started can be a big help. Another helpful tool is the use of a highly
accurate and detailed Navionics map that can be displayed on the Ray marine
C120. The Navionics map displayed on the C120 can show where you are and
where you’ve been, all in relation to shorelines, contour lines, and even
bridges.
Big eye poppin walleyes is what it’s all about , as some of my biggest
fish have come from under a bridge late in the fall at night. Some of the
better lakes are those that are a tough number during the rest of the open
water season. One early November thirteen day stretch on a particular
reservoir that rarely gives up a summer walleye produced at least one fish
over eight pounds every night, and included two of the biggest walleyes I’ve
ever caught. The moon phases surrounding the full and dark moons have proven
to be the best times to be out and includes the day of and the three days
before and after these two periods.
Making the decision to give late night bridges a go can be a good one.
The peace and solitude of a quiet night can be extremely rewarding, and
there’s a good chance you’ll have it all to yourself. The combinationof all
that ambience and a shot at a real hawg is worth losing a little sleep over.
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