By Ronnie Parris
No other time of year will you see more, or any bigger, walleye than right now. The bait will be schooled up and the walleye will be keying in on it. As the surface temps drop and you see low 50s to 40s, it’s time to look deep for ol’ mister walleye. A good depthfinder is a must and you may have to cover a lot of area to find them, especially since the numbers are down in most of our mountain lakes. I usually check as shallow as 40ft but, more than likely when you find them, they will be at least 70ft deep.
If your lake has white bass and you start catching whites, you are in the right location-just drop deeper, usually 20ft deeper. I troll or vertical jig at this time of year, but live bait will work well too. For trolling, I mix it up. I usually try Alabama rigs, Repalas, or spoons. In vertical jigging, I use spoons or ice jigs. Seems like color changes daily, so bring a lot of different colored lures and different sizes too. Watch for water temperature changes, as a small change may hold bait in a small area and if the bait is there the fish will be close. If your gonna troll, pay close attention to your speed; I don’t like to get over 1.50 mph.
Weather is probably never more important. I like to fish right before a front moves in. Usually, if you get a lot rain, it tends to shut them down. Always dress warm and it’s a good idea to take a thermos of coffee or something warm to eat. Bottom line… If you don’t mind the cold temps, you will usually be rewarded with some fine walleye for your supper table. Numbers are at an all time low in our mountain lakes, so only take what you need and be sure to stop fishing when you get your catch because fish brought up from 70ft tend to not survive when you try to release them. As always, be safe and take a kid fishing!
Ronnie Parris is the Owner and Head Guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, North Carolina, heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. (www.smokymountainoutdoorsunlimited.com) (828-488-9711).