08-14-2011, 10:05 AM
[cool][#0000ff]No chummin'...Chum! But having and using a marker buoy when targeting schooling fish in deeper water is often vital. Perch, crappie and other species are "homebodies" that typically set up station around some bit of bottom structure...or at least in a small area with conditions to their liking. You can find them on sonar and send down an offering to see if they wanna play. If they do you should toss over one or two marker buoys.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Buoys provide close visual reference. No matter how good you think you are at maintaining position without them it is easy to drift out of the ZONE if you just use shoreline reference points. And there are lots of times that you will go fishless if you are even a few feet in the wrong direction.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Okay to be lustful for walleyes but this is not the best time of year to target them. Once daytime water temps go above about 70 to 75 degrees the walleyes stay deeper during the day and often feed mainly at night...if at all. Heat stresses them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Willard is a good place to watch for some fall walleye action. Historically they start to get more active after the first cooling storms in September. In fact, fishing the sloppy shoreline in a storm can sometimes produce some nice fish. Otherwise, work baits and lures in water less than 15 feet deep off the dikes or out in front of the marinas. And fishing the "magic hour" just at dark can be fantastic while it lasts. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In years past the fall walleye fishing at Willard has gotten pretty good right up to iceup...even fishing at midday in fairly shallow water. The fish will hit crawler rigs or minnows dragged on the bottom. They also hit small tube jigs and larger plastic twisters. Shad colors...like whites, sparkles and patterns with some blue glitter in them usually produce well. In low light conditions and cold water you can often get more with chartreuse sparkle grubs with a hot red head. Black and chartreuse can also be a good color combo. Ditto for black and white. The idea is to use contrasting colors when fall storms stain the water and it gets colder and the fish get slower.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Just be prepared to have to deal with a few silly wipers and kitties too. They don't know that you are after walleyes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Buoys provide close visual reference. No matter how good you think you are at maintaining position without them it is easy to drift out of the ZONE if you just use shoreline reference points. And there are lots of times that you will go fishless if you are even a few feet in the wrong direction.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Okay to be lustful for walleyes but this is not the best time of year to target them. Once daytime water temps go above about 70 to 75 degrees the walleyes stay deeper during the day and often feed mainly at night...if at all. Heat stresses them.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Willard is a good place to watch for some fall walleye action. Historically they start to get more active after the first cooling storms in September. In fact, fishing the sloppy shoreline in a storm can sometimes produce some nice fish. Otherwise, work baits and lures in water less than 15 feet deep off the dikes or out in front of the marinas. And fishing the "magic hour" just at dark can be fantastic while it lasts. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In years past the fall walleye fishing at Willard has gotten pretty good right up to iceup...even fishing at midday in fairly shallow water. The fish will hit crawler rigs or minnows dragged on the bottom. They also hit small tube jigs and larger plastic twisters. Shad colors...like whites, sparkles and patterns with some blue glitter in them usually produce well. In low light conditions and cold water you can often get more with chartreuse sparkle grubs with a hot red head. Black and chartreuse can also be a good color combo. Ditto for black and white. The idea is to use contrasting colors when fall storms stain the water and it gets colder and the fish get slower.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Just be prepared to have to deal with a few silly wipers and kitties too. They don't know that you are after walleyes.[/#0000ff]
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