Late Summer can be a tough bite. Water temperatures over 70 degrees can make for some challenging fishing. Now, that the water is starting to cool to around 70 the bite will slowly start to pick up all the way through mid November. September and October can be phenomenal months for fishing and are widely overlooked. Here is what I found that works the best over the next few months for walleyes. On river systems, I will focus on that 9 to 12 feet of water on the edge of some current breaks during mornings and daytime hours. As the evening approaches I find them in 2 to 6 feet of water. Try to find rock structures or fallen timber and that is where the fish will be. This is assuming that the water current is slow and normal. If the current is fast and high than good luck!! They could be anywhere! On these current breaks of the river I like to use a 1/8 oz or 3/16 oz jig and a paddle tail, roughly 2 to 2.5 inches in length. I also use a 3/8 oz blade bait or a #5 or #6 Rippin Rap or a Rapala Slab Rap. I will use these baits by getting them to the bottom and then pulling up slowly and the dropping them to the bottom again. Usually between 2 and 3' off the bottom. I will also try jigging them off and on the bottom within about a foot of the bottom or so. I will also trying ripping them off the bottom aggressively and letting them drop, pausing and doing it again. These are all effective techniques that I like to use. A jig and a half crawler or leach work well too. As the water cools a jig and minnow will start to work wonders again like in the spring and early summer. I like to use a 7' Medium action rod with a fast action tip, with a size 30 or 35 spinning reel. When fishing a jig and minnow, crawler, leach or plastic I like to use 8# or 10# mono fishing line. When fishing rippin and jigging hard baits I like to use 20# braid fishing line with a 10# Fluorocarbon 3' leader. These are just a few things that have worked for me. Of course there are many different techniques that catch fish, but these are some of my favorites. Don't forget that a slip bobber and leach or crawler work good in the evening in that shallower water. Below is a picture of one of the hottest 3/8 oz blade baits that have been working for us. Only available at walleyewarriorsoutdoors.com. Make sure to catch us next week as we focus on a new technique and a newer product that is taking the fishing industry by storm.
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