Yellow poplar leaves roll across the concrete launch ramp, the leaves are still bright just fallen after the first cold wave in late September. In the early morning air is crisp and the wind blows. Waves slowly lift and drop the worn but up kept docks, with few new treated planks here, and some new strips of vinyl bumpers there. The docks have seen so many summertime people, launching boats of all shapes and purposes from sailing to pleasure crafts.

A lone gull facing into the wind at the far end of the L shaped dock where it bends north is the sole attendant today. There isn’t a trailer in the lot. Cold weather just hit town and in late October the abrupt temperature difference can find your hands cold, your legs fit for Codet wool pants and your head with a hat on. Long gone are the casual interlopers, the sunny day boaters, people found on the river today will be purpose driven they are either working or fishing.

The cold snap is a signal that time is running out, though following days may be bright and sunny, white winter will arrive in time, and now it is a brief spell, a last hurrah until the white invades. Fish feel the water chill and the days shorten. Fall fishing finds fish on the feed, they have big eyes in the fall, check the remains of a good 2 pound walleye and thick 5” shad will likely be found in their stomach.

The air has that fishy feeling, a fisherman knows something’s happening, it is the same feeling felt in the spring, when the river is high and running fast, and fish are scrambling to put weight on after the spawn. Now the opportunities are good for anglers as walleyes gorge on shad, sunfish, young of the year drum, and any forage they can ambush. There are two main reasons fall fishing is good. One is, eventually the fish clean the cupboard bare. After months of thinning the baitfish population eventually lures look appealing again. The other advantage is that fish are aggressively feeding prior to the winter.

The relative lack of anglers naturally plays into a fall fisherman’s favor, but the good fall bite is no secret anymore and you won’t have the whole river to yourself, though there will certainly be less anglers than the spring. The faces you see will be the guys that normally stick the fish. Seeing certain old salts, veteran fisherman on prime fishing grounds normally means the fish are in there. These guys aren’t flashy, they don’t have stickers on their boat or numbers on their motors, but watch close as they slip fish into the boat on the side away from you.

Certain fishing techniques dominate the fall bite, one is jigging and other is trolling. Trolling in the fall is widely conducted via the three way swivel and it is deadly on walleye. The three way set up, also known as a Wolf River Rig, consists of a three way swivel with its three loops tied to three different lines: a dropper line, the line from the reel, and a leader. The dropper of 18” is attached to a heavy weight of 3 oz. or more, the leader is 6 to 8 feet in length. A stick bait minnow is usually the best choice, though other shapes work. The tight wobble is appealing in the cold water, and in clear water blue/silver, black/white, and perch patterns work, Golds and orange patterns are tops in the darker rising waters. Also superlines are good for this trolling method or 10 to 12 pound test monofilament. Three ways are trolled best when the weight is not dragging on the bottom. Follow the contour of breaklines close to the bottom, best places hold baitfish, keep trolling and walleyes will pound the odd looking contraption.

A lethal trick to fool walleyes with the crankbait three way presentation is to work a deep flat, one with a sharp drop to the even deeper water, as these are ambush points. First troll properly, again not dragging bottom, proceed over the flat continue with the lure at the same depth (maintain the same speed) and troll off the flat. The lure will then ride above any walleye holding below on the deep break of the flat. When this happens it is an excellent way to trigger a bite. This is far more effective than just trolling high over the eyes while running parallel to a breakline. For this technique to work best run the lures of off the flat where you mark fish. Again sharp breaks are key for the above technique. Three way trolling is not a strict river technique it is deadly on lake walleye. The three way is very versatile and can be quickly converted into a spinner with bait trolling presentation. Troll with cranks at 1.8 to 2.5 miles per hour or use a spinner and bait at speeds from .4. to .8 miles per hour.

The other top technique in the fall is to jig. Much has been written and talked about jigging, and this is only second to rigging in hooked fish satisfaction in my opinion. The main point in jigging is to work as light as possible, and follow the jig to keep it vertical, these points may be cliché but they are the two main pillars in the jigging temple. Stinger hooks are also a big plus. In river fishing staying vertical usually means to follow or drift with the current and your jig. Jigging in lakes can be simple except when the wind is gusting. A hot jig bite is about as much fun as you’ll ever have, so bring friends and enjoy giving each other grief over who’s caught the least!

Time never stops and the seasons pass, soon the trees will be bare, light snows will dust the ground. Now is the time the walleyes try to bulk up to survive the winter and reproduce in spring. Fall is harvest time, enjoy the fruits, the seasonal changes, and a bit of solitude. Keep Catchin'

Turk Gierke operates Croixsippi guide service year round on the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers. He can be reached through www.croixsippi.com or 1-715-377-0006. Turk is on the Crestliner pro staff and has won five St. Croix River walleye tournaments.

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