Walleye fishing won't disappear in the fall
Without a doubt, spring and early summer are the peak times for walleye anglers on this sprawling Pymatuning Lake on Pennsylvania/Ohio border lake.
But that’s not to say that walleyes can’t be caught during the fall. They can, but the angling patterns tend to be quite different than early season fishing.
As with most fishing situations, tactics that catch Pymatuning walleyes are closely linked to their food sources. And Pymatuning ‘eyes have a lot to eat. In addition to juvenile panfish, the lake has gizzard shad and alewife.
The latter two, gizzard shad in particular, don’t fare well during drastic water temperature drops. It’s common for a lake to experience significant shad die-offs during the winter months.
However, the relatively mild winters of 2015-16 and 2016-17 did little to knock back shad numbers. Walleye fishing following those winters was tough, and it’s likely the glut of food fish was a factor.
The return of colder, more traditional weather last winter saw a significant shad kill. Coupled with comparatively light walleye harvest the prior two years, conditions leading into the 2018 season were favorable, and anglers did indeed experience much better results.
Nighttime anglers scored well targeting shallow humps that collect alewife, and in turn, walleyes. Daytime folks caught them on a variety of presentations including crawler harnesses and crankbaits.
The action has greatly diminished since hot weather has set in. Anglers can now ponder how well the fall action will be.
The fact that shad don’t like cold water plays into fall walleye fishing patterns. As water temperatures drop during the fall, shad tend to migrate toward the southern, deeper end of the lake where the water cools more slowly.
The key areas are often from the Snodgrass access area and south down to the dam. Water depths in this area run from around 22 feet to about 30 feet.
Clear, cold nights where water temperatures quickly drop really get the shad schooled up. It’s common for terns and seagulls to feast on shad stressed from the thermal shock. This can be a clue in locating vulnerable shad and the walleyes gorging on them.
When baitfish schools are found close to steep shoreline (or submerged hump) ledges, the perfect scenario exists for walleyes to ambush susceptible prey.
The classic presentation for fall Pymatuning walleyes is the blade bait fished vertically, as it accurately suggests a stressed-out shad straying from the school. Allow the blade bait — one such as a Silver Buddy, Reef Runner Cicada or Heddon Sonar — to free-fall to the bottom. Engage the reel, bring the lure in a foot or so to lift it off the bottom, and then employee a sharp upward snap of six inches to a foot.
Follow the lure’s drop with your rod tip. Some hits occur during the fall, others while the lure hangs motionless after the fall.
Don’t be afraid to “let it hang” for several seconds. Since walleyes often suspend below schools of shad, you can also work the lure at various depths in the water column.
Key access areas for fishing the lower end of the lake are Snodgrass on the east side of the lake, and Jamestown on the west.
There’s a 20 horsepower limit on the lake. Thanks to a reciprocal agreement, boat anglers from both Pennsylvania and Ohio can legally fish the lake with their resident licenses. Minimum length is 15 inches with a six-fish creel limit.
Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle
