I find that as rivers drop into the 50-degree range and lower, a transition begins where walleyes gravitate to deeper pools where mild current is present.

Such spots include pools protected from the main flow by obstructions such as rock bars and islands. Outside river bends can also hold fish as the deeper water found there often exhibits lower current.

If the river is impounded, chances are good that a considerable number of walleyes will be found in the outflow area below the dam. Expect these fish to be tucked into calmer pockets such as the mouths of lock chambers and current edges located near hydroelectric outflows and discharge gates.

Scour holes found below fixed crest dams will also hold walleyes if the current is not too strong. Just keep in mind that fishing below dams, particularly during the cold weather months, is potentially dangerous.

Use common sense and be sure to abide by any boating restrictions that might be in place. Also, dam outflow areas are often one of the better areas for shore anglers to enjoy fall action of river walleyes.

Understanding where and why walleyes are where they are now, the next challenge comes in efficiently fishing for them. I break this down into three basic approaches: Presenting baits with the current; presenting ones against the current; and keying in on evening twilight bites where the fish typically become more aggressive.

This week I’ll discuss the first approach, covering the other two in my next column.

With the flow

During a typical late fall day on a walleye river, the fish will be in a neutral mood much of the day. They are catchable, but not necessarily aggressive, i.e. put something in front of them and they’ll likely eat it. But they might not move far to do so.

In this situation, it’s most effective and efficient to slowly drift with the current while presenting a lure in a vertical — or mostly vertical manner — under the boat.

Picture a pool of around 100 yards long, one formed below a current-deflecting rock bar washed out into the river at the mouth of an incoming stream. Walleyes can be scattered throughout the pool. By drifting with the current you can put a light jig — I typically use either 3/16 or ¼ ounce — close to the bottom, connecting with pods of fish here and there.

When the water depth is roughly 15 feet or deeper, I like to present baits vertically. If shallower, where the boat might spook fish, I prefer to make short pitch casts while the boat is drifting and slowly work the jig back.

A wide assortment of leadhead jigs work well in this situation. Short shank jigs like Northland’s Fireball excel when coupled with a large fathead minnow or shiner. Berkley’s Gulp! Alive!

Minnows in the three-inch size also work well, sometimes even better than live minnows and can be cheaper in the long run. Longer hooked jigs such as VMC’s Google Eye allow for the addition of a piece of plastic, which when coupled with a minnow, provides a bigger profile.

Hair jigs, both tipped and untipped, are another good option. Color wise, firetiger, chartreuse, lime green, orange, white and purple can all work.

Beside classic jigs, blade baits such as the Silver Buddy, are a top offering. They can be jigged just off the bottom during the drift or pitched with short casts and hopped slowly back to the boat.

Many good walleye holes have an eddy effect, one where the current swings back “upriver” close to the bank. Often, it’s possible to drift with the natural downriver flow of the river to the end of the hole and then get in the near-bank backwash to work back up it, a very efficient method.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.