BRUTES IN THE BLACKNESS

By Mark Romanack

Get ready, I'm going to use a big word now. Walleye are crepuscular creatures. In case you're not up on the jargon fisheries biologists toss around, crepuscular refers to animals that are most active in low light periods. Translation, walleye are most active early and late in the day. No doubt this news flash doesn't come as much of a surprise to seasoned walleye anglers. The latest walleye fishing methods used to take advantage of this weakness may however open a seasoned eye or two.

WALLEYE DON'T HAVE NIGHT GOGGLES

It's a well known fact that walleye feed actively after sunset, but the majority of anglers are still in the dark about how to approach night fishing. To fish effectively after dark, anglers must know a thing or two about how walleye use their sense of sight to their advantage.

One of the most important things to understand about fishing at night is that walleye, while well adapted for seeing in low light, do not have the benefit of night vision goggles. It's true that the large size of a walleye's eyes does help this species collect subtle light rays better.

This sight advantages are critical to the walleye, but it's also important to keep in mind that these fish have a more difficult time seeing their food in low light conditions than they do when the sun is shining. Walleye are sight feeders, which is to say they depend most on their sense of sight when hunting. It stands to reason that lures which are a little larger are going to be easier for walleye to detect. Also, large lures can be seen at greater distances, which is a huge advantage for the angler who's job is to attract fish to the lure.

The moral of this story is that when fishing walleye in low light conditions, large lures are going to produce better. When it comes to large lures for walleye fishing, crankbaits take the cake. Not only are crankbaits large enough to be easily spotted, no other lure type does a better job of imitating the kinds of things walleye eat: namely small fish.

UNDERSTANDING CRANKBAITS

Crankbaits are popular walleye lures, but most anglers don't completely understand how to maximize fishing success with these hard baits. "Crankbaits are not as perfect in the package as we as manufacturers would like," says Scott Stecher the manufacturer of Reef Runner Tackle that produces some of the most popular crankbaits with walleye anglers. "It's literally impossible to insure each lure is perfectly tuned and ready to fish right out of the package. We do our best, but if the eye tie on a crankbait is even slightly out of center, the lure will not run perfectly straight or deliver the proper action. To get the most from crankbaits, anglers have to be willing to tune lures by hand."

Hand tuning is a simple process, but an art lost on most walleye fishermen. Tuning only takes a few minutes with each lure and the time spent is the single best step a crankbait angler can take towards catching more fish.

The ideal way to tune crankbaits is by casting them into calm water. Attach the lure to the line using a small round nosed snap that allows the lure complete freedom of movement.

Cast the lure about 30-40 feet, lower the rod tip to the water, point the rod directly at the lure and reel quickly. A fast retrieve is important because lure speed helps to personify problems in lure turn. At slow speeds a lure that's only slightly out of tune will be tough to detect. At faster speeds it's easy to see if a lure is even slightly out of tune.

"Mostly crankbaits want to run left or right of center instead of diving straight down into the water," explains Stecher. "If a bait runs to the left, it can be adjusted by bending the line tie slightly to the right. Lures that run to the right will need the eye tie bent slightly to the left. A pair of needle nose pliers or a lure tuning tool is best for this job."

A correctly tuned lure should run straight and vibrate noticeably at all retrieve speeds. Hand tuning is a commitment that never stops. Just about every new lure will need to be hand tuned and once a lure has taken a few fish, chances are it will need to be tuned again.

FISH ABOVE THE FISH

Lure tuning is critical to catching walleye with crankbaits. Just as important is understanding the need to present these lures close to, but above target fish.

Walleyes have the best field of vision above and in front of them because their eyes are mounted on the top of their head. This is precisely why walleye feed upwards in the water column, often herding baitfish to the surface. Fishing a crankbait or other lure at the level of the fish or deeper will usually produce few bites. It's critical to target the lure at a depth about two or three feet above the fish.

Walleyes can be targeted with crankbaits both by casting and by trolling. Which method works best depends on the specific situation.

Where walleye relate to weeds trolling is often futile. Instead identifying pockets of weeds and then casting baits that dive just deep enough to reach the tops of the weeds produces best. Normally it's best to position the boat in deeper water and cast into the shallows where weeds are growing. Shallow diving baits like the Luhr Jensen Speed Trap or lipless baits like the famous Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap work best for casting situations because these lures can be casted long distances.

In open water, it's tough to beat the water covering  benefits of trolling. Trolling not only covers more water than casting, multiple lures can be fished providing the collective advantage of more baits.

Stickbaits tend to be the best walleye trolling lures for night fishing. Models including the Rapala Husky Jerk series, Reef Runner Ripstick, Smithwick Rattlin Rogue, Lucky Craft Pointer, Bomber Long A and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow are among the most popular choices.

Flat line trolling stickbaits out the back of the boat is a common approach to night walleye fishing, but adding in-line planer boards is an even better way to cover water.

In-line boards like the popular Off Shore Tackle Side-Planer work well for night fishing because the board attaches directly to the fishing line. Because it's critical to see the boards to determine when a fish strikes, small lights are added to the board, making it possible to detect strikes even on the darkest night. When a fish is hooked, both the fish and board are reeled in together until the board can be reached and removed from the line.

A trolling pattern consisting of four lines, two off each side of the boat, represents the ideal night trolling set up. When fishing in the dark it's best to keep things simple and organized.

A NEAT BOAT IS A HAPPY BOAT

Fishing in the dark has its disadvantages. In the dark even simple tasks can become a challenge. Keeping the boat as organized and clutter free as possible is good advice for anyone fishing after sunset.

Night fishing routinely produces some of the biggest walleye taken each year, yet only a handful of anglers are seemingly willing to venture out after sunset. Going prepared is a big part of having the confidence it takes to fish in the dark. One thing is for certain, the rewards are well worth the anxiety associated with going fishing while others are going home.