Night fishing walleyes, tips and techniques for catching walleyes at night.

Night Fishing Walleyes, Techniques and Tips

Night fishing walleyes is tougher than fishing them in the daytime. Nothing surprising about that as it's just harder to see when you're fishing at night. Don't let that stop you though. I've caught lots more bigger fish just after sunset than I have during the full sun of daytime.

Walleyes are probably the fish most fished for at night, up north. Probably bass or crappies down south. Fall is, to me, the absolute best time for night fishing walleyes. The water has started to cool quite a bit and the prey fish that walleyes feed on have moved in closer to shore in most fishing lakes. The walleyes know winter is coming and go on a feeding spree before the good fishing lakes freeze over.

For night shore fishing walleyes I used live bait about 99% of the time. Casting was just to much guess work when fishing from shore. Considering I was fishing walleyes it was very rocky and snag filled where I fished.

Live bait and lighted bobbers worked very well for night fishing. One of the things that may surprise you the most about shore fishing at night is the fact that you don't have to cast out very far at all. Walleyes see very well in the dark and some nights you can actually see their eyes reflecting light from flashlights.

When I used to fish Lake Yankton we made sure to be there every fall starting around Oct. 1st. Never before the first freeze of the year. Anyway, after a few overnight lows below 32 degrees we'd get to the lake just before sundown, get baited up and start fishing.

The frogs would be migrating into the lake and when we'd shine the spotlight out about 20-25 feet from shore, the depth was only about 2 feet, you could see the walleyes lined up should to shoulder and facing shore, just waiting for the frogs to come to them. Kinda like the people at at a good buffet line in Vegas.

The walleyes weren't picky about what they bit on. Anything that was alive and wiggled would catch walleyes. We used live minnows around 3-4 inches long and lighted bobbers. Just a simple lighted bobber, a couple of split shot and the hook tied directly to the end of the line.

Yes, walleyes have sharp teeth so now and then we'd lose one because we weren't using leaders of any kind. However the lost fish were more than made up for in the number of bites we got because we weren't using heavy leaders, whether steel or monofilament.

When Spider Wire came out we started using it as a leader and lost a lot fewer fish. I don't use it anymore but I do use Berkely Fireline as I happen to like it better. Either one or any of the other no stretch lines will work just as well.

Just because you're fishing at night doesn't mean the fish got stupid. They're just as smart at night and can see way better than you can. Don't think because it's dark out you can get away with terminal tackle that's much heavier than usual.

If I was casting for walleyes at night I might go to just a bit stronger line and leader but not so heavy as to spook the fish or scare them from biting. Another problem is you can't see well so if casting you have to rely on feel. For night fishing lures I prefer a lure that makes a little bit of noise but it's not really necessary. I also prefer it be a size bigger than daytime fishing.

I've also used fluorescent lures at night with a good deal of success. The trick is to keep them glowing and I accomplished that by using the flash from an old 110 camera. It would make those lures really glow. You see, it's not the length of time exposed to light, it's the intensity of the light that makes the lures glow so bright.

When you're getting ready to go fishing at night you need to do a couple of things that you wouldn't bother about during the daytime. If you're going out in your fishing boat make sure all of your lights work, double check the weather for rain or fog. Being lost in the fog is no fun. Of course nowadays you probably have GPS so it's not as big a worry as it used to be. Also make sure your boat is running perfectly. It's harder to do repairs in the dark with a flashlight or lighter.

Some kind of night fishing lights or a light source is very important for night fishing. I know a lot of people who use black lights because it makes their lines show up really well. Mono tends to get a glow to it under a black light. However if you're fishing crappies a dock with some lights on it that are on all night can really improve your crappie fishing.

If you're taking kids fishing at night bring the rod you care about least and use it as a night fishing rod. Also if you have kids along you might want to set up a night fishing tackle box with only what you really need, in it so the kids aren't messing in it and getting hooked or cut.

Be sure to bring an extra flashlight or at least some extra batteries and bulb for your flashlight. It will come in very handy some night in the dark. Particularly if you break your line and need to retie. Messing with mono or any kind of fishing line is very tough in the dark. Particularly when your fingers are cold.

Don't forget your first aid kit either. It's not uncommon to stick your hand in your tackle box at night and get caught on a hook or even cut yourself. Another thing is bug repellent. Right after dark they get worse than during the daytime. If you're fishing at night from a boat always be sure you wear your life jacket. It's another thing that can be tough to find in the dark when you're night fishing.

One things for sure, there aren't lots of fishermen fishing at night. Most are daytime fishing people. If you don't like crowds grab your fishing rods and head for the better night fishing spots that you know about. Fishing at night can be a lot of fun and night walleye fishing can be great. You'll probably have a better night catch than you do in the daytime.

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