First Hour After Dark

Trolled shallow weeds for four hours after dark Saturday. Caught four nice ones (18″, 21″, 24″, 26″), which would have been great if I only stayed out for the first hour after dark, but I stayed three more hours without a bite. I make it out once or twice a year to troll at night and seem to always experience the same phenomenon. Interestingly, a black/gold HJ took three and my old standby, firetiger, only scraped one.

Does anyone else experience this or what’s the trick to staying on them?

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I think they go so shallow, it’s hard to reach them. DK.

Thanks DK. I never went shallower than 5′, so that could be part of the problem.

I have waded after dark and caught them knee deep. DK

Thats the best time to bust out the head lamps and play with the “frisky cats” I like to call them when there up in like 1 to 2fow

Most fish feed and are active at sunrise and sunset too.

I agree that they go super shallow. But they also go through certain periods at night where they are just less active as well.

The thought of them feeding super shallow is pretty cool. I will try casting shallow next time. Thanks.

I’ve also been told they go through another feeding period around midnight or so. Has anyone experienced that?

ive been experimenting with fishing after dark for walleyes in the metro this fall with no success so far. ive tried fishing from sundown all the way to 3am. mostly pulling crankbaits in 5-10ft or with live bait and slip bobbers. Maybe I will try shallower. Should help now with the weeds likely dying off soon.

Theory – Don’t troll. I have quite a few spots on various lakes that schools pass through at given times. By concentrating on specific “spots on the spot” locations, its easy to hammer 5, 10,… eyes in a short amount of time. Then by fan casting the area, you develop a pattern of direction that they are feeding/moving to.

As part of a fall pattern, I’ve also witnessed schools of eyes feeding very heavy for 1 to 2 hours, then go extremely shallow. Sometimes less than 1fow and just sit dormant. Frustrating, because if you turn a light on you can see tons of eyes just sitting there – but no action. I’ve tossed floaters, live bait, plastics and nothing when they seem to go in “digestive mode” in such shallow water. Then as the night progresses, they seem to just slip off to deep water with no activity.

Then other nights, they seem to turn back on again and go nuts in the 1-3fow or deeper pending weather conditions

Randy Wieland wrote:

I’ve tossed floaters

Gross!

Randy Wieland wrote:

Theory – Don’t troll. I have quite a few spots on various lakes that schools pass through at given times. By concentrating on specific “spots on the spot” locations, its easy to hammer 5, 10,… eyes in a short amount of time. Then by fan casting the area, you develop a pattern of direction that they are feeding/moving to.

As part of a fall pattern, I’ve also witnessed schools of eyes feeding very heavy for 1 to 2 hours, then go extremely shallow. Sometimes less than 1fow and just sit dormant. Frustrating, because if you turn a light on you can see tons of eyes just sitting there – but no action. I’ve tossed floaters, live bait, plastics and nothing when they seem to go in “digestive mode” in such shallow water. Then as the night progresses, they seem to just slip off to deep water with no activity.

Then other nights, they seem to turn back on again and go nuts in the 1-3fow or deeper pending weather conditions

When you focus on shallow water sport, the ones you have had success with areas are they generally hard bottom, sand or weeds?

bradl110 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Randy Wieland wrote:</div>

When you focus on shallow water sport, the ones you have had success with areas are they generally hard bottom, sand or weeds?

Generally hard bottom NEAR weeds. Most of my fall spots are eyes moving out of the deeper weeds and feeding shorelines or shallow humps

Randy Wieland wrote:

Theory – Don’t troll. I have quite a few spots on various lakes that schools pass through at given times. By concentrating on specific “spots on the spot” locations, its easy to hammer 5, 10,… eyes in a short amount of time. Then by fan casting the area, you develop a pattern of direction that they are feeding/moving to.

As part of a fall pattern, I’ve also witnessed schools of eyes feeding very heavy for 1 to 2 hours, then go extremely shallow. Sometimes less than 1fow and just sit dormant. Frustrating, because if you turn a light on you can see tons of eyes just sitting there – but no action. I’ve tossed floaters, live bait, plastics and nothing when they seem to go in “digestive mode” in such shallow water. Then as the night progresses, they seem to just slip off to deep water with no activity.

Then other nights, they seem to turn back on again and go nuts in the 1-3fow or deeper pending weather conditions

Great info. Thanks!

A majority of the walleyes over 5 pounds I catch during the ice season are in a bay super shallow. They stay out deep during the day but come into that bay at night to feed and my tip ups are rarely over 4 feet deep. Pattern seems to work well fall open water too. I dont really fish walleye much spring or summer but would imagine its the same. Fishing shallow at night with stick baits has been one of the more consistent ways for me to put big walleyes top side. I have noticed the first two hours after dark seem better than the rest of the night though with another active period around 2 am.

Watch the major and minor times. You’ll See increased activity in those windows

I should probably know this, but can you clarify “major and minor times”? I can use any help I can get in figuring out this puzzle.

Google search lunar major and minor times. You’ll get a chart showing peak times. I’ve studied these in relationship to fish activity. It definitely relates

Will do. Thanks for all the info!