Nov. Shorefishing Pre/Post Temp drop

This is my first season fishing a river and spent many hours just not catching fish and losing tackle as I tried to learn to fish the current. I don’t fish down there on a consistent basis but approximately November 9 I got fish following my lure all the way up to the shore bank. I was thrilled to see for the first time those eyes glowing as they appeared out of the darkness and went back the next two nights and had the same experience…

Then the cold snap brought our temps down to highs in the mid 30’s for about a week now. all of a sudden no fish at all. I’ve thought about it and have 3 questions:

1. I was throwing a husky jerk. If the fish are still in the same area, what other rig should I try since my magic lure is no longer working?

2. If the fish are now relating to a secondary break in the rivers depth contour what can I rig to reach them from shore?

3. Has anyone found walleyes relating to the inside bend as fall becomes more like winter?

I hope that if I keep going out there I’ll have more answers than questions in the future but for now I’m still just a spring chicken. Thanks for reading!

There are three of these posts in a row and I dont know which one to answer!!

Whoa I wasn’t aware that was happening. I clicked post and it kept bringing up this page that says “internet time out” so I tried a few times not knowing. Can’t figure out how to delete.

Late fall/ winter River fish in my experience can be really F’in picky. Having eyes roll the surface right at ur waders when pulling out the crank before tossing it back out is super fun to see but ur left wondering wtf u lil pos just bite the dam thing.

Slight color change, or rattle/no rattle, profile will get you bit the very next cast. If fish are there, they will eat, but they will want something specific especially when water gets under 40. Having confidence in ur spot, knowing fish are there, and changing it up until you find the magic is very much needed.

Slow is key rn, whatever you think is slow, go slower, amazing how many eyes you’ll get on a 10second pause letting the current just flutter ur bait. No sharp jerks.

To catch fish you have to have confidence in your spot (like mafia said)
To have confidence in your spot you need to catch fish.
That’s tough.

tim hurley wrote:

To catch fish you have to have confidence in your spot (like mafia said)
To have confidence in your spot you need to catch fish.
That’s tough.

Poetic.

With the drop in temps the fish will be sliding deeper and slowing down. When I shore fished this time of year the day bite was very tough. First and last light or at dark will be your best bet. Look for steep breaks on the shoreline. On the river that could be as small as a 2’ break. If you can find a flat area with current or a break adjacent that would be a great night spot.

As mentioned, you can’t go slow enough. I’d also try live bait along with the HJ’s. Plastics held in the current can be an option, too.

Not sure where on P2 you are fishing but PM me and I can give you a few more options you maybe haven’t tried.

Throw a jig/minnow or jig/plastic combo,you can easily attain more depth if the fish have slid out deeper and you can work them slower.Cast out a suitable weight slip sinker with a floating jighead and minnow 12″-18″inches behind the sinker,can be used deep or shallow also can be retreived slowly or left to sit.
Some days the just a slight change in the angle of the jig in relation to bottom and current can make all the difference,but that isnt easily changed bank fishing.Lots of variables every time you hit the river,very rarely ever the same which keeps things interesting.Good Luck!

Haha yes it is different every time and always intriguing! These fish would actually pause in two fow and if I let the lure sit they’d strike it. This experience seeing them chase all the way in and striking like a northern… Then no action. I guess I understand when you say they become quite picky.

I think reaching these fish at their depth and speed of retrieve are definitely the answers. Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday look like good options to go try this “jig and minnow” you speak of…

Thanks!

Their is a guy on this forum that does very well shore fishing Mille Lacs, he goes late into the season but that window may be closed now. I have also seen trolling videos where they show the lure and a camera records everything on a trolling run, sometimes fish will strike at a lure several times in only 10 minutes and the fisherman has no idea.

watch all 4 parts to that episode. I don’t bother too much w fishing during the day for winter river eyes, much easier and active targeting them at night. This video is great for tactics that have been my go to for years now. Trick is finding those feeding shelves castable from shore.

As of this evening I regretfully inform that my honey hole has succumbed to an ice shelf….

Ive got a better idea what God’s mighty waters have in store for the next season and I will be better prepared !!!!

After 10-15min of work w an ice chisel, it’s pretty neat watching an ice shelf drift off w the current.

Dragging fish over the shelf rarely works out, hook often gets caught on the ice in my experience.

Deeper into winter I’ve setup flags right on the shelf, far out as I can get em safely, shelf ice does not have the strength of sheet ice, but they tend to be right on the seam.

Deuces wrote:

After 10-15min of work w an ice chisel, it’s pretty neat watching an ice shelf drift off w the current.

Dragging fish over the shelf rarely works out, hook often gets caught on the ice in my experience.

Deeper into winter I’ve setup flags right on the shelf, far out as I can get em safely, shelf ice does not have the strength of sheet ice, but they tend to be right on the seam.

That’s awesome.

I sat down with my pen and paper and watched the next bite series. Love how they reference ghostbusters.

I get the idea that temperature and current influence the location of bait fish as well as the mood of walleye to determine how far they will travel from the deeper water onto the feeding shelf and closer to shore

When a guy doesn’t have a big hankering to drill holes in ice you make the best out of it. Bass guys like boasting their casting skills but timing ice sheets floating down the river, casting onto, letting them drop into your hot zones when there, then if hooked up running the shoreline to zig zag between the sheets between fish and shore can be pretty fun and learn some new skills.

The best shelves I’ve found are at the end of a long stretch of minimal structure, that hits a bend, whether they’re hanging on outside or inside will be determined by alot of casting and alot of lost tackle. But after years of trial and error, mostly error, you’ll come up with a handful of confident spots to hit where on those just right winter days, where there’s a system moving in, river is fairly free of ice debris, you can make your milk run and clean shop. Truck and some coffee between spots warms ya up and excited for the next.

Good luck. Fwiw, I love my firecracker w chart tails all winter long, pro stewart blues are another.