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How many of you guys do any night fishing during the walleye season?

I farted around with it over the years but I guess didn't have the greatest of luck. Last May during a camping trip out east of my place I took a friend of mine out after dark casting cranks into the shallows. He hooked into two of the biggest waldo's of his life, we landed one, a nice fat 26 incher. Other times I've been out trolling cranks with a little luck, even a little lighted bobber fishing and did ok.

What makes a good lake for night fishing, and what times of year have you had the most luck? I'm not asking anyone to give up their lake, just some basic information to share, like clarity, time of year, tactics, or lures.

I'd like to get a little more night fishing in this year, what makes Mille Lacs such a great lake for night fishing, so much so that they close the season for a bit after opening weekend.

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The clearer the water is.....the better the night bite IMO. Best time of year is usually spring and fall, but fish can be caught all year.

Night fishing can be good on Mille Lacs, but that is not the only reason why part of the season is closed at night. It is closed to limit the harvest numbers early in the season. If there is an awesome bite the first month of the season (which there usually is), there is potential that they might have to change the slot limits later in the season due to danger of exceeding the quota and resorts absolutely hate this. Mille Lacs is different than most lakes in the state due to there being a quota and with the close proximity to the cities there is a ton of fishing pressure. The night bite can be good all night long, but really the bite peaks right at sunset and about half hour after dark, then starts slowing down from there.

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Fisherdog is the master of night fishing in the DL area! The guy fishes more from 9:00 p.m. until 1 or 2 a.m. than anyone I know!

Peter, give the guy some tips! :-)

I never did much for night fishing until Peter showed me the way! It is a blast with lots of fish to catch.

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After dark is the way to go for any species on a lake that gets hit hard. All my bigggest walleyes(28 or bigger) have came after dark!! Back when I used to fish for walleyes I wouldnt start tell an hour before sunset and wouldnt leave tell an hour after sunrise. As long as you have good lighting system your good to go. FYI Early in the year the eyes move shallow after dark!!

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I think light penetration is the key. on really clear lakes there can be essentially no shallow water bite during the day. I think this gets more pronounced as summer progresses. I've had descent luck at night most of the year, but by mid July through early September I don't even bother fishing for walleye's during the day. I try to hit the water about an hour or two before dark and fish until 12 to 2 A.M.(or whenever I get tired and want to go home). It depends on how the bite is going. I used to love night fishing because you had the lake to yourself; those days are gone. Sometimes I see just as many boats at night as during the day(there's a couple lakes around here that see more pressure at night at times). My usual routine is to get out with enough daylight left to get my trolling passes in the GPS before dark. This way I've got a route to follow and am a little more productive. If it's a dark night a GPS can really save your butt, nothin' worse than plowing your boat into a swimming dock. mad I like shadrappin' after dark or possibly doing some casting. I've used lighted corks if I'm out with a buddy, but that ussually ends up being more social than productive, at least for me anyway. I'll generally stick to an inside weed-line and shallower, but some guys do well on deeper rockpiles too. I hope you give it a try, it can be a blast if you hit it right.

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Early and late in the year I like to shore fish for walleyes. My favorite spot is near a culvert between two lakes. I will drop the bait in the opening and see if there is any current flowing from one lake to the other (one this lake it will be caused by wind). If you are pulling your bait against the current, a slower retrieve will get the right wobble. If pulling with the current, crank a little quicker.

Early I use small cranks that look like a shiner. Later in the year, I will use longer cranks in perch, sucker minnow, or kind of suprisingly, rainbow trout patterns.

I usually don't get bit unitl the rocks at my feet are barely visible. Once in a while they will follow the bait up to shore and take it pretty much at your feet. Scares the sh..daylights out of you. Especially in the fall, the more wind the better and rain would be a bonus. The windier it is the more erratic the retrieve I will use. They will hit those things like a freight train.

Middle of the summer I will use lighted bobbers. Had the best luck doing that during the full moon in August. Very simple rig; small yellow jig with a leech, split shot, and lighted bobber. I have best luck bobber fishing on structure away from the shore in about 10 feet of water.

As soon as the ice goes off, I will arm myself with a scoop of crappie minnows and a lighted bobber and search for some crappies.

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We used to go to Gull lake for opener every year for a while. We didnt know the lake so we didnt do very well. However as the fish moved in right at dark we did pretty darn good right from the dock casting cranks in and out. Seemed to be the best time early in the year like that. Must be something to the fish moving in the shallows and becomming active.

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I absolutely love night fishing! There is nothing more satisfying than pulling up to a spot as someone is leaving because it's getting dark and then pulling a few walleyes out! Most of my success has had to do w/shallow rock piles and/or current. For me those are the keys. I prefer to throw a floating rapala, but have also had succes with a lighted bobber and shiners.

Another thing I have noticed is that when throwing cranks direction of retrieval makes a huge difference. Sometimes you need to retrieve parallel to shore, sometimes away from shore, sometimes towards shore. Even with that I have noticed that casting a certain direction will trigger the bites, but casting another direction will not. You really have to get out and just give it a go...you will quickly figure out what is working/not working.

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It's the only way I fish for walleyes now! I prefer a lighted bobber, a couple splitshot, #6 or #8 red mustad hook and a leech! I usually fish right next to sunken islands, humps, or saddle areas! Late june through august for me! And I agree a GPS is the ticket!

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I've had my best luck in late June through early August with mid July being the best for trolling cranks after dark. 8-11 fow over the tops of the weeds where the young of the year fry are hiding. Before that, until the shiners are gone, I concentrate on river outlet or inlet areas and mostly fish from shore. I haven't done much for bobber fishing after dark, but may give it a try this year with some leeches in early summer. I haven't done much of it in the fall so I'm no help there. One thing that I have seen that makes a huge difference is using my electric trolling motor to troll cranks with. I have fished the same area as boats that say they are having no luck at all while using their big motors, and I end up doing well. I only have experience on 3 lakes after dark, haven't needed to try any others yet smile

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I have one in mind that's north of me, South Twin gets serious pressure during the summer, a lot of recreational boaters and jet ski's. It's loaded with walleyes too!!!! I've got to try it out come summer. I'm in the hunt for a new to me boat also!! I'm really getting anxious for open water.

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Leech, before you head out there for some night fishing give me a shout. We used to quite a bit of trolling out there after dark and usually did pretty well. After dark is about the only time to not get buzzed by jet ski's and skiers on that lake.

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Leech, I'd be game to give it a try with you one night. I'll bring my boat up and we'll give it a shot. Anyone know if White Earth is any good after dark?

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I haven't heard of anyone fishing it after dark but you think it would be awesome!!! That lake has an awesome walleye population. Nice clear water, and loads of flats, and structure. And for sure fisherdog, let's get 'er done this time, bring that boat of yours up next month sometime and we'll put it to use.

and huntnfish, I'll drop you a line and get some advice from ya!!

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We'll wait until June to try the night fishing thing up your way, let the water warm up a bit and for the eyes to put on the post spawn feeding binge. I would say mid June we try South Twin or White Earth some time.

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nothing beats early and late fall night fishing!! peaceful, good fishing, and no bugs!

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In clear lakes I avoid the full moon for night fishing. It just don't have much luck on full moon perdiods. Instead I go on the No meeon weekends. Anyone else avoid or favor the full moon?

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I worked in Red Wing MN quite a few tears ago and they had a pro walleye tourney going on and got to talking to a pro dude from WI and in Oct full moon he caught a stringer of 27+ inch fish. He showed the picture. Amazeing.

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I agree, I have had terrible luck with full moons. The last couple years I noticed that when the moon did finally come out some nights, the fishing slowed down and on the flip side when the moon got behind the trees after 11pm some nights, the fishing picked up. I think it gives them too much to see instead of getting a reaction strike where they feel the vibration of the bait more than they see it. In the fall I don't think it matters as much as the are on the feed bag.

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I have found that wind more than moon light makes or breaks my nights. I have poor luck on calm nights, but have caught fish on moon lit nights if the wind is up.

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Whitefish can be a great night bite lake. People I know would fish from docks and show once sun set and had great success.

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I love to fish at night. I have several sets of lights in the boat. on Differetn swithces. One set of lights for fishing, one for landing, one for tying line etc. One of the secrets is haveing just enough light to barley see in the boat, that way you can aclimate to the ambient light of the stars, moon, etc. A GPS is also a must. I can't begin to tell you how many times, I have not been able to find the dock at 4am, It is a scary thought at times.

I have a set of lights on a hinge, that use car tail light bulbs, that when I catch a fish, I can flip them over the side and light up the water to see the net. I also cary a large portable spot light to find the dock and trailer. I have ruined my set of trailer lights by hitting the darn things with the bow of my boat in the dark.

Another great night fishing invention is some white clearance lights installed under your bumber pointing down and back hooked to a toggle in the vehicle cab. that way you have some lights when hooling up the boat.

As far as night time fishing goes, Live bait early season with light line, small jig head boucning off bottom. moving to cranks in summer like a countdown or shad rap (BTW have you seen the Rapala price increases this year?) If you fish bigger water like Ottertail or pelican, planer boards can be good but really a pain the arse in the dark. Some lakes i hit in the dark are, Big Commorant, Pelican, Sallie, Mellisa, Lac Qui Parle, Bemidgi, Ten Mile Lake, Lake 7. I have also hit Swedes grove in the dark but it is a real bear to get out with no lighting what so ever in the road ditch. Big Detroit and Little Detroit are ok also once the water sports people leave the water.

A majority of the time I am the only one on the lake at night which makes it really quiet and a little scary at times, because if I had problems I would be on my own. I always were a life vest at night and keep my boat nice a clean, nothing worse than stepping on your spare rod and breaking it. Night fishing can be really fun, and can be really dangerous. Make sure you think of saftey first. If anyone wants to tag along some night, let me know, I alays have room for more people in my dinky dingeey.

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  • 1 month later...

TTT

This is some good information and I plan on hitting a close to me lake after dark this weekend, as long as there is no lightning I'll be on it tonight!!!!!!!

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i have found that on moon lit nights that the fish bite later 12 am to 2 am but after 2am the fish seem to disapear. always have had great luck on an glow in the dark lindy rig in 6 to 8 ft of water trolling. have cought many 27 to 29 inch eyes this way hope it helps

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Early in the season (which seems to last longer each year) I do well fishing docks late 12:00am to 4:00am with floating raps. I fish them just like you would bass during the day. Walleyes will move up into a foot of water around the docks and be very aggressive. look for docks with the dawn to dusk lights out. The bugs are attracted to the light which attracts the baitfish which attracts the eyes. very fun when you hit them that shallow they explode.

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  • 4 years later...

I am sitting at home right bored obviously and found this old topic.

I finally got into night fishing this last year with some decent success. I have fished stained water mostly. I agree with whats said about a full moon with no cloud cover. Seems this makes the fishing even harder.

With the bright full moon and no cloud cover and some what calm water 7-12ft of water seems to be the ticket fishing over the top of weeds or on the outside edge of the weed line. Seems to drive the fish out deeper.

less moon light/ behind clouds with a little chop I catch them much shallower and my best was the inside edge of a weedline in 5-6ft of water.

I know some people have sucess night fishing without any moon light. I have tried it and havent caught a thing. Maybe they are using different tactics then I am. I just tend to stick to stick/crankbaits. I also think a longer rod or a planer board could help on the real calm water situations. I havent had much experience with planer boards but my main line counter rod is 8'6" and others i have fished with that have shorter rod thus closer to the little amount of boat wake seem to catch less fish. I was in scheels today eyeing up a 10'6" but it looks like a lot of rod to handle and I dont know how easy it would be to net by myself with this rod.

My go to bait is always a #5 shadrap firetiger seems like it will always catch fish. with less moonlight the berkley shads really produce. Much tighter/harder wobble then the shad raps. I believe the more light and the better the fish can see the bait you want a slower action bait like a husky jerk or a shad rap. With less moon light more action the better.

I really plan on trying to fish mainly cranks this year. I will never pass up a worm/spinner combo but in the right situations for cranks I absolutely have fallen in love with fishing them.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
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    • LakeofthewoodsMN
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    • CigarGuy
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    • PSU
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    • Mike89
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    • Hookmaster
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