The author with a pair of late-night Erie walleyes. (Ross Robertson/)
Fans of early hip-hop acts might remember Whodini. The group’s 1984 hit “Freaks Come Out at Night” has always been a personal favorite, if not something of a mantra for walleye guys who live for sunset in the fall. This time of year, the big fish move shallow after dark for one reason: to gorge on large baitfish before winter sets in. The only problem is, everything is more complicated and takes longer in the dark, which is why only the diehards are willing to brave chilly nights to score. If you want to join their ranks, preparation is the first step. Once you’ve got the boat in night mode, a few tweaks to your daytime program are all it takes to start landing those “freaks.”
Prep Talk
In daylight, clear the boat decks of unneeded items that will catch lines or create tripping hazards. For dark missions, I trade my usual landing net for one that has a shallow bag. If you only have a net with a deep bag, use a zip tie to gather it up and make it shallower. I’ll pull out all the lures I plan to use ahead of time and put them in a separate tackle tray, storing only one in each compartment. Naturally, you’ll need a few light sources on the boat, but put some thought into them. For stationary lights, LEDs provide better coverage while taking less of a toll on the boat’s batteries. Make sure any stationary lights never shine directly into the water, as walleyes are extremely light sensitive and can spook. Headlamps or handheld lights used to aid in netting should have a red filter because it helps the anglers’ eyes stay adjusted to the dark and won’t alert other fish to your presence.
Night Riding
Covering water after dark is just as critical as it is during daylight hours, though simplifying your approach to improve your trolling efficiency pays off. If you prefer trolling with planer boards, be sure to use reels with a line-counter feature. During the day, you can eyeball line length, but at night, having the ability to set your lures at exactly the same distance once you start getting bites is key. Another benefit of planer boards is you can use them to put lures in water too shallow for the boat. I’ll hug contour lines using my GPS but use my planers to get baits to shallows where fish would spook—or, worse, bang up my prop—if I moved in right on top of them. To ensure your boards are exactly where you want them, use tape to affix a glow stick to each one.