Pier Pressure

Knight says that the best daily fishing times vary, but dusk to midnight is generally most productive. "I've heard of people doing well fishing from midnight to dawn, but that hasn't worked well for me. You will, however, avoid most other anglers by fishing after midnight. Believe me, when the bite is on, word spreads quickly and some piers get crowded."

JUNIOR HINTS

Jim Fofrich, Jr., son of the late, legendary Lake Erie guide and fishing innovator, Jim Fofrich, Sr., was a former aficionado of Lake Erie's nighttime shore walleye fishing. A longtime contributor to In-Fisherman publications, Jim Jr. passed away last year.

Fofrich approached night walleyes a bit differently from most anglers. Not liking the crowds when the fishing heated up at piers, he put on waders and move along the shoreline, well away from other fishermen. "But if you try wading, be careful," he always cautioned. "Remember that you'll be walking on rocks below the surface in the dark, and that next step could be a deep one."

Fofrich used a medium-heavy 7-foot spinning rod-and-reel combination, the reel filled with 10-pound-test Berkley FireLine. "It's important to be able to make long casts," he said, noting that skinny nostretch FireLine vastly increases casting distance over monofilament line. "Just after the sun goes down, cast as far from shore as possible. Later in the evening, when the walleyes have moved in, make most of your casts parallel to the shoreline."

For crankbaits, he liked #9, #11, and #13 jointed Rapalas, as well as Countdown Rapalas of various sizes. Fofrich also preferred what he considered the "softer" colors for clear water: blue/white, silver/black, and pearl/chartreuse. "The only time I'll go with a color such as firetiger is in dirty-water conditions," he said. "And remember, bigger baits usually catch bigger fish. A large lure casts farther and makes a bigger target for walleyes to find in the dark. I also use bladebaits from time to time, such as Bitzer Creek Zip Lures or Reef Runner Cicadas. Gold or silver seem to be my two best colors for blades." Other anglers prefer a vibrating, lipless crankbait for nighttime fall walleyes, such as a Bill Lewis Lures' Rat-L-Trap, a Cotton Cordell Super Spot, or a Rattlin' Rapala.