The advertisements that tout the FALL BRAWL as the world’s largest walleye fishing tournament don’t specify why it’s the largest. Perhaps because it’s the largest by just about any measure imaginable. All of the waters of Lake Erie in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York are brawlin’ waters. Amateurs or pros can compete. It will take some of the largest walleyes in the world to claim a spot on the leaderboard. Best of all, the largest variety of fishing styles have a chance to be among the winning tactics. Jigs, worm rigs, diving baits, stick baits, even minnows on slip bobbers have won money or prizes in past Fall Brawls.
One of the things popularizing this tournament is that it’s one of the few walleye competitions anywhere that shore anglers have a good chance of winning and the night bite for Erie-eyes is a longtime winning tactic for many shore-bound anglers. Find a place where a pier, breakwater or harbor wall juts out along the shoreline and it’s a likely fall hotspot. Find one of these with an overhead light present and it can be a blazing-hot spot. Some anglers bring their own lights, either lights that shine out in the water or floating lights that really flood the depths.
Lighted areas attract gizzard shad like moths to a flame and the favorite meal on the walleye’s menu in the fall is shad. No other baitfish provides the high-calorie diet packing the nutrients and energy walleyes need to bulk up for the winter and to produce healthy eggs which are developing in the females. Everyone knows the females are the big ones in Lake Erie and that’s what brawlers want to catch.
Small boat trollers and kayak anglers flock to these lighted areas, as well, staying just out of range of shoreline casters. Some of these anglers just cast lures, but many troll with just a few lures in their spread so they can make tight turns to keep those lures in the hot zone.
Whether from shore or from a boat, the walleyes want shad, so give them a lure that is built to mimic a shad. One of these, one of Berkley’s newest lure creations, is poised to be the new favorite for Fall Brawl anglers. Its name is Jack.
Lipless crankbaits have been a favorite lure along Erie’s shorelines for years. Most lure companies have their own version but few of them have put the thought and quality into their versions that is Jack’s signature. Jack draws attention from hungry fish in three ways. An unmatched finish is standard, from the fluorescent firetiger, the shiny chrome or gold models or the ghost-like tinted ghost patterns which shows the dozens of rattling beads inside the lure’s body. Those rattles attract walleyes (and other fish) with a crisp underwater sound and the inherent deep vibrations produced as the lure shimmers through the water produces a low frequency sound for the predators to home in on.
Under the lights, anglers either swear by the bright hues, like Firetiger or Knock Out, shiny chrome versions like Jester or dark colors like Purple Chrome. Trollers during the daytime are finding the familiar Blue Chrome, Viking Perch and others putting potential winners on their lines.
Trolling with lipless cranks, what’s up with that? Don’t count them out, especially in the fall when the walleyes are shad-oriented. Fish them like stick baits to get them into the depths, either using divers or leadcore.
The old quip, “You don’t know Jack” doesn’t hold for these baits. Fall Brawlers along Lake Erie’s shoreline this year do know Jack and he’s become a welcome addition to their fall arsenal. Check Jack out at www.berkley-fishing.com. Purchase them there or at many online and retail stores. Check out the Fall Brawl at: www.lakeeriefallbrawl.com. The Brawl is ongoing and will continue until December 8th.
