Water temps on Pool 9 are hovering around 50 degrees right now, signaling the last hoo-rah for aggressive SMB and walleye movement in preparation for the cold water period.

In fall when water temp drops to 50 degrees walleyes start to bite both more aggressively and for longer time frames, often in very shallow water on top of rocky structure.

There are some days when eelgrass makes anything but a single hook presentation virtually impossible–and single hook presentation tough.

If weeds are manageable I like to position the Lund with the stern in the 5-7 foot contour with the angler in the bow casting #7-9 shad Raps or similar crankbaits and the fisher in the stern swimming A B-Fish-N Tackle Pulse R plastic on a 1/4 oz. Draggin’ jig DIPPED IN LIQUID WILLOWCAT just over the rocks against the current.

On any given day one presentation will be more effective than the other. A couple little tricks make a HUGE difference when retrieving cranks parallel to rock when water temps are 46-54: Pulsing the retrieve in short bursts and changing direction of the retrieve when there’s about 5 feet of line out when you’re about to complete the retrieve to make another cast.

No need to ‘figure 8’ like you do for muskie. but walleye behavior is similar. If they are tracking you’re bait and think the bait is trying to escape being dogged by changing direction they will chase and chomp it. Sometimes almost 50 % off all ‘eyes strike within five feet of the boat!

Active walleyes hang somewhere between 7-13 fow all summer long. When water temps drop below 48 they start to stair-step deeper in the water column. 10, 14 than finally 20+ feet when surface temp dips below 42.

As the eyes move deeper I switch to Precision jigheads in ‘pyrokeet’ color , beginning with 3/16 oz. and either ringworm or Ribb-Finn profiles. Regarding colors–if visibility is >2 ft. some variation of purple firecracker with a chartreuse or white tail.

Sometimes I’ll go with hair jigs when water is below 45 degrees in a simple vertical lift-n-drop drift within 1 ft. of the bottom at the depth contour where fish are holding that day. Sometimes i’ll add a plastic fliptail with liquid Willowcat if a stinger hook isn’t needed. I haven’t used a minnow doing a hair jig drift in years.

When water temps drop below 45 degrees I like to swim plastics in a quartering retrieve downstream within inches of the bottom–or my absolute favorite way to walleye fish ;snap jigging blade baits.

Like many other presentations, snap jigging is a study in nuances with specific tackle to present the blade, which brings us to another number: I haven’t been on the water for almost 24 hours. Adios!