Now is the time and explore, explore, explore. The walleye do not want to find you, so you need to find them, that simple. Good deal is they are more eager then ever to feed big in the fall so your odds of a huge fish is 50 times better then any other calendar period, even spring. The best option to catch them fish is to get out and fish peek times as often as you can, more you go the more your odds go up any time but especially in the fall. Dont waste much time in looking for the deep hole, active fish are shallow fish so look above or below a deeper run.
Dams are good but often feeder creeks and feeder river systems are much better.
Proceeds will go for the NY city fire fighters and relief efforts fund. Eh Rhan, I too have had my share of back surgeries and know the pain involved to get to that point, I wish you well. As far as the lower Red in Canada and when the big bite will hit, the best guess is 3 weeks, maybe 2. What you want to watch for is several days of constant wind out of the North, that pushs the big walleye into the Red from the big lake. South wind dont bother to go on the lower Red, head to Pine Falls in that case.