Another key to finding Walleye ice fishing is to drill multiple holes per location . We recommend drilling 10-15 holes spaced in a grid pattern or in a zig-zag line at each location. Using the point structure as an example, drill 5 holes along the shallow area, 5 along the transition, and 5 along the deeper section.
What is the best time to ice fish for walleye?
The best walleye ice fishing is during the 30 minutes before and after sunset in winter . Following this peak, they continue feeding with lower intensity during the night, followed by another peak at dawn (though this second peak is not as strong as the one at dusk).
How do you rig ice fish for walleye?
What depth do walleye like in winter?
Throughout a winter's day, the fish will range in depth from 20 to 50 feet . Walleyes in the tailraces tend to hug the bottom, so you should select lures that reach the river's floor in a hurry.
What depth are walleye at in winter?
As winter progresses and the water gets colder, walleye move into deeper water. In mid-winter, they are often found in basins that are 30-40 feet deep , and like to hold in areas that are close to more shallow structures, such as underwater hills or mud flats rising to a depth of 10-25 feet.
What size lures for walleye ice fishing?
A small minnow head or a few small maggots are still enough to draw perch and walleye in and not impair the flutter action. Personally, I have had better results with the smaller 1/16 and 1/8 ounce sizes, but when you're fishing in a current, or fishing especially deep, the 5/16-ounce model produces better.
How do you catch walleye in ice fishing at night?
A great strategy for ice fishing for walleye at night is to set up a series of tip ups or deadsticks baited with live minnows, while at the same time jigging with an active rod .
Can you drop shot while ice fishing?
Known for its ability to pluck smallmouth bass from the depths of open water, drop-shotting can be very effective and versatile for ice fishing as well .
Do walleye bite when snowing?
While the snow is falling, you can experience a great bite . It's happened so often over the years that I'd rather stay and fish right through the storm — especially while fishing for walleyes, lake trout, or pike. Too much snow is almost never too much of a good thing.
How do you attract walleye?
Live bait can be highly successful for walleye, which usually involves still fishing, drifting, or trolling the bait. A bottom-bouncing rig or slip sinker is effective for drawing the walleye's attention in clear water. The best choices of live bait include leeches, minnows, and nightcrawlers.
What colors do walleye see best?
Walleyes also possess color vision, based on analysis of the structure of the light-sensitive cones. Scientists tell us walleyes should see red, orange, and yellow the best, followed by green. Theory also suggests walleyes see blue and violet less well, and these colors may even appear black.
How old is a 28 inch walleye?
| Length (inches) Typical Female Age (Yrs) Typical Male Age (Yrs) | 25 8 12-20 | 26 9 | 27 10-11 | 28 12-13 |
|---|
How do you catch walleye in December?
When late-winter walleye really start snapping as the weather warms, turn again to jigs and spoons tipped with minnows . Ball-head jigs of 1/4- or 3/8-ounce work well in most situations, and you can hook the minnow by the head. To save on bait, push the hook point through the minnow's mouth and up through the head.
How do you catch a walleye from a shore in the winter?
Fish these walleyes with moving baits like swimbaits, crankbaits, and swimming jigs . Go for the most active fish first. If the bite isn't happening on fast-moving baits, slow down and go with a vertical jigging approach. Resort to live or dead bait if you can't get bites at all.
What line is best for ice fishing?
Monofilament . Mono is still the best overall line for most types of fishing, both openwater and ice. It offers outstanding strength per diameter, handles well even in extreme cold, ices up less than other lines, and is inherently low-vis.
Where should I jig for walleye?
What weight should I use for ice fishing?
In open water, line of 6- or 8-pound test may qualify as “light,” but ice anglers commonly scale down to 4-, 3-and 2-pound test with 1-pound line a serious option as well . Fish below the ice are sluggish, and they will not put up as hard a fight as they will in warm water conditions.
Is ice fishing at night any good?
Less fishing pressure
Most anglers are active during the day, so fishing at night will mean fewer anglers hovering over that hot brush pile or creek channel . The reduced the number of anglers crunching across the ice and the potential fish disturbance won't hurt either.
Are fish active at night in winter?
Many fish up north including catfish, trout, bass, and crappie are most active feeding when water temperatures are at their daily peak. This typically occurs during the day. At night when what is coldest, most fish will become docile and wait until water temps rise up before resuming hunting.
How do you attract fish while ice fishing?
- Chumming and scents. Chumming is the most obvious way of attracting fish to a centralized location. ...
- Glow lures. ...
- Bottom bouncing. ...
- Turn on the transducer. ...
- Change up your presentation. ...
- Match the hatch. ...
- Cover the hole. ...
- Bring in some flash.
What is a split shot ice fishing?
The fall and flutter of an ice lure is key to ice-fishing success. ... Split shots are fine for hard-water minnow and bobber fishing , but adding them to a free-falling ice lure completely alters the action. The reason is simple: The split shot falls faster and overwhelms the jig.
What does a drop shot hook look like?
What is the best drop shot weight?
“Use the lightest weight you possibly can, and still be able feel your drop shot,” says Lee. “But as a rule of thumb, if you're fishing less than 15-feet deep, try starting with a 1/4–ounce weight, and if you're fishing those deep zones like 25 or 30 feet, it's probably best to use a 3/8-ounce in most situations.”
