What depth should I ice fish for walleye?
The depth at which to ice fish for walleye depends on the time of day, and whether it’s early, late, or mid winter. At midwinter they are often found in 30-40 ft. deep water around noon , while towards evening they move into more shallow water of about 10-25 feet to feed on schooling bait fish during the night.
What is the best bait for ice fishing walleye?
- Live minnow.
- Dead minnow.
- Rapala jigging rap.
- Rapala slab rap.
- Northland buckshot rattle spoon.
- Leech flutter spoon.
- northland whistler jig.
- Clam drop jig.
What depth are walleye at 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.
How do you target big walleye ice fishing?
“I catch more big fish working 3 feet or more off bottom. My biggest walleye last winter, a 14-pounder, bit a foot below my boots. I kept working the fish up in the water column until my swivel popped into the hole, and then two big eyeballs appeared just before my rod jumped”.
How far should walleye be from the bottom?
On clear lakes, bait placement can be 6 inches to 20 inches off the bottom, as the fish can better see the bait above them and come up to get it. Monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders are both good (though I’ve found that you have to re-tie more often with fluorocarbon as the knots fatigue more quickly than mono).
What’s the best time of day to catch walleye?
Generally, the best time to fish for Walleye is early morning and late evening When the sun is high at midday, Walleye move deeper and hold tightly to shade providing Cover. During periods of low light however, Walleye will move in shallow to feed on baitfish holding close to shore.
What time of day is best for ice fishing?
The best time of day to ice fish is during the first couple of hours after sunrise, and for about 2 hours both before and after sunset These are the times when most fish are heading to their feeding grounds, and when most species are active.
Where can I find walleye in the middle of winter?
Ideal places to find walleye in midwinter are underwater structures that rise from deeper basins, and that themselves are about 20-30 feet below the surface Often you won’t find fish on these structures all day long, but they’ll pass by regularly on their patrols.
How do you catch walleye in the winter time?
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 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 color lures do walleye like?
The most basic and most productive colors for targeting walleye are purple and green These colors come in a variety of shades and can be used in a large range of depths. For sunny days, select bright or flashy purple or green, and for cloudy days try a solid, darker green or purple.
What depth should I ice fish?
In my experience, I’ve found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20 feet deep I like to set up my traps so that they cover a variety of depths. Areas with rock piles, weed beds, or dramatic contours are all good spots.
Do I need a leader for ice fishing?
In order to be able to safely land your ice pike, you either need a strong fluorocarbon leader of about 50-60lb or a titanium wire leader of about 25-30lb Both leaders have excellent abrasion resistance and will be able to handle the ice hole’s sharp edges, even under hard pressure.
How do you attract fish for ice fishing?
- Switch from a vertical jig to a horizontal one. Sometimes all you need is a little variety in your lures
- Twist your line. Most ice anglers move their line up and down
- Cover the hole. Another trick to attracting fish is to cover your fishing hole with ice shavings.
How long does early ice last?
Here in the North Country, four to five months of ice cover is common, and early ice walleyes is a way of life, complete with its own unique clothing, equipment and strategies.
Where is walleye in shallow lakes?
In many of the shallow inland lakes throughout the Midwest, there are schools of shallow-water walleyes that go overlooked by many anglers. One of the key spots for finding them is along a shoreline lip A shoreline lip is a sharp drop-off close to the shoreline, as opposed to a slowly tapering point or drop-off.
Why are walleyes so hard to catch?
It’s not impossible, but walleye seek out deep water and shade to avoid the harsh sunlight, and they tend not to feed actively during these conditions , so you’ll have to adapt your fishing locations and tactics accordingly.
Are walleye top or bottom feeders?
Walleyes are basically bottom feeders , but don’t ignore those fish that suspend over drop-offs in deep lakes. Some of the best summer walleye fishing is provided by suspended fish.
What month is best for walleye?
Walleye fishing season is the best in spring during and after the spawning season However, summer nights and fall months are just as good for fishing for walleyes.
What size hooks for ice fishing?
Small hooks in the size #8 to #14 range will serve well with small delicate baits like mousies and waxies. For minnows, start with hooks of size #4 and #2, adjusting with larger or smaller hooks to match the size of minnows you are using. Downsized jigs will be the lures of choice for the majority of your ice fishing.
Do walleye hang out with perch?
In essence, you have a merging of environments, which affords multiple species opportunity to coexist, sometimes harmoniously, like in the case of big perch and walleyes, or rancorously, as with perch and pike. Questing for such prized locations requires some labor.
Can you ice fish with worms?
You can use worms for ice fishing and they are extremely effective for trout, perch, walleye, crappie and other species of fish. While it may not be the primary winter forage for fish, worms should not be over looked by anglers as one of the top live baits for ice fishing.
Citations
https://www.advnture.com/how-to/catch-walleye
https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/how-to-ice-fish-for-walleye/153713
https://lakeofthewoodsmn.com/ice-more-walleyes/