As everyone knows, I’m a walleye guy. Oh, I’ll fish for other species when the opportunity presents itself, but if I have my preference, I’m after the ‘eyes. They are the best combination of characteristics you’re seeking in gamefish: They can be caught by a variety of techniques in a variety of habitats, and when you are thinking about table fare, there aren’t many – if any — fish that can top walleyes, deep-fried, broiled, or baked.
It’s no different when I’m on the ice. If there are walleyes where I’m fishing, that’s what I’m looking for — if I can get to them. At first ice, I’ll often fish for pan fish because you can find them in the shallow cuts and canals where ice forms earliest in winter. But it is pretty rare to find walleyes in those kinds of places. You have to wait until you have solid ice before you can get out after the ‘eyes.
Once the ice is firm enough that you can get out into the bays or out on the main lake, that’s when the walleye action starts. As a rule of thumb, you start shallow and work your way out deeper as winter progresses.
Personally, I like to start in the weed beds. That’s where there’s the most oxygen, so the fish are most active. The weed beds generally hold aquatic insects, which attract the baitfish that the walleyes are after. Plenty of anglers don’t consider the weed beds when they’re caching walleyes – they think of weed beds as the kind of place you fish for bass or pike. They are making a mistake. There are almost always some walleyes in the weeds and if they’re in there, they’re generally actively feeding.
But as winter progresses, the weeds become less productive. As the weeds die off and decompose, they use up the oxygen in the process. Fish – just like us – need oxygen to survive.
Once the weeds begin failing to produce, head to the outside of the weed line. Typically, that’s the first drop-off in the lake and the fish will gather there. But if you don’t find them immediately outside the weeds, it’s time to head to deeper water.
Your best bet is to find the steepest drop-offs. Look at topographical maps to find them. They may be off of reefs or humps or off of points, but a topo map will show you where steep drop-offs are and most underwater structure will have a steep side and a tapered side. I always gravitate to the steep side.
Once you’ve found the structure, get out your depth finder to find the proper drops. A fish locator will tell you whether the fish are on the edge of the drop-off or right at the bottom. That’s why you have electronics – pay attention to them. Don’t second-guess your electronics. And don’t be afraid to go deep, out to 40 or 50 feet if the lake is that deep. I’ve caught them at 90 feet on Mullet Lake. It surprised me. I was out scouting for an upcoming Ice Fishing/Vacation School when I found some fish in 90 feet. I was surprised; I thought they were perch and decided to check them out. I dropped down there, caught a 19-inch walleye, and before long, I had a limit, but I caught several that were too small that I had to throw back. There was a whole school of walleyes out there. So don’t be afraid to get out there.
Once you’ve found your areas, use as much gear as you are allowed. The more presentations you can make the better. In Michigan, we can fish three lines. So I do. I always jig, use a dead rod, and put out a tip up. If I’m in a shanty, I’ll jig and set a dead rod next to me, but I put the tip-up a fair distance from the shack, so I’m covering more water. I call it mining the area.
On the dead rod, I put a small split shot about two feet above the bait. Dead rods are easily adjustable – if you’re seeing fish on your sonar or live scope, you can move it up or down to where the fish are. Always hook your minnow between the dorsal fin and tail. That forces the minnow to keep swimming instead of just sitting there staring at the bottom.
And always jig. You can use any number of lures – spoons, Jigging Rapalas, Rattling Raps or even a lead-head jig. I always start with a small minnow on my jigging lures because I’ve found, over the years, that when walleyes hit it, they sometimes just grab the minnow and don’t get the hook. If all you have is large minnows, use a half minnow. The jigging will give it the action it needs to attract the fish. You can use large minnows on your tip-ups as the fish will take it and move off with it, so it has time to turn it around in its mouth before you set the hook. But your jigging rod is your doorknocker, wake them up!
What you jig with is a matter of personal preference, but pay attention to water clarity. If the water’s dingy, I recommend bright colors and a rattling bait to give the lure another method of attracting the fish. Glow-in-the-dark lures are also important in dingy water or during low-light conditions.
Pound the bottom with your jigging rod, not necessarily on every drop, but often. Pounding the bottom will cause the dirt or silt on the bottom to puff up, attracting the fish’s attention. But vary your presentations – size, color, depth, etc. – until you find what’s producing. Then, fine-tune your presentations to what’s working.
Remember, what worked early in ice season won’t necessarily be the ticket as winter progresses. As conditions change, change with them. Don’t get stuck in a rut. Keep experimenting until you find something that works.
