Walleye madness!

[BrookyTrout]

I iced fish for my very first time last Sunday and caught some nice Tullibee, thanks to the advice of some locals. Yesterday I went on for my 2nd time and caught 8 nice Crappies, went back out today and got 4 more Tullibee.

Now I want to target my favorite fish, the Walleye. I am looking for tips and advice.

Thanks

Brooky

Ooppss!! Sorry!! I mean my 2nd favorite next to the Brook Trout

[monstermoose78]

Welcome to the site @BrookyTrout. I would touch base with @Horseshoe_Don @Stick in Mud @eyeguy 54 @Rick G @Borch @IceHawk @JeremyCampbell @Tom Sawyer these are some the best in the st could area. There are others I may have forgot sorry to those people. 

[IceHawk]

First off welcome to the site!  Brooky this time of year the walleye seem to be a little more sluggish. but they still can be caught.  First off find some decent structure. I scroll through Navionics web app on my laptop the night before. I usally figure out a spot or game plan by putting all the variables together. Time of year water clarity size of eyes present in lake etc. Once a determined location is determined time of year usally dictates my approach, Right now small jigging presentations (small spoons raps etc) tipped with small minnow heads I prefer crappie minnows now  and deadstick bobber rigs with small minnows again small fatheads and occasionally crappie minnows have been key Gd luck

[BrookyTrout]

I am catching on to that, I am using the info I find on the DNR site. For now I am seeking smaller lakes, since i am footing it lol

What is this Navionics App?

Thanks Moose

25 minutes ago, monstermoose78 said:

Welcome to the site @BrookyTrout. I would touch base with @Horseshoe_Don @Stick in Mud @eyeguy 54 @Rick G @Borch @IceHawk @JeremyCampbell @Tom Sawyer these are some the best in the st could area. There are others I may have forgot sorry to those people. 

 

Edited February 1, 2016 by BrookyTrout
wrong person

[monstermoose78]

Navionics App is for a smart phone. It is a map of lake depths and shows your location on the map.

[BrookyTrout]

Now that's cool, I got to get that. thanks Moose

[Fumb Disher]

8 minutes ago, monstermoose78 said:

Navionics App is for a smart phone. It is a map of lake depths and shows your location on the map.

Fishidy is a free app but it's not as detailed and it's missing some lakes.  

[Tom Sawyer]

Welcome BrookyTrout

This time of year location becomes the biggest part of the successful walleye fishing. Finding less pressured fish is a big plus, and targeting them during low light hours or after dark is key.

I like to find transition areas that come up in that 15'-10' range near deep water access. As Icehawk mentioned small spoons and minnow heads, but also more subtle approaches like crappie jigs and dead sticking tail hooked, bottom pinned minnows, can out produce everything when all else fails. The stationary target of a struggling minnow, is candy to a cruising walleye. 

 

[eyeguy 54]

welcome to FM Brooky !  get some pics when ya find them.   

[gunner55]

Welcome to FM BT. Some good intel here already. GOOD LUCK!

[Stick in Mud]

You know, you could just go to Mille Lacs.    You could be on the southside in just about the time it takes you to get to Clearwater or Koronis, depending on where you live.  And I drove my little Pontiac all over the place this weekend, so you don't need a bigt truck to get out there (at least not yet).  

Thanks for the generous shout-out, Moose, but I don't know a whole lot about catching 'eyes thru the ice in local lakes.  If I am fishing around here, I either fish any healthy weeds I can find, shallow water structure (ideally rocks) with deep water nearby, or inside turns and big points close to the main lake basin.  Sorry for the generalizations, but I catch more crappies around here than I do walleyes....and y'all should know by now how mediocre I am at catching panfish.

[BrookyTrout]

Thanks for the welcome everyone! I went to Two River with Walleye in mind, but ended up with a bunch of nice Crappie instead which is not a bad thing. For now I am looking at about 1 hour of Saint Cloud. Since I am new at this I am a bit behind in knowledge of local lakes.

I don't drive on the lakes as I had a very bad experience as a kid going on a lake with dad, so I am still gun shy about doing so. 

Koronis is on my to do list, as is Rice and Watab for Trout

I'll check out Clearwater. On Two River I went to a point and narrow on the lake, which looked to be the most likely spot and fished about 34 feet. Lot of fish on the screen, but when I sent the camera down there just Crappies again.

[Tom Sawyer]

Couldn't agree more Stick in Mud, strong bite going on at Mille lacs. Just have to do alot of hole hopping to stay on the fish. Ice trolling. Drill and drill some more. 

[Borch]

The navionics apps will help out with finding prospective structure.   Use it as you start drilling.  Let's say you're working a point.  Sometimes the tip of the point can be hot and other times the inside turns.  Drill holes both deep and shallow on whatever structure your working.   During low light conditions you can follow them up or down the break.  Set up a tip up midway on the break as you work a more aggressive search techique with a spoon, jigging rap, plastics or lindy darter.  If you find a sweet spot settle in and fish more finesse techiques.

Good Luck.

[BrookyTrout]

haha! Hole hoping will probably have to wait until next year since this year as I am using a hand manual ice auger. Before my first ice fish two Sundays ago, I invested in to lots of tackle, pole, Vexilar fl18, Eskimo pop up shelter. The wife would skin me alive if I invest 1 more penny in to this hobby ( power auger )

Mille Lacs has been a thought, but it's such a huge lake and being gun shy to drive on lakes does not help, Yes! I know I will have to get over that eventually if I want to progress in my new hobby.

[Borch]

1 hour ago, BrookyTrout said:

haha! Hole hoping will probably have to wait until next year since this year as I am using a hand manual ice auger. Before my first ice fish two Sundays ago, I invested in to lots of tackle, pole, Vexilar fl18, Eskimo pop up shelter. The wife would skin me alive if I invest 1 more penny in to this hobby ( power auger )

Mille Lacs has been a thought, but it's such a huge lake and being gun shy to drive on lakes does not help, Yes! I know I will have to get over that eventually if I want to progress in my new hobby.

Just imagine the upper body strength you'll develop.  At least the ice is less than 2 feet thick right now.

[Stick in Mud]

15 hours ago, Tom Sawyer said:

Couldn't agree more Stick in Mud, strong bite going on at Mille lacs. Just have to do alot of hole hopping to stay on the fish. Ice trolling. Drill and drill some more. 

Pshaw!

You'd be amazed at how many fish a supremely lazy man can catch if he...follows the guides around. 

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Welcome!

Lots of good advice already here!

I fish walleyes almost exclusively in the summer and lots in the winter also, but if I could get onto a good crappie bite I would be in heaven!

Walleyes are a lot tougher this time of the winter on most lakes.

Like the other have suggested, try to get on a spot that has not been fished. Transitions between rock piles and mud have been my best locations. Small crappie minnows on small jigs or on a dead stick/bobber rig are working best now.

Good fishing!

Cliff

[BrookyTrout]

I agree, lots of good tips. I know it's kind of late in the season for Walleye, my biggest deal right now is to fish lakes now that I want to learn and hopefully get an early start next season, better equipped and more knowledgeable so I can pound some next winter Walleye  

1 hour ago, Cliff Wagenbach said:

Welcome!

Lots of good advice already here!

I fish walleyes almost exclusively in the summer and lots in the winter also, but if I could get onto a good crappie bite I would be in heaven!

Walleyes are a lot tougher this time of the winter on most lakes.

Like the other have suggested, try to get on a spot that has not been fished. Transitions between rock piles and mud have been my best locations. Small crappie minnows on small jigs or on a dead stick/bobber rig are working best now.

Good fishing!

Cliff

Try Two River and you might find your heaven, I did and I wasn't even looking for it

Purchased the Navionics app today, something I can easily hide from the wife, lol

Real nice tool, lots to pick up on though, I am debating on Sugar Lake in Wright County or Big Watab for this Sunday, headed back to Two River for some Saturday fun.

fish

[gunner55]

Cliff hit on a key for me, transition areas is where I start. Look for a point or inside turn on that change in bottom. Then it's just a depth adjustment most of the time for me

[BrookyTrout]

OK! I guess i need to ask, but when you all talk jigging spoon with minnow head, do you mean a real minnow head or the little rubber thing I guess that's also called a minnow head

[IceHawk]

I prefer the real deal Fathead pinched off and added when fishing earlier in the yr as they are more aggressive. Mid-. Late season depending on the eyes mood (watch your electronics they will tell you) again fathead to start with.  If they are more negative and I need to downsize crappie heads all the way.  Don't rule out adding a spike to each hook on your treble or removeing the treble and adding a single hook and gobbing a few euros on. This setup has saved me a few times over the yrs. I know some use shiner heads to high dollar for me, for meat on my hooks.

[BrookyTrout]

lol When I was fishing Tulibee someone mentioned using minnow head on my jig, I asked " How do you get the minnow head, do you buy minnows and cut their heads off " They all got a laugh at my expense then produced the smelly little rubber thing and said this is a minnow head.

That's a true story

[IceHawk]

I personally haven't  tried the power bait minnow heads. Sure they would work and hopefully someone chimes in with the success they have had with them.  For me  it's rare I wont have a deadstick system in the trap or a rattle rig down in my permanent. And they require live minnows, so I always have minnows along when eye fishing in  the winter.  So its the real thing for me.

[BrookyTrout]

Right now I got both dead and alive so getting a few heads should be no problem.

Sorry for not being so knowledgeable on this, but what is a deadstick system?

Hard to imagine I spent 40 plus years fishing and all I know is Ultralight, Martin Panther, Mepps, Little Cleo, wet, dry and streamer flies and Trout

Edited February 2, 2016 by BrookyTrout
miss spell

[IceHawk]

Not to be too technical but my deadstick system  is a Thorne bros deadtstick custom made rod (its a rod with a very soft tip)  with a Okuma avenger ABF-20  spinning reel. The reel has a baitfeeder system that allows the walleye to take line with very little resistance. I mount the rod holder in my trap or on the wall in my permanent. Once the eye takes the minnow the soft tip shows me the bite  and baitfeeder system allow the fish to take line with little resistance. I let the fish take the minnow and set the hook Game on.  I know TUC makes  a great deadstick rod also and I m sure cheaper store bought models  will work just fine .  I just like Custom made rods as I personally think they add to my success and experience. If you dont want to get so technical You will be fine  just  using a ice buster bobber split shot and hook setup.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

BT,

Good to ask plenty of questions if you do not know!!

A dead stick rig for me consists of a very light action rod, (crappie rod), with or without a bobber, a hook appropriate for the size bait that you are using,(usually a minnow for walleyes), and a split shot sinker located about 6" above the hook.

I like to set this rod on top of a bucket close to where I am using a jigging rod.

Many times the jigging rod will attract the fish in close but it will refuse to bite the jig but will then go to the dead stick and bite that rig.

Cliff

[eyeguy 54]

A few different ways to dead stick. Mostly I just use a red hook, small split shot about a foot above the hook and a slip bobber small enough so the minnow can just barely pull it down a little if it gets excited. The key is to keep the minnow lively. Some like a rod with a soft tip and no bobber. Set the rod on a bucket and watch the tip as you jig close by in another hole. Jigs can be used also instead of a small hook. I know I will have a gold Angle Eye or Gem n Eye down under a bobber next week up on Winny.  

[Tom Sawyer]

14 hours ago, IceHawk said:

I personally haven't  tried the power bait minnow heads. Sure they would work and hopefully someone chimes in with the success they have had with them.  

Berkley Gulp minnow heads work great! Adds more scent in the water column, color, and are very durable. I fish fast, and out in the elements 90% of the time, ice trolling, so not having to worry about my bait coming off is a huge plus. Northland Impulse Perch Eyes also work well with even more color choices. Custom tied trebles, and altering a spoons performance has also helped me ice a few more eyes, especially when they get pressured.

Think outside of the box when tipping spoons; many panfish sized plastics will trip a walleyes trigger when all else fails. Also consider the spoons action, not all spoons are created equal. For good reason, each have unique actions and sounds.

[monstermoose78]

Tips for walleyes are here thanks too all the St. Cloud boys!!