Icing 'Eyes

[Guest]

Just trying to get things warmed up here on the list for the upcoming hard water season.... I was wondering what were readers favorite early season techniques for icing walleyes on the Red. My own favorite ice opener is to find structure with nearby access to deeper water. Whistler jigs (chart, orange or any combination of the latter two) tipped with a bigger chub seems to be most effective. I'll also move quite a bit with regard to depths and won't fish slowly.... l'll fish rather quickly. What's your favorite method to ice early walleyes?
It won't be too long now................

[Guest]

You can ice fish the Red?

I live in Moorhead and I have seen snowmobilers drive on the Red a lot. I thought they were nuts. I have NEVER seen someone ice fishing! Is it any good around my area? Any tips? I also heard that the water clears up a lot in the winter...is this true too?
Thanks

[Lip RIPPER!]

CD,
A bunch of us fish the Red River from Thief River Falls to Crookston in the winter and fishing can be good. Last year is as good as it has been in years. During the early ice season, 8-10 pounders are very possible if you know what you are doing. Good numbers of crappies, walleyes, and pike. Hopefully, we are on the river before Thanksgiving. Jigging spoons tipped with minnow heads work well. Give it a try sometime.

[Guest]

Lip Ripper,
Are you talking about the Red LAKE River that runs in the Crookston-Thief areas? Not the actual Red River that borders ND/MN? What kind of structure do you pinpoint?

Have you ever fished the Red River for eyes?

[Guest]

Some of the more popular spots ice fished on the Red of the north are: 1) just at the neck down after the locks at lockport 2) The area from Lower Fort Garry to Dubois Marine specialties 3) the hydro line reef across from the Selkirk golf course 4) the sugar island area. All of these locations have been very productive over the years. I have personally caught some very large walleye, saugers, and even pike at these locations.

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Dan Kiazyk
Cat Eye Outfitter
http://www.geocities.com/dkiazyk2000
[email protected]

[Lip RIPPER!]

CD, yes I am talking about the Red Lake River. Sorry for the confusion. As soon as the water freezes here the walleyes seem to try and get out of the heavier current and get into back water areas. There are hundreds of places where this happens but unfortunately they all don't hold fish. These fish will hold in 3-4 feet of water sometimes. When the fish show up on the vex you better be hanging on because they are quite aggressive. I haven't spent much time on the Red River to answer your other question

[Guest]

A very interesting reply to my question received recently. I am particularly interested in the baits that this angler suggests for the Red (I wonder what colors he has in mind?) Dan

move from spot to spot... drill 6-8 holes...usually on a break to deep water... best depth for me last 5 years has been 17'-21'... have a few spots like this with with big boulders in front of to break the flow... 1/2 oz silver or gold pimples ... the hooks changed to excaliburs just wrap the salted minnow around all 3 hooks... could not fish without my flasher... jig fairly fast with a rhythm... see the fish on the flasher and do what it takes to make them bite... last clear water winter my 2 biggest fish were 6' and 10' off bottom chasing bait... off the break over 30'... the key is move move move until you find them ... since changing to excaliburs 3 years ago have only knocked one big fish off at the hole... oh also northland buckshot rattle spoons are hot...if i deadstick it is with a 1/4 oz hawger 2000 back hooked live minnow... will be testing the new lindy rattlers this year ... you can feel the distinct action of these spoons down 20' so will be interesting to see the response... if only they had some decent colors in them for the red... will have to bring out the spray can again... good luck to everyone and let the big ones go

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Dan Kiazyk
Cat Eye Outfitter
http://www.geocities.com/dkiazyk2000
[email protected]

[Guest]

hey dan
thanks for transferring my reply from fishing manitoba... noticed you had the same question on here after i had replied...
did not feel like retyping as am busy with a hockey tourney this weekend....
will address your colour ? this week...
hello B/E i had to buy a new puter to get back on line...
spooled up the ice rods this am...
can't wait for the fun to begin...
later..... have to go do the eye fry for the tourney....

[Guest]

I personally have had considerable luck with the charts. and charts/red and silver. Fireballs and whistlers have been good as have crippled minnows and old style pilkis (no longer available). I find that size is to a great extent influenced by current.... I've got another query as to how to avoid using a heavier jig when using your flasher... I find the current pushes the bait too far out of the cone and I only get a seconds notice to an interested fish...anyone?

------------------
Dan Kiazyk
Cat Eye Outfitter
http://www.geocities.com/dkiazyk2000
[email protected]

[Guest]

dan
i agree with your colors, but would surely add orange and gold... i also still have a supply of blue fox stick on glow tape that i doctor all silver or gold spoons with..
lindy rattlr spoons do not have any orange spoons as of yet so out comes the paint to even just do the outside edges... i like the northland buckshot spoon in orange/gold
i remember 15 years ago that you would always pick up fish with this color of jigging rap also... a bite that recently seems to be no longer an option ? seeing last winter was such a wash on the river
i am interested to try the wider profile jigger shad if the stores here ever get some in... Boris ? ...
also the only time that I have fished a jig
in the last 3 years is when the current picks up in march... just so i can keep a 3/4 - 1 oz in the narrow cone of my flasher...
if you have trouble keeping a reading i hope it isnt because you use a floating transducer... seems like a good idea for lake fisherman but i could never use on the red... my flasher is on an old blue box and even with a 1/2 oz pimple i have to tune to the lure which means ignoring the bubble level mounted on the top of the transducer and zeroing in on my bait... this is no problem until the ice gets over 2' thick...
then i may go up to 3/4oz pimple to keep it in the cone where i can get a proper return signal... i do use crippled herring spoons like you mentioned but only because the all lead body is easier to pick up on the flasher and also give them a good bend
to change the action on the drop... also have some bent up old pilkies that rarely see action... your last comment are you talking about a seconds notice before they bite (good) or a seconds notice before they leave (bad fish)... the majority of the time if they stop you can usually get them to bite... i typically do this... spoon a foot to 18" off bottom.. fish stops to look
first i give a jiggle pause,then 1' hop and hold on its nose... if they stay after this first move you have him, this is when leavers leave... still there slowly up a foot... still looking jiggle nothing ? back slowly to its nose, jiggle slowly lift , now he's yours 1' up slowly, see he's coming give it back to him slow and he,s got it your line is slack , he yours, excaliburs rarely miss... do what it takes to keep the lure in your cone or take your flasher home..or go up by breezy bend looking for slower water... i am sure this is nothing new to you but it may help others, keep up the good work on your web page...

[Guest]

Try the Salmo Chubby darter and the Nils Master Jigging Shads this winter. They come in colors that will please you Manitoba boys too.

The Nils Jigging Shads work better in difficult current situations.

The New Baby Shads should be on the shelf this season as are the New Baby Chubbys.

Both are great river jigs!

SALMO www.salmo.com.pl

Nils Master

http://www.nilsmaster.com/Products.asp]

Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson
Backwater Guiding Service
10409 Co. Rd #17 S
Horace, ND. 58047

[email protected]

1-(701)-281-2300

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 11-12-2001).]

[Guest]

B/E i will try if the stores up here get some in... tried jigger shads on the rideau canal for bluegills 2 winters ago and they worked ok... just did not pick up any spares at the time as i figured would get some here... i don't know how the chubby darters will hold in the current ... look very good for lake situations and am surprised that nobody is mentioning them for lakers especially in no bait zones like whitefish bay... would also give them a shot at whitemouth lake... also do not know what kind of signal they will return to a flasher... could always but a marker above i guess.... have been to the web site before and did not pick out any place to order them and gary snyder and jig-a-whopper do not seem to have a web site... the boys here say they are going to get some by the end of the month... but i will wait and see...

[Guest]

You could always pop across the border to Grand Forks and stock up on the Salmo's and the Nils shads at Cabelas. Mail order may be cheaper?

The Chubby and the Jigging shads show up well on a Vexilar flasher, but remember they have a big "KICK" and will shoot out of the cone when jigged aggressively.

I did some snooping today and found a stash of Nils Masters in blue/white and light orange/green at a store near me. They had about a dozen hidden in a summer clearance bin marked $3.25 while the new shelved ones were $6.00. I could grab the Blue/white's if you need them.

Blue/White and the glow tiger perch Nils Jigging Shads have consistently been the hot ticket on rivers for me. Always tip them on the rear single hook in current, if you tip them at all.

You are right the Chubbys are better lake and slack water piggy thumpers, but they do work well in slow to moderate current for beating the silt. One thing to remember about the Chubby is don't be afraid to use them way high off the bottom! I have seen walleye, pike, and big perch rise up 17' to hit them with a vengeance. They are piggy callers man. I bet they would do a number on Lake trout too?

[Guest]

B/E thanks for the offer.
how many do you want to part with... any of the glow tigers?
everytime i do ebay or mail order i get robbed... lets see... 6$ us equals 10$can plus 15% duty and 7% gst 11.25$ each or so
oh also cabela's shipping...
i will make the rounds this week and see what's what... would you think anyone has used chubby's for lakers and not be telling ? what are they selling for? have not found them on any web sites?

[Scoot]

Ed,

A couple of the earlier posts remind me of a conversation we had last year. You had suggested the slack water below the VA might be a good place to key on walleyes through the ice, but when I tried to get access to it I failed miserably because the VA has fenced off the entire riverside there. When you fished there were you getting down by snowmobile or did you just walk down? I could access it through the Moorhead side, but that would be a long hike through the entire Moorhead Country Club- I'd probably not be welcome and it would be too far anyway. Anyway, any suggestions about how to get down there?
Did I ever mention to you that I went through the Red last year trying fish eyes on the Red in Fargo? You had said that I'd get better at IDing bad ice with practice, well I learned a lesson that day. I did have a rope around my waiste and my buddy hauled me out in a hurry... A tip for all of you out there, if you are dumb enough to fall through the river in the middle of the winter (like me), be smart and go home- It may look like it's a good idea to then fish through the hole that you made by falling in, but it's not. You'll probably get frostbite!
Scoot

[Jim W]

Hey Ed!
There was a field rep for Salmo in Rochester, giving demos on the Jig-o-whopper!
Look nice, yet expensive...$6.99!!
PArt of their proceeds are going to the RedCross!
I informed him of this website and told him to get in touch with Rick! MAybe we can get that price down a tad for FM.COM members eh?
Jim W

[Guest]

Rule #1 on river ice, it is NEVER EVER SAFE!

I hesitate in recommending any spots on river for ice fishing just because of what happened to you, I don't need that on my mind the rest of my life Eh.

IF you do wonder the rivers on the ice be smart and do the rope thing and have a companion there at all times. No fish is worth loosing your life over man, be smart and careful!

The smaller tribs of the Red may be a good bet early on as the ice begins to form on backwaters and oxbows. There will be lots of walleye in the tribs yet and in close to shore at dusk. The first breaking edge that slopes up to a snag producing a sheltered area will hold baitfish and walleye. Snags mean food. Stay the heck away from the channel!!!!!!

Most of my best early ice walleye come in 5' or less of water right on the shoreline.

Don't get suckered into thinking they are all in the "Hole", active fish are not.

Be Safe folks!

Backwater Eddy..........><,,>

[Guest]

Jim were they displaying the little New little chubby?

This will be a hot lure this season I predict!

The big chubby is a great piggy hunter but there are times when the smaller size will be the real deal, especially for Sumo perch.

Who would have guessed, size matters when it comes to Chubbys!

I just couldn't resist that, sorry.

[Jim W]

First time seeing them personally. The guy claimed they were all new. He had all sizes that I recall. I really like the looks of them! I agree, I think they would really cause some problems for hungry perch!!

I need to fish with you one of these days!

You fish all winter don't you?

Jim W

[Guest]

Jim I have had the chubbys for over 2 years and they are great! I am fortunate to be working with Salmo, they are great folks with a ear for angler feedback.

Look for Salmo to bring many more great baits into the US market very soon. They make some awesome walleye, pike, & muskie cranks.

Two models I would recommend trying off hand as I have been field testing them this past year with good luck are the Whitefish with the metal lip (sumo piggy bait), and the Bullhead deep and shallow runners. The Sting and the Salmo minnow are two more great baits worth a test.

They have a better line of cranks in many ways then Rapala I am quickly finding. For quality and detail they are very tough to match.

[Guest]

--- Response to another post a bit delayed --
Yup Ed's right on the money, especially this fall with the mild weather we've been having up north. It's going to be a while before we get out on the river. But there's no problem with taking the boat out to do a bit of scouting and GPS work --- this really speeds up the process when you are fishing with a purpose. I'm not sure why but I've only caught the odd nice walleye into November but not much later than that (the Winnipeg river is different). I guess it's because I've never put much time in on the river in November. I'm usually looking at ice conditions no earlier than the second week in December (on the Red/north). In general it is a time of transition with ice far too thin to allow for anything ---- especially foot travel! When I first go out I'll wear the float suit and I'll carry my safety spikes around my neck (easier to get at if you do go in!). There's always time to catch fish later....................

[This message has been edited by dkiazyk (edited 11-14-2001).]

[Jim W]

Hey ed,
Looks like I should have made plans to fish with you this weekend eh? Tooooo NIce out!!!!!!!!!

Jim W

[Guest]

Fishing is hit and miss but the weather is hard to beat Jim.

I just got in from a look about and found few fish were I was looking, poor choice of locations I suspect, but I was scouting and that is the way scouting often is.

Very hard to think it is the middle of November when I had a light coat on all evening and that was too warm.

It will change soon the way they talk, next week it will be cool again.

Enjoy it while lasts boys and girls.