PM Bite

[lanyard]

Anyone have preferred method for the after sunset bite. Crappies and 'eyes will be target in the SW Metro (riley, waconia, etc.).

Always interested in others ideas, success and failures.

[Matt Johnson]

Here's what I'd do for walleye...

Might want to try either a dead stick approach or throw out a tip-up. I would work a jigging rod as well as a dead stick rod or tip-up for the 'eyes. Find a decent piece of structure where you feel walleyes will be relating, then put a tip-up on the shallow(er) portion and then work the deeper sections with your jigging rod. Punch a bunch of holes along the deeper parts and keep hole hopping until you find fish.

The tip-up is going to help you determine when the fish move up shallow to feed, while the deeper areas will give you the opportunity to intercept them while moving up towards their twilight feeding locations.

I would also punch several holes in shallow by where you put the tip-up as well, this way you can head up shallow once the fish move in and you won't have to punch any holes and chance spooking the fish. If you start catching fish on the tip-up then you can focus in those areas. It basically allows you to cover more ice and depths, determining when and where the fish are utilizing what. Some days you won't have to even bother with fishing deeper water once the sun starts to drop, but other days you have no choice and the only productive areas are over those deeper structure spots and flats.

I put tip-ups shallower for a couple of reasons. One, you won't have to worry as much about the "noise factor" in shallower water because you won't be next to your tip-up. This will allow that area where your tip-up is to be left alone. And two, because it's much easier to work deeper water effectively with a jigging rod rather then with a stationary approach. You can get down quicker and hole hop much easier when going with a jigging approach. Plus setting up a tip-up in shallower water is much easier as well.

This technique seems to work the best for me when targeting 'eyes.

When targeting crappies I usually don't even bother with the 'eyes, but that's just me. I don't feel I can adequately cover both species in one area without being able to focus on one or the other with the jigging rod. I don't feel as if just throwing out a tip-up or dead stick rod is going to really benefit my productivity for Metro walleye, I need to work the jigging rod and stationary rig approach if I intend to seriously target 'eyes. However, this doesn't mean that you can't drop down a minnow a few inches off the bottom on a dead stick for walleye and then work a jigging rod for crappies. That would be an option. And also don't feel as if you can't set out a tip-up for walleye either, because it will catch fish. I just prefer to target one or the other, this way I can focus more on one species and be as effective as possible. But again, that's just me...

But to answer your question, I guess my first choice if I was going to target both would be to throw out a tip-up with a minnow placed about 6 inches off the bottom. Then I would work a jigging rod for crappies. But I'm also a panfish geek You could also reverse that and work a dead stick rod for crappies and then jig for walleyes. An Ice Buster bobber will work well in this situation for the crappies.

A few options out there, but either way you look at it, you're still out on the ice

[lanyard]

Thanks Matt,

If my wife puts kid to bed I could be on the ice by 7:30. If I'm on duty, then I'm looking at 8:00.

Lake Riley is a block from the homestead. My preferred time would be happy hour from about 4-6, but the grindstone and family duty keep me locked until baby goes beddy-bye.

Hope to see more ice this year, thanks for your help!

[korn_fish]

Lanyard -

How late ya talking?? I do a lot of chasing eyes like that. Areas that I like are the tops (not the breaks) of shallow structure, such as a sunken rock bar, island etc. Normally fish dead stick and tip-ups. Every 30 minutes or so I will throw some loud rattle jig down and give it some good rips and shakes, pull it up and put the dead stick back down. Not going to be catching any crappies this way. Just perch and eyes. I'm more of a 6PM to 11PM guy myself.

If im after the crappies and eyes, Ill try to find some deep saddle area and fish that for the crappies and eyes moving through the funnel.

[lanyard]

korn-

you got the time about right. maybe a bit of yours and matt's combined. Riley lacks significant structure. I know waconia a little bit, but never remember to GPS the spots in summer. Can't ever seem to find my spots in winter out there.

[markkstanley]

If you can't get out before 8 then target crappies. I have caught crappies until midnight lots of times. Walleyes will show up on and off all night so deadstick or tipup for them. Some lakes like Minnetonka have another walleye run around 10 to midnight. Riley has always been a pike lake for me but I don't fish it very often.

[fishtank]

Matt, informative as always. This is great info, and just gets my mind buzzin' with ideas. Hope to see you out sometime this winter.