Tips and techniques for walleye

[Fish-on2]

Hello LOU! This is my first post. Anyways I'm new to ice-fishing and wanted to see if I could get some tips and techniques on ice fishing for walleye. I live close to the Whitney point reservoir and that's where I would be doing most of my ice fishing. Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Xxx]

Good luck there fish on 2 The salmon and trout guys will help you out, with practily anything, maybe even bring one to your house, but on the other hand the walleye guys on here are as tight lipped as a frogs ass!!!

[Fish-on2]

Guess I will just have to do some of my own experimenting! thanks for the reply

[jayjay]

I mostly catch eyes on jigging rapala..silver and black medium or large size...usually do better early a.m. 4:00 till a little after sun up

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[John Kelley]

Walleyes are always an early morning and dusk bite. I would use a couple of different style jigging lures until you get them dialed in. My favorites are Jigging raps in bright colors, tipped with minnow head on the treble hook. Salmo Darters are also good search lures for walleyes(No minnow heads on these). I always go back and forth between those style(swimming lures), and rattle jigging spoons(also tipped with a minnow head. On my tip-ups I use Glow color "Weasel" spoons with shiner minnows. I hook the treble through the shiner's dorsal fin and let the spoon be the weight. Set your tip-ups about 6" from the bottom. Look for sharp break-lines in depth, distinct weed edges, or an abrupt end of a point. I also like areas that have a very distinct bottom transition:from from gravel to large rocks, or muck to clay, for example. A good Vexilar, or similar three color flasher unit will be your best search tool for jigging up some 'eyes! Good luck

[Sk8man]

John is on target with his info and don't rule out fishing for them right after dark or just before. Walleyes are usually very "skiddish" and "fussy" you really have to mess with them most of the time when you spot them on the Vexilar . Guys with cameras have repeatedly noted that they often come right up to a lure or bait or jig and just look it over and then turn away and move out and you'd never know they were there. You don't want any "swiveling" around and around of your lure either. They often prefer horizontal jigs (such as the miniature Rapalas etc.) rather than vertical ones. Like most of the perch and pike family they often seem to display a preference for the chartreuse range (yellow through green) lures but obviously hit other stuff as well. Their eyes are VERY light sensitive so if the ice is very clear (e.g. when it first forms and or is thin) look for any spots that have snow cover and fish from it at the edges. Good luck.

P.S.Pap seems to be right about most of the eye fishermen and secrecy

[Fish-on2]

Thanks so much for the thorough information! Hope to get back out there soon and try for some eyes. I'm not sure how whitney point is for walleyes but i might try sandy pond here soon also. I'll let you guys know how it goes!

[Fish Hunter]

When jigging with not only Rapalas, we also use Kastmasters, and good 'ol Swedish Pimples as well.

All tipped with minnow heads, or tails.

I like to "dead stick" in the second hole, and have grabbed some slobs doing just that, on Oneida, especially towards the last part of the season.

Hopefully we will get some good, safe, ice, with this cold coming in.

[Xxx]

WOW, they really do exist, Walleye fishermen willing to share info, THANKX guys, now this is hard water fishing let's see how talketive they will be on the first Saturday of may?

[John Kelley]

Oh yeah, and to expand on what Sk8man was saying about the finicky thing, they often do come up to investigate and just leave, and that is very frustrating. A trick I like to do when they are doing this is pump the lure up a couple times hard, until you see the mark materialize on the screen below your lure. At this point I will just hold my arm in one place and make it shake or quiver. This imparts tiny, erratic movements to the lure that will often times make the neutral acting walleye bite your offering. As soon as you feel the slightest tap, set the hook hard. These bites are usually very soft, and you have to really be paying attention. When the fish are actively feeding, you will know, because they will slam your lure! See, there are some good walleye guys here that will help out.

[Sk8man]

As far as the first day of the walleye season in May....be real careful on the ice

[GAMBLER]

Buy an underwater camera and you will learn a ton about walleye behavior. I have learned a ton from watching them on camera. You will get 5 lookers for every one eater. When you get one to the jig, wiggle the rod tip side to side very slightly and slowly lift while you are doing it. They will chase it up and hit it.

[Fish Hunter]

Usually, if you can get them to follow it up, you can get them to take it.

[CHAMP99B]

Back in the later 60's and early 70's....on Conesus Lake,before the lake got totally ruin from stocking trout,and some "idoit" putting alewives into the lake....you couldn't ask for a better fishing lake for perch and walleye....the others guys were right about the swedish pimples and no.5-7 jigging rap alas....may friends and i used a lure called a "scandinavian jig" w/a no.8 treble tipped with a big perch eye....early before sunrise at the south end of the lake (cottonwood area) we would find the drop off from 15'-to 60'....drill a dozen of holes in a circle put the latern in the middle....and using a 5' very ultra light rod...let jig on bottom then flipping the lure up 2-3' dropping on the bottom....any ol' timer will tell you how productive this method is....then we would move up north and fish the big jack perch the same way.....the fishing was fantastic....you can look these lures up at the scandinavian jig site,there in sweden.....the 1/4 oz worked wonders and we won many boy scout fishing derbys with this lure...if any body new bob's bait shop at the north end of the lake....he used to sell them...god he rest in peace now,he was a wonderful man....good luck guys...just thought i'd pass a little info out.....

[CHAMP99B]

Just to mention another hot lure was the "luh-jon" jig.....tipped with a big perch eye....excellent walleye killer ....very hard to find anymore....there is nothin better than a big yellow perch eye under these lures....try it......and for you younger guys , michigan wigglers were no.#1 bait yrs ago....along with the oak leaf grub.....there this will either confuse you.....or help you....lol good fishing