I fished Shields on Weds. afternoon. Ice was thin! 3-4 inches where I fished, but rumbling and thickening. I was fishing for walleyes only and got into them good. I was alone and there were no other anglers around. I set a tip-up with a fathead in 6 ft of water along a ledge rock area and it got clobbered by a 7-8 lb pike at 3:30 in the afternoon. I caught another pike about 3-4 lbs on the tip-up. Then 2 more, but with each one caught they got smaller. I released all the pike. Meanwhile while not on tip-up duty I was jigging flash spoons, jigging raps, non-glow jigs with and without bait. Around 4:45 pm the walleyes began to hit under my portable in 14 ft. of water (I moved up into 11 ft. as the fish moved along the base of a break). The first walleye was 16″ a good sign. Then a 17″. Then another 16″, then 3 14 inchers. Then I lost another 16″ at the hole….slipped out of my hand. I caught one more 15″ on a tip-up and that was my last fish. The bite came to an abrupt stop around 6:10 pm then I got the last walleye and it was deadsville after 6:30 pm.
The best presentation for me for the walleyes was a non-glow jig (even after dark) with a small shiner minnow….which I ran out of….I thought a dozen would have done it for a 3 hour trip. I was wrong. The fatheads weren’t as appealing to the walleyes. The fish would look at ’em and leave, but the shiners were hit with a good ole’ tap, tap, tap, set, fish on!
I kept 2 15″ and a 16″ (A good limit in my opinion) I let everything else go.
The forecast for Friday warm (don’t get your hopes up) and WINDY. Yes 15-25 mph winds again. I hope the ice holds this time. It would be hell to get stuck out there if it opened up again. Be safe. TGIF
