So I am pretty big into ice fishing and can catch a lot of gills but that’s the problem, when ever I drop down the hole I all ways catch gill even if I am using a spoon or a minnow imitation. So I just really wanna know how to catch walleye in my local lakes without using a gps. Like early ice to late ice I just wanna know how to catch them. I have been trying to learn for like 2 years with no success please help. (Sorry if I am being needy)
Zach, jump on youtube and watch IDO, Lindy Fish ed, Tom Boley, Uncut angling, also check out targetwalleye.com for reading material. Good luck!
Thanks I watch IDO and Aaron Weibe but they use gps which I do not have, but thank you for the targetwalleye tip, means a lot!
If I had magic powers I would turn all those gills into walters-if that happened you would quickly gain confidence-watch the vids and go to a lake with great numbers or enjoy and be thankful with what your lake is giving you. My 2 cents.
(BTW I have not caught a Walter all winter, but I still have had fun!)
Do you have a smart phone? I use Fish ID and it works great for maps/gps
The most important part about catching a walleye is to be on water with a lot of them.
Zach where are you located?
Navionics App for your phone will get you started. Also use the DNR Lakefinder site and look up the lakes you want to fish and see if they have walleye in their fish survey. It’s a very useful tool when looking for new lakes/species to fish.
When you look at survey data don’t be too awed by how many dang fingerlings they put in the lake-you are not fishing for fingerlings! I would want to see 10 or more fish per set-The report may say that the lake is on par for lakes in the area or ahead of schedule for management goals, blah, blah blah-10 or more per set or skip the lake. Are their people on this site who can go to a lake like Forest, Bald Eagle or White Bear and consistently get walleyes because they have the spot on the spot dialed in-yep but they have put in some serious time in open water and on ice-those guys are not getting limits consistently either. Some of those lakes esp. now you do everything right and you have a 20 min window.
Good Luck
When you look at survey data don’t be too awed by how many dang fingerlings they put in the lake-you are not fishing for fingerlings! I would want to see 10 or more fish per set-The report may say that the lake is on par for lakes in the area or ahead of schedule for management goals, blah, blah blah-10 or more per set or skip the lake. Are their people on this site who can go to a lake like Forest, Bald Eagle or White Bear and consistently get walleyes because they have the spot on the spot dialed in-yep but they have put in some serious time in open water and on ice-those guys are not getting limits consistently either. Some of those lakes esp. now you do everything right and you have a 20 min window.
Good Luck
Good point. I rarely look at the stocking data. I’m more interested in the size structure of the types of fish I’m planning on targeting. But you also have to look at the date when the last survey was done.
So I am pretty big into ice fishing and can catch a lot of gills but that’s the problem, when ever I drop down the hole I all ways catch gill even if I am using a spoon or a minnow imitation. So I just really wanna know how to catch walleye in my local lakes without using a gps. Like early ice to late ice I just wanna know how to catch them. I have been trying to learn for like 2 years with no success please help. (Sorry if I am being needy)
Maybe there are no walleye in the lake? Hmm..
Sounds like your a heck of a gill fisher person. Every time you drop down the hole you always catch one. That’s pretty darn good!
Try different structure. Navionics app or similar.
I am not the greatest walleye fisherman out there. I would say that I am not even a good walleye fisherman. But when I look to fish walleyes, I go to the Mn DNR Lake Finder and look up the lake I would like to fish.
I take the total lake area and divide it by the total walleyes (all gear combinations) and come up with number, Acres per Walleye.
Mille Lacs has a “A/W” Number of about 70. The DNR will tell you that you need somewhere between 2 to 5 acres to support one good sized walleye. There are some small lakes in my area that have a “A/W” Number of about 8. I try to pick a lake with a number of about 30, that gives me a pretty good chance of finding a walleye.
Some of the lakes in my area have NO walleyes and others have numbers close to 200. I would surely eliminate those.
Here is a place to start.
Start here.
Study the lake you fish,
Then watch this video
I touch on some tips and show what I look for when trying to find these mid-winter walleye. Download the navionics app on your phone, or look it on your computer for free.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Zach Ricciardi wrote:</div>
So I am pretty big into ice fishing and can catch a lot of gills but that’s the problem, when ever I drop down the hole I all ways catch gill even if I am using a spoon or a minnow imitation. So I just really wanna know how to catch walleye in my local lakes without using a gps. Like early ice to late ice I just wanna know how to catch them. I have been trying to learn for like 2 years with no success please help. (Sorry if I am being needy)Maybe there are no walleye in the lake? Hmm..
Sounds like your a heck of a gill fisher person. Every time you drop down the hole you always catch one. That’s pretty darn good!
Well…yes, the first question that needs to be answered is if/what the walleye population is in the waters being fished. And secondly, and more telling is always catching bluegills.
Obviously that’s not the prime area to catch walleyes as they rarely frequent the same areas.
Furthermore, GPS is not required to find likely walleye areas as generations of folks have found them prior to GPS.
Not wrong to ask on this forum, but it might be better to circle back to the region being fished and check with local bait shops as to the lake you’re fishing or other nearby lakes about walleye opportunities.
Thanks I watch IDO and Aaron Weibe but they use gps which I do not have, but thank you for the targetwalleye tip, meayns a lot!
Sounds like your starting to learn what you don’t have that will help you…
Twin cities area so I have a lot of options
Thanks everyone for your help so far it really does mean a lot to me
Reading is in your favor for figuring out walleyes. Read old articles all the way to new ones. See what blends in between the 2.
There is so much out there right now that is a “must have”. And by the time you go buy that product, itll be old news and the next best bait is out. I like to use basic techniques for my walleyes. Especially if they are metro and the surrounding area.
Old in fisherman magazines and tons of others have really good information. But if your fishing metro, I’d be out in my spot from 4 to 7 and that’s it. I wouldn’t waste much more time then that. And I also wouldn’t expect to crush them. There is a few hidden gems around the area but they are typically kept real quiet
I take the total lake area and divide it by the total <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleyes (all gear combinations) and come up with number, Acres per Walleye.
Mille Lacs has a “A/W” Number of about 70. The DNR will tell you that you need somewhere between 2 to 5 acres to support one good sized walleye. There are some small lakes in my area that have a “A/W” Number of about 8. I try to pick a lake with a number of about 30, that gives me a pretty good chance of finding a walleye.
Some of the lakes in my area have NO <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleyes and others have numbers close to 200. I would surely eliminate those.
Here is a place to start.
This is interesting, but I’m not sure I fully buy into is as a primary determining factor. What’s the “sweet spot” in your opinion? Obviously its not just the bigger the number, the better.
Maybe a piece of the puzzle to consider, but needs further context.
For example I got very similar numbers for White Bear Lake and Mille Lacs and we all know where you’re more likely to catch walleye.
I don’t fish in the metro but if I did, it would be at night for walleye. Plain hook, minnow and a splitshot to keep it down. A lot of pressure coupled with invasives keeping the water really clear make it a challenge no doubt. If you really want to ice walleyes go to UPRL early ice to get your blood pumping. Anybody who can hold a pole will catch eyes up there. They usually have walkable ice early December. Or hit LOW after March 1st.
I will not be targeting them until April on P4. With all this snow, I will be lucky to be on skinny water early this year.
Feel free to message me if you want to get out April thru June on P4 and I can take you out. Not ice fishing but walleyes….I just hope it will be a slow melt this year!
I will not be targeting them until April on P4. With all this snow, I will be lucky to be on skinny water early this year.
Feel free to message me if you want to get out April thru June on P4 and I can take you out. Not <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing but walleyes….I just hope it will be a slow melt this year!
I will be there quite often as well playing dirty bumper boats. If we bump into each other (literally) feel free to say hi
What’s lake walleye fishing ? I’ve never been a lake guy, except Lake Michigan. Have no trouble finding walleye for the fry pan in the big muddy river. Had sauger for lunch yesterday, caught the day before, in 42’ of main channel water. 18” of ice. Jiggin Raps tipped with a minnow head, 6”-12” off the bottom.
What’s lake walleye fishing ? I’ve never been a lake guy, except Lake Michigan. Have no trouble finding walleye for the fry pan in the big muddy river. Had sauger for lunch yesterday, caught the day before, in 42’ of main channel water. 18” of ice. Jiggin Raps tipped with a minnow head, 6”-12” off the bottom.
Sweet. But pretty sure he was asking how to learn. Not on how many you catch.
Are you fishing lakes that have good walleye populations? Or even fair walleye populations?
You don’t NEED a GPS or phone app to catch walleyes. Sure it can cut your time looking for the spot a bit, but many many walleyes were caught through the ice before GPS became common. Get a paper map of your lake and learn to read it. Then drill holes till you find the spot.
Overall look for structure like humps, rock bars, and weedlines. Some lakes flats can be good too… usually lakes with higher walleye densities seem like better lakes to fish flats.
Then it’s just like any other fish. Drill holes in different depths until you figure out where the fish are. I’d always jig but if you can use multiple lines send a minnow down on a tip up or 2. It will let you cover more depths and increase your odds of catching.
In my experience on most inland northern WI lakes, the winter bite is going to be mainly early morning and late afternoon and sometimes during the night if you like to stay out. Mid day is probably possible… but it’s going to ttpically be tougher.
If you really want some practice catching walleyes, go somewhere like Upper Red Lake. I went for the 1st time this December and was pretty impressed by the number of fish there. And they bit all day long too.
On other lakes that aren’t fantastic walleye waters, don’t be surprised if a good afternoon only gives you 2 or 3 bites in the hour before and hour after sunset.
Tucker
Curleytail,
How do I know if there are rocks on the bottom with my flasher, I know that green is a weak signal, yellow is moderately strong, and red is strong. So would I just look to see if the bottom is red? And how would I tell if there is a weed line? Sorry I don’t really know how to tell what is happening below me while ice fishing.
Thank you so much for responding, it means a lot, good luck
-Zach
I’d also suggest watching some videos on reading your flasher but basically yes. Rock or gravel would return a strong red signal and very possibly a 2nd echo at double the real depth if your depth range is set deep enough.
But check your map for areas marked as having rock to begin with. Drop down a heavy depthfinder and drop it to bottom on a tight line. You can feel it hit rocks with a more distinct thud than if the bottom was soft.
For standing weeds they’ll look like thin green lines above the stronger bottom signal. When in doubt put something on with treble hooks and see if you can snag a weed.
Thank you so much it really means a lot
I’d find a little network of primarily catch and release walleye anglers and go fishing with them. Catch and release folks are more likely to share spots and those who catch and keep.
Off the top of my head, I’ll rattle off a few tips that have been useful:
Number one most important is fishing the top or the bottom of the break, rarely in between on the steepest part. What I mean by that is find a breakline that runs from 16-22 feet and try 22 during the day and 16 during low-light “prime time” periods.
Bigger is rarely better. Don’t be afraid to step down lure sizes.
Faster is rarely better. If finicky walleyes are getting spooked, try being subtle. Slow and/or shorten the lift portion of your Jigging motion. Watch videos to see how they do it.
If the mark comes up and looks at your bait multiple times, something is off and you should quickly try something else. Walleyes are known to “yo-yo”, or come up and look and go back down, and repeat.
Often, an approaching walleye can be triggered by slowly lifting the bait and shaking it. This can be just 6-12″. Rarely have I caught a walleye by Jigging a spoon right in it’s face. Jig to attract, and when they come, basically vibrate the bait and slowly raise it up. They’ll often kick it into gear and whack it.
Also, match the hatch. Perch is a huge forage for northern walleyes, as are tullibee minnows and baby bluegill. Speaking of bluegill, you know how to find those. Next time you’re out fishing gills, try some walleye spoons right at the top of the sharpest break you can find near your bluegill school at dusk and an hour into dark. Get a LED headlamp, preferable one with a dim red light setting. Those walleyes will come up from deep water and feed on those very same bluegills on some lakes at dusk/dawn.
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