Ice Fishing Walleye Tip Up/Jigging

I currently fish Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin. Lake Monona is pretty pressured during open and hard water season but mostly for panfish. I am having some difficulty catching the Walleye that I know are present in the lake. I have tried fishing a U-Shaped feeding path (8-10 feet) into one of the shallow bays (5-10 feet) that is home to bluegills, Crappie, Perch and Bass. I remembering from a lot of the YouTube videos and IDO episodes that fishing flats can be pretty effective for Walleye fishing with both Tip Ups and jigging. However I do not remember how deep they were fishing on those flats and if they were fishing along breaklines. I have used everything from Black-Tailed Chubs, Shiners, Tuffies and Walleye suckers. I have tried jigging with rattle spoons and minnow heads. Not sure what else to do. Looking for a little direction.

Have you tried anything really shallow or more staying in the 8-10 ft? I’ve been fishing in the northern part of the state and the bite for us has been like 3-5 feet by cabbage and coontail.

TK,
To be honest I haven’t because of all the pressure in those cabbage areas (3-5 feet) for panfish. However I have been able to pluck some nice perch here and there from the shallower water. I was hoping to catch the eyes coming into those areas later at night but haven’t had much luck. When you are setting up shallow how far do you position your bait from the bottom? Any specific setup in mind? I have pretty much everything for tip ups and jigging.

Yeah I don’t blame you I go to school in Madison and I see all the pressure out there. We basically try go get as close to the weeds as possible and set up a tipup shaft length off the bottom, but making sure to feel around with the depth finder to search for snags. Should we hit anything we just set up another 6 inches or a foot. We usually get to our spots like 3 hours before darkness sets in and it seems like wherever we get perch flags during the day is a legit spot for eyes. Light fluorocarbon line (6 or 8 pound) with either a single hook or a treble hook with one of the trebles cut off to look like a frog hook has been working well for me. I know it sounds stupid but I swear by single or double hook when they get finicky on the bite.

I’m not a Lake Monona expert, but maybe they’re not feeding there? Unless you’re getting some indication of walleyes I’d try a different spot. I know the “secret” walleye bite I found in an anonymous Lake Monona bay was about two weeks long and was dead by January.

In Lake Monona, walleye move shallow at night during late fall and early winter. Lots of dudes get them casting cranks from shore. I think they stick around for first ice and then move out to the main basin. Good luck.

Champs,

I appreciate the input. When you talk about the main basin where are you referring? Are you talking about the deep water or the flats before the breaklines leading to the deeper water? I guessing I am really asking about depth which would determine whether I jig only or am able to tip up as well.

I could be that the walleyes are feeding at night. Some bodies of water are pestered enough during the day that walleyes will fall back into a nocturnal type of mode and too perhaps the primary walleye forage might be of nocturnal fancy too. Try to start fishing at 5:30 in the afternoon and stay until 11.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

It could be that the walleyes are feeding at night. Some bodies of water are pestered enough during the day that walleyes will fall back into a nocturnal type of mode and too perhaps the primary walleye forage might be of nocturnal fancy too. Try to start fishing at 5:30 in the afternoon and stay until 11.

TS,
I would definitely fish until 11:00PM if I didn’t have kids or a full-time job. Don’t forget my wife who needs time in between. With that said I will definitely try fishing until 9:00PM. Do you think I should still stay up in the U-Shaped path with my tip ups or should I go to the flats (basin?)? I want to stay close to home which is on the shallow bay but I will walk a mile if I have to.

I will definitely try the single or frog hook. I know where I have been catching perch so I will try to post on that site and see if that helps. What kind of bait do recommend? I work a couple days a month at a bait and tackle shop (outside my hospital job) so I can get almost anything. I do not think I have been using that light of fluorocarbon but I will definitely get some.

They could be anywhere. I know guys that have got them fishing in 20 fow next to the mid-lake rock bars. I know guys who have pulled them out of 50 fow fishing for perch in the middle of nowhere. They associate with the shallow weedy areas leading up to first ice, but I think they spread out into the lake as winter wears on.

The key to our success was fishing within a couple feet of of a weed line and fishing at night. We were in 7-8 feet of water.

I’m sure somebody has got them figured out in January and February-but that dude ain’t me. I live too far away and have too many kids to put that kind of time in.

Champs,

I got it. Mix it up until you find them. I figured the eyes would disperse like you are thinking. I am going to try the basin this weekend. Then move out to deeper water. I will report back with updates. Saturday night. I just got a underwater Marcum to utilize I my search of the eyes. I will put it to the test.

Champs,

I got it. Mix it up until you find them. I figured the eyes would disperse like you are thinking. I am going to try the basin this weekend. Then move out to deeper water. I will report back with updates. Saturday night. I just got a underwater Marcum camera to utilize I my search of the eyes. I will put it to the test.

Sorry for the belated response. So I tip-up and jigged just off the edge of a rock pile which leads out to a flats like basin on Lake Monona. I would like to say I was successful but it wasn’t the case. I spread the tip-ups out starting at 7ft to 12ft of water. I jigged along the edge of the rock pile and just beyond. I used rattle spoons, flash champs, and jigs with minnow heads and spikes. I obviously could not move around that much b/c of the tip-ups. I am going to leave the tip-ups home this week and just jig in the morning and evening in deeper water. Not sure what else to try. Having a hard time recognizing bait on my Marcum. Any ideas?