Electronics in Deep water walleye fishing

  • arklite881south
    Posts: 5660
    #1300274

    OK… This might seem to be over emphasized, but if your not versed in utilizing electronics while fishing deep water Walleyes and Pike than spend the time to understand what your seeing!! Trust me if your in 10 fow then most fish are going to notice your presentation, but when fishing a 30-45 foot water column there will be many fish that never see your presentation if your not closely monitoring the action on your flasher. I personally like my gain up as High as I can set it without getting too much interference. Marcums are fantastic for allowing this without clutter. Now the reason in my opinion you want to do this is to detect fish entering your transducer cone from a greater disctance. This allows you maybe a couple precious seconds to get your presentation in front of feeding fish. Many people I fish with lack in this department. Might seem overkill, but trust me timing is everthing when it comes to actively feeding BIG WALLEYES. 3 days ago a 29 inch walleye I iced would never had been caught without this knowledge. If they pass underneath you and your a even a second/couple feet behind a fish swimming away then you likely have just missed any chance to lower the BOOM on a big fish. Keep this in mind, and you will land more and bigger fish. As signals show up weak or flash in and out often times you are marking baitfish that just isnt’ leaving solid signals. I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS get on top of these marks. I’d say 1 in 5 of these marks turn out to be a big pike or walleye just entering into your transducer cone. Ever notice when you race up the water column fish appear?? LIKELY not just by chance. Walleyes and pike are attracted to this movement as it simulates a feeding frenzy. This can and will attract fish from farther distances. Sometimes when I’m not seeing fish I do this over and over. Try it you’ll like it!! You will be right in front of that fish. snap it hard and then slowly rise up the column!! Watch for the reaction based on the strength of the signal on you marcum. Set flags based on where the majority of the baitfish are in the water column. Think it isn’t important?? Think again!! Bring your Marcum out when your setting flags instead of guessing about where you are on flags. Makes a huge difference. Trust me int he winter time as fish want to exert less energy for meals they know where to be looking. They most always will feed up. They swim say 5 feet below baifish to attack from below. This gives them a stealthy approach on baitfish usually undetected. I your 5 feet too low most fish will not notice your presentation unless being snapped around. Think your buddy always gets the lucky hole?? Probably not that likely. The single greatest advancements in the ice fishing industry are chips and flashers. Neither of these do much good if you don’t understand how to maximize their effectiveness. Maybe that means 2 more fish per day… Who knows?? I can tell you this though whenever fish come in at odd depths where the majority of your target average sized fish are roaming the are the BIGGEST BADDEST DOMINATE fish of the area, and without a close eye on your electronics are slipping right through your fingers!! Relate it to the monster bucks. Most deer hunters realize that big bucks often times utilize a seperate trail system close by the heavily used trails. They work these trails and gather scents from the other trail. Big fish don’t really need to utilze bottom structure for safety like a 14 inch walleye does here on Rainy Lake. SO…. There is not much reason to lay low 20 feet away from a lunch!!

    Lastly here’s another tid bit of “What am I seeing” Ever notice a lot of panfish waters show weir signals rising off the bottom at dusk or after dark?? ZOO PLANKTIN Likely those lakes have a very poor night bite also. When I see the zoo planktin appear I pack the bags. They will come in as real weak signals and typically rise a few feet off the bottom.

    Ben Garver
    Hickman, Nebraska
    Posts: 3149
    #744390

    You make some great points Chris. Thanks for the write up.

    John Schultz
    Inactive
    Portage, WI
    Posts: 3309
    #744401

    I’ve been noticing this year that when I get on the ice early and get setup at daybreak, the first time I drop a bait down, the flasher just explodes with marks in the top 15 feet. Only happens while it is still dark or just getting light. Not sure what I’m stirring up, but I had assumed it was some type of plankton. It has happened multiple times this year so I don’t think it was a fluke.

    Once it gets light, doesn’t happen any more.

    arklite881south
    Posts: 5660
    #744406

    Hey mendotaeye,

    Other possibilities are freshwater shrimp. Don’t know if you have them there or not. If Zoo Planktin I bet you have a poor dusk/dark bite on that lake?? Planktin will leave a very week flashing signal.

    scottsteil
    Central MN
    Posts: 3817
    #744438

    Quote:


    I’ve been noticing this year that when I get on the ice early and get setup at daybreak, the first time I drop a bait down, the flasher just explodes with marks in the top 15 feet. Only happens while it is still dark or just getting light. Not sure what I’m stirring up, but I had assumed it was some type of plankton. It has happened multiple times this year so I don’t think it was a fluke.


    You are picking up zooplanton rising up off the bottom at night. They show up after dark also and will be gone once it becomes light again. It happens on most lakes summer or winter. You can see it happen on your graph also inn the summer if you watch the thermocline and then as it gets dark it looks like the thermocline is rising. As you troll over deep water at night if you don’t adjust your graph the entire screen will look like the thermocline. I believe zooplanton feed on plankton at night…been a while since college.

    boos1906
    Posts: 643
    #744483

    Very good article

    Joel Ballweg
    Sauk City, Wisconsin
    Posts: 3295
    #744485

    Nice article Chris.
    Some great info in there indeed!

    arklite881south
    Posts: 5660
    #744497

    I just received this question through a PM, and want to pass this along to everyone as many people deal with this. If ice fishing with varying current flow it is important to drill a series of holes up and down current. Of course fish the up current hole dropping your Marcum transducer down a hole 3-7 feet down current depending on flow. You shouldn’t need to blast your gain to simply read your presentation. Your presentation is simply being swept down current outside your transducers viewing area. If we fish the Rainy River during the hardwater period we often have our puck 8-9 feet down river in a hole to match up perfect with our presentation thus drilling a series of holes will allow you to effectively decipher placement of your Marcum!!

    John Schultz
    Inactive
    Portage, WI
    Posts: 3309
    #744509

    Chris,

    The after dark bite is non-existant on that lake. You can get some fish at night in summer, but it is not as good as the rest of the area lakes for night fishing.

    It is weird how this stuff shows up on the flasher. There is nothing showing up at all until you drop a bait through it. Then, WHAM, the flasher goes nuts. Stays that way for a while. As soon as it gets light, it all starts to go away. I have only had it happen when it is dark, and it happens almost every time.

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