First time Walleye Guy

Hey IDO. I need some help. I really want to start fishing for walleyes this year but I don’t know what to besides the basic tackle. I have a 30″ med action rod and a few spoons in the 1/8 to 1/4 oz range. They are in a couple colors too. From what I have seen and read I just tip those with half a shinner or minnow. My problem is I don’t know where to look for eyes. What is good structure for them? Also, when it comes to minnows do you use live or dead, how do you store them, and, this is embaressing but what size are the best eaters? If all of you out there could let me know that would be awesome. Thanks and look forward to reading your coments.

I should also ask this. My father wants to go for walleye as well and for Chirstmas I got him a 27 med/lght action rod. Will this work for eyes? Nothing around here is huge so I thought it should do the job. Thanks again.

hey there, if you are going to start fishing for walleyes, welcome to the good life!

Ill take one of your questions here concerning bait. With the ability to run two lines thru the ice, 95% of the time i jig one rod and use a bobber (deadstick) on the other. Alot of times your jigging rod will attract a walleye and bring it in, but if they are in a slower mood and wont hit your jig, they will move over and hit your bobber rod. On the jigging rod, i like a 1/8th, 1/4, 3/16th oz spoons depending on depth, current etc. I hook a minnow head on the treble on the spoon. Sometimes just the head, others the front 1/3 of the minnow.

On my bobber rod, I like to use a Custom Jigs and Spins Demon http://www.customjigsandspins.com/icefishing/hardspoons/demon.html. I like the bigger profile of these baits. I hook a chub or shiner minnow thru the back more towards the tail, so the minnow can swim and be upright while having a hook in it. Any rod in the 26 to 32 inch range will work good for you at first but after awhile you will find out what you like.

I know many guys who keep minnows in a small cooler type thermos that is used for drinking water. They have a screw able top that doesn’t allow water to leak out which is nice while transporting them, and can hold maybe 1/2 gallon of water. I use the plano bucket that has Styrofoam in it. http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/bait-traps-buckets-aerators/024099007221.aspx It is just like a 5 gallon bucket, but a little smaller with a cover.

Since i fish about every day, i buy 3 dozen minnows at a time so im not always going back to the bait store. I bring them inside every night, and change the water every day i fish and they last a long time. This is where the insulated minnow bucket is awesome, due to me fishing early in the am, then going to class then work and with the bait in my truck all day long, even by 10pm when i get home there is no ice in the bucket and the minnows are ready to go the next morning.

Hope this helps for the bait part, any more questions just ask! Once you get that first good eye, you will be addicted forever!

Come up to TC on a weekend and I’ll take you both fishing. There’s some really good lakes to learn walleyes on around here, although they tend to run a bit small.

get a buckshot rattle spoon a 2″ dropper and a fathead
your done

All right! Another MI guy. Hey, if I am ever heading up that way I will shoot you a PM and we will do it. I don’t care if they are small, I just need to learn how to catch them. Thanks for the advice guys.

hey ntw you ever fish mullet or burt lake up near cheboygan ive been trying to catch eyes on both and can never do it consistantly and good to see another michigander on the site shoot me a text maybe we can meet up out on the ice i’ll bee home for christmas break untill jan 12th my # is 2318185604 also i heard there are some guys fishing in ludington hows the ice by you?

heres a helpful hint towards finding some eye spots in your area in MI, check one of those fishing connections lake books for whats in your area. Ive found 5 trout lakes i didnt know about in mine by checking one out. Very rarely will someone tell you where to actually go on here, they guard their spots. Ive been yelled at in IMs for revealing info and seen people even photoshop their pic backgrounds to hide any features that could key their spots anyways, good luck, if you catch something show it off to use. Also look into a lindy darter or two, its a nice switch up from spoons.

No, I pretty much stick to the TC area or the UP. I spend a lot of time on Brevoort or Munuscong in the EUP, Long Lake in TC, or LBDN.

No safe ice here yet, we have had a lot of snow so the smaller lakes have about an inch of ice and then a slushy mess on top of that, and our larger lakes are still wide open. Things should be good to go by the end of the week as long as we don’t get much more snow.

ntw on brevort do they fish the dropoff next to the rock wall for eyes in the winter or are there mainly pike in that area

I will occasionally see people fishing there, but there are better spots to fish. The walleye population has been hit hard though in Brevoort, most of the fish that people have been catching the last few years are from the 2005 year class, and the natural reproduction isn’t very good.