Jigging walleyes on smaller lakes…

So where I live and fish in western Wisconsin most of the decent walleye waters are stocked lakes of around 1,000-1,500 acres is size or so. For this area these are considered the big lakes. Most of the ice fishing for walleyes on these waters seems to consist of tip-up fishing and most guys don’t even bother trying to jog for walleyes on these lakes in winter.

I’m wondering if there is a reason for this or if it’s just kind of the way guys fish here and that’s that..? I know it’s not Lake of the Woods, or Red, or any of those type of lakes so I know the numbers aren’t quite that crazy and obviously the smaller lakes likely receive more pressure per area than those giant walleye destination lakes, but I don’t see why walleyes shouldn’t be able to be caught jigging at least on a fairly regular basis on these lakes. I’d like to think at least a fish or two every outing or two is a reasonable possibility considering guys can jig up piles of walleyes from time to time in a day on deatinatation walleye waters.

Is this a reasonable thought or am I missing something here? Thoughts, advice..?

In addition, the prime time bites are the only time guys even bother on these smaller lakes usually for the eyes too… can they be caught with any consistency during the day on these relatively smaller stocked bodies of water..?

Does anyone have any ideas as to why some lakes are like that? A lake I fish in the summer is considered the dead sea in the winter. I don’t get why haha

I wish a lot of smaller lakes in Minnesota and jigging typically out fishes set lines for the most part. Only time I’d say it doesn’t is when a cold front comes in. I’d say give jigging a try and see how it goes.

I’m on the North Eastern side of the state with the same situation. Walleyes can be caught jigging, even I catch some. With three lines allowed here, my usual walleye trip includes two tip-ups and me jigging one of several other holes.
A lot of guys I know REALLY like their beer…sometimes I think for a lot of guys it’s more about drinking the beer and waiting for a flag than it is about trying to find and catch fish. I don’t fish with those guys.
The lakes I fish over here range between 500 and 2000 acres as well, and the walleye populations just aren’t what they are in some MN lakes-it’s just how it is. So, I often struggle when jigging, especially in shallower water-but I’m getting better every year.
If you know some good walleye structure on a couple of those lakes, get out their with some spoons and rippin raps and jig away. If the ‘eyes are their, you’ll eventually connect and feel like you know what you’re doing. At least, that’s what happens with me.
And if you’re ever over in the NE side shoot me a PM and we’ll get skunked together!

reverend wrote:

A lot of guys I know REALLY like their beer

There’s two ways to target in the winter. Ice fishing and ice drinking. Nothing wrong with either, just personal preferences. Most days I’m ice fishing but a couple times a year tip-ups or cribbage with friends and cocktails is just what the Dr. ordered. Ice fishing is also more work and some guys just want to relax.

As far as consistency vs prime time, some lakes are really just prime time.

My suggestion is to mix up tip-ups/bobber/deadsticks and jig with one rod. Maximize your chances and see what happens. It’s been interesting for me to see that each day one technique may outperform.

!st-stocking can almost never make for a great walleye fishery-you want great #s in the winter or any other time of the year for that matter. Also some lakes can be good in the summer but terrible in the winter and vice versa-I have never heard a good explanation for this. Here In Minnesota we have several small lakes just North of Lake Superior with lots of walleyes (natural reproduction of course) fishing is Vgood in the summer but a dud in the winter. Why? Who knows?

I think some of these pressured walleyes don’t fall for the spoons anymore; they’ve seen too many. The dead-sticked or gently jigged minnows are about the only way to trick them during the non-peak periods of the day.

My favorite method of walleye fishing is what I call the “bait and switch.” Call them in with the spoon, reel it up (so the lines don’t get tangled) and then drop a dorsal-hooked shiner down to them with just a #6 red hook and split shot.

Bass Thumb wrote:

I think some of these pressured walleyes don’t fall for the spoons anymore; they’ve seen too many. The dead-sticked or gently jigged minnows are about the only way to trick them during the non-peak periods of the day.

My favorite method of walleye fishing is what I call the “bait and switch.” Call them in with the spoon, reel it up (so the lines don’t get tangled) and then drop a dorsal-hooked shiner down to them with just a #6 red hook and split shot.

What about doing this with two holes set very close; like 2-3 feet? Sitting in a shack jigging with a dead stick next to me that I could give a wiggle when I get lookers seems appealing, considering the weather right now. Would it save the “pull up, get dropped back down” time and decrease the risk of fish wandering off before you get back to them?

I fish a few smaller southern MN lakes for eyes and have noticed the complete opposite. I have tried tip-ups and bobber setups but the jigging spoons seem to out catch them 5:1. There are also some great summer lakes that completely shut down in the winter. You can catch fish, but 1-2 a day isn’t exactly something to get excited about.

Tip ups serve me as freebies. 12# fluoro, single small hook and a minnow. I don’t say this to upset our die hard tip up guys. If there are crappie on this same lake then get some Rippin raps and slab raps in the smallest size. You can run two rods side by side, a small fiskas and a rap. When nothing happens with my tiny pannie jig I give the rap a few rips. If anything moves in high, grab the rap, leave it 1/2 way up in the column on the vex. Use the tip ups to cover more ground and depths. I’m probably telling you what you already know, but the Rippin rap is the Swiss Army knife of ice fishing. They also have gotten in-active panfish moving for me. The fiska caught them but the rap got them excited.

@jarrod holbrook – I’ve found the same thing. Then for fun, once in a great while the rap will produce bites when nothing else will on neutral fish. Like it pisses them off or something. Tip-ups are the bonus “freebies” for me too. One or two out to cover water while I fish.
On lakes with larger crappie, a couple of tip-ups scattered out in the basin helps too…not so much for catching, but helping track wandering schools of basin fish. They freeze up less than tip downs.