One Last Hurrah For Open Water Walleyes?

It occurred to me earlier today that it could be a real possibility. With the temps this week, I would think almost all the skim ice would be gone by this weekend, certainly enough to make plenty of the ramps accessable. It’s pretty tempting to try to sneak up there! Any of you guys having similar thoughts? Also, I’ve never fished the Pond late in the fall for walleyes, so any ideas on where to find them? Dragging big minnows and cranks on shallow rocks would be my first guess, or do they stay out on the flats all the way through freeze-up? Thanks for any tips!

Not sure if that will happen from the east side. Here by Malmo we have shore ice out 200 yards that is rough and then smooth ice further out. We actually have been making ice at night. It was in the teens here this morning. I walked out over 100 yards two days ago and it was 3-4 inches but that is only about 2′ of water. Our harbor has made ice and that was 8″ two days ago also. With the high winds we had yesterday there could be a possibility of launching around the Garrison access. It was open south of there on Monday but not sure if its open at the ramp.
I might check this out the next day or two. I have been fishing open water by boat the last two years in December for walleyes. My best presentations were casting swim baits and reeling them back slowly. Also casting a 1/8 to 1/4 oz Northland Fireball jig with a minnow also with a slow retrieve. I was doing this on reefs in the Malmo area in 8-15′ of water.

deanfisher1 wrote:

Not sure if that will happen from the east side. Here by Malmo we have shore ice out 200 yards that is rough and then smooth ice further out. We actually have been making ice at night. It was in the teens here this morning. I walked out over 100 yards two days ago and it was 3-4 inches but that is only about 2′ of water. Our harbor has made ice and that was 8″ two days ago also. With the high winds we had yesterday there could be a possibility of launching around the Garrison access. It was open south of there on Monday but not sure if its open at the ramp.
I might check this out the next day or two. I have been fishing open water by boat the last two years in December for walleyes. My best presentations were casting swim baits and reeling them back slowly. Also casting a 1/8 to 1/4 oz Northland Fireball jig with a minnow also with a slow retrieve. I was doing this on reefs in the Malmo area in 8-15′ of water.

Hi Dean Fisher… Don’t be a stranger around here. Would love to hear your updates!

So December 1 we can walleye fish on the pond, ice or no ice?

Eelpoutguy wrote:

So December 1 we can walleye fish on the pond, ice or no ice?

Correctomundo!

Dean, we noticed that giant hunk of ice on the east side when we were heading up to/back from URL last weekend for first ice, but aside from the bays on the west side it looked pretty open, and with the wind out of the west I was thinking Myrmar, Garrison Reef, and Indian Point might all be viable options. If there’s any chance you or someone you know checks out the west side over the next couple days, I’d really appreciate an update! And thanks for the info on casting jigs, I’ll make sure to have a couple jig rods set up.

The webcam at Twin Pines (Garrison) is showing open water right on the shoreline today.

http://www.twinpinesmillelacs.com/webcam.jpg

-J.

Forgot about checking the webcams at the resorts, thanks!

If you are truly serious about getting your boat out, only access still open is the South Garrison. All East side, north side (Wealthwood), North Garrison, Casino access…are all iced in. This is from today, 11/30. Only one left if you dare go…

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So who is going this weekend? Sure is tempting to run up there. Sounds about a thousand times better then going to a ice fishing show.

I’m heading up tomorrow hoping to get the boat in one more time.

Good share, Andy Cox. Too bad I winterized it already! I bet a 30-to-50-fish day awaits any anglers who make the trek. Maybe a couple big bass hitting whatever they’re dragging.

I sure hope you’re right bass thumb!
We’ll be dragging minnows over rocks so hopefully we’ll find a brownie or two along with the walleyes.
The weather forecast looks proper.

We’ll be there with you Grubson! If you see some guys in a brown Ram or gray/black Lund Fisherman with a 115 Yammie, feel free to say hi! We were hoping to get in at the Indian Point access and fish those points and rocks to the SW, but with Andy Cox’s update (thanks for that by the way) it looks like Garrison Reef and Myrmar might be on the short list instead!

TMF89 wrote:

We’ll be there with you Grubson! If you see some guys in a brown Ram or gray/black Lund Fisherman with a 115 Yammie, feel free to say hi! We were hoping to get in at the Indian Point access and fish those points and rocks to the SW, but with Andy Cox’s update (thanks for that by the way) it looks like Garrison Reef and Myrmar might be on the short list instead!

We’ll be up by Garrison in a black Alumacraft Dominator. Good luck to you. We’ll be sure to wave if we see you.

I’ll be up in my old 20ft babeliner with the mercury tower of power it’s going to be a blast!!

Smackem33 wrote:

I’ll be up in my old 20ft babeliner with the mercury tower of power it’s going to be a blast!!

Smackem33, where do I remember that from? The tower of power…

If any of you are truly adventurous, bring your ice fishing gear too. You can open water fish from your boats on the west side, and then swing on down to Wahkon bay on your way back and drill some holes. How cool would that be on the same day? You might be on the TV news.

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Andy, why do you have to go and give me ideas…it might be worth it to see the looks on peoples’ faces when we pull up trailering the boat and yank the auger out!

Tight lines guys!

TMF89 wrote:

We’ll be there with you Grubson! If you see some guys in a brown Ram or gray/black Lund Fisherman with a 115 Yammie

Is this you? It’s a brown Dodge but the boat doesn’t look like yours.

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Rocky Reef’s ramp is open. He had a short report on Facebook yesterday. I wish I was up there, would be fun.

Launched at garrison access. Crashed through a bunch of ice didn’t catch poop. Watched a couple boats catch a few. Pretty much picked a spot did some circles open it up then fished. Found out the ol babeliner likes breaking ice!

Smackem33 wrote:

Launched at garrison access. Crashed through a bunch of ice didn’t catch poop. Watched a couple boats catch a few. Pretty much picked a spot did some circles open it up then fished. Found out the ol babeliner likes breaking ice!

Yes…wasn’t until this morning that I heard reports that daytime was slow but after dark over 5-7′ of water it turned on trolling shallow cranks.
No matter, may not have changed your plans anyway. I commend you for getting out there and getting after it. You had much better chance of catching than me sitting in front of a keyboard.
“The babeliner” and the “tower of power”…

Wasn’t us, we had already headed south to try the river after sitting around with a dozen other guys bemoaning the situation! Of course we checked the Twin Pines webcam around 1pm that afternoon and it looked like the majority of the ice had melted! We saw the Rocky Reef’s access, it closed up overnight. Probably could’ve broken through and gotten to some open water around Indian Point, but didn’t see anyone to ask. Some guy backed down his beach in front of Edgewater Resort and was fishing the point, that’s the only other boat we saw out there besides the guys at Garrison.

Where there’s a will there’s a way! We went out of the casino access with a couple other boats. Lots of open water. We got out to the flats and we trolled shallow late.

It was fun to get out one last time. They didn’t bite very aggressive but there were a lot of fish deep and shallow. Should be a great winter!

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Beautiful evening!

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Jiggin rap was the best bait.

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My brother with a nice one.

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Made it out on a small metro lake yesterday afternoon. Was surprised by how much ice there was (almost the whole lake, about 1/4″ thick), and how many weeds were still “up”. Ran HJ’s off of bottom bouncers for a nice 17″ eye and a 20ish” pike, that made for a good meal for mama and I. Now just counting down to the next trip on the big pond ice!

Beauty pic with the moon over his shoulder, Joe!