I’ve been fishing a relatively clear lake on the weed line of a sharp breaking point. The weed line is about 13ft, the deep side is mid 20’s and the top flat 6′. I have good action the hour before and after dusk but after that it goes quiet.
In people’s experience do these fish keep pushing shallower as the night goes on?
I would punch holes in both directions and see if you can mark anything. Or fish in the shallow and set a tip up in the deeper side and/or vice versa.
Is there an inside weedline?
The lake I fish is similar, not clear but very shallow. There are times where getting them to bite in the daylight is impossible. Ill track them down, mark them consistently, but nothing I put in front of them gets them to bite. Then, like clockwork, they turn on when the sun gets lower.
As mentioned, just have to jump around and find them and see how they respond.
Not to suggest you quit trying, but there is some truth to the fact that walleyes and any other fish for that matter may only have short windows of feeding activity. Particularly as ice season progresses when oxygen levels decrease. They may spend 22-23 hours laying on the bottom and then make their move during optimal feeding conditions (low light) but before perch…will actually “perch” on the bottom during total darkness.
Like SW Eyes describes, even if you find them…nothing you put down there will get them to bite.
You might be happy that your getting some action at sunset because there just may not be much after that.
Not to suggest you quit trying, but there is some truth to the fact that walleyes and any other fish for that matter may only have short windows of feeding activity. Particularly as ice season progresses when oxygen levels decrease. They may spend 22-23 hours laying on the bottom and then make their move during optimal feeding conditions (low light) but before perch…will actually “perch” on the bottom during total darkness.
Like SW Eyes describes, even if you find them…nothing you put down there will get them to bite.
You might be happy that your getting some action at sunset because there just may not be much after that.
Yep, you always hear people say something like, “there is no such thing as the fish aren’t biting, you just need to know how to catch them.”
That’s a load of BS. There are times when the fish just aren’t feeding. I don’t care who you are, how good you think you are, and what you have in your tackle box that you think will work…..I’ll take you out and show you the fish on camera that you won’t be able to catch.
That’s a load of BS. There are times when the fish just aren’t feeding. I don’t care who you are, how good you think you are, and what you have in your tackle box that you think will work…..I’ll take you out and show you the fish on camera that you won’t be able to catch.
Yes, I have seen that all too many times myself. Even dink perch move in slow and then back away and disappear. Times you can’t even catch a dink perch. 
I won’t argue that an aggressive run’n’gun approach will have you pick up a fish here and there, but you can save a lot of time and whole heck of a lot effort by timing your outing around the prime time windows.
But then again, there are those that go out all day (and night) just to be out fishing…even if not catching. 
Particularly as ice season progresses when oxygen levels decrease. They may spend 22-23 hours laying on the bottom
Andy would you be able to provide references for that please?
I’m fairly new to this ice world and I’d love to read more on the behavior you describe here. Seems pretty drastic, and makes a guy wonder what would even be the point of fishing in daylight.
Some cold blooded critters can go weeks with out eating (sorry no references though)
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:</div>
Particularly as ice season progresses when oxygen levels decrease. They may spend 22-23 hours laying on the bottomAndy would you be able to provide references for that please?
I’m fairly new to this ice world and I’d love to read more on the behavior you describe here. Seems pretty drastic, and makes a guy wonder what would even be the point of fishing in daylight.
No, not all that drastic Nick. Ever hear of winterkill around these parts? No, that does not mean the water body freezes completely to the bottom. Dying weeds deplete oxygen levels…the weeds die off in winter. An oxygen subtraction, not an addition. Then that wind adds and continually adds oxygen during open water. Waves keep stirring the oxygen in which will mix down into deeper water. Not happening after the water is ice capped. It progresses the longer the water is ice covered.
Low oxygen levels will inhibit fish activity. But don’t let me stop you from fishing in daylight. I will still fish in daylight. Better chance of catching than from the recliner at home. 
You can read more about it here…
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/hutchinson/winterkill.html
I’m well aware of oxygen levels and winterkills and all that jazz, just really haven’t heard of fish laying on bottom for 20 plus hours a day, except for flatheads.
Fish that don’t need to eat as much due to lowered metabolism is alot different than just laying on bottom due to inactivity. Just trying to figure it all out man, seemed like you knew something I didn’t and inquired about it.
Sorry Nick, after reading my reply to your question…I see it was kind of condescending. My apology, at the heart of it I did not mean to be disrespectful. I find your posts and comments to be genuine and knowledgeable.
My reference to the winter kill was intended to support my understanding of diminished fish activity during periods of low oxygen levels. I do not have any proof or specific data on fish laying on the bottom for 20 plus hours a day, but what I have learned and experienced ice fishing is that their feeding window of activity may be only for an hour or two at sunrise/sunset. I guess with that thought, I imagine them just hugging bottom or wherever with little or no movement.
But as we all know, fish are caught throughout the day so I’ll still continue to have 2 lines down all day. 
No reason for apologies here. You had mentioned this lack of oxygen before and myself love reading studies and all that biology mumbo jumbo so was looking for more literature to figure it all out one day.
To the OP, not sure on ice fishing, but they say early ice you can catch fish same spots as late fall, and late fall trolling in 2-8′ water brings plenty of eyes to the boat for me. Nice thing, is they do seem to hang out on spots, easier to fish on the ice if you know what to look for.
Mid ice, late ice, no idea 
Saw this article by Jason Mitchell yesterday and thought it was perfect for this thread. They bring up some really interesting ideas and thoughts about walleye behavior overnight. Pretty good read.
http://www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com/grave-yard-shift-walleyes/
Saw this article by Jason Mitchell yesterday and thought it was perfect for this thread. They bring up some really interesting ideas and thoughts about walleye behavior overnight. Pretty good read.
http://www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com/grave-yard-shift-walleyes/
Yes, this article definitely addresses the OP’s question as well as confirms some other input on this thread. Basically there are still windows of activity and to be there for it, prepare to spend the night. You can sleep during the day. 
Worth reading the whole article but I captured this part.
“What can make the after dark period so fun is the intensity of the mayhem. You can have an hour or two of complete silence interrupted by the most intense feeding windows. The bite is often a full on blitz where it seems like every line has a fish. Where every tip up is out of the water and there are fish flopping all over the ice. Realistically, this after dark window is what can make spending the night in a fish house so appealing.“
Not to suggest you quit trying, but there is some truth to the fact that walleyes and any other fish for that matter may only have short windows of feeding activity. Particularly as ice season progresses when oxygen levels decrease. They may spend 22-23 hours laying on the bottom and then make their move during optimal feeding conditions (low light) but before perch…will actually “perch” on the bottom during total darkness.
Like SW Eyes describes, even if you find them…nothing you put down there will get them to bite.
You might be happy that your getting some action at sunset because there just may not be much after that.
X3
If their done, their done for the night.
JMHO
On a clear lake this windows would be even more important. Growing up if we were walleye fishing it was are we going for the morning bite or the evening bite. As far as we were concerned daytime fishing was for northerns and sunfish.
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