Adam got to spend the day with Pat J. on the ice. Pat is a good ice angler, but wanted to get a feel for what a day on the ice is like for a guide. Pat indicated he wanted to cover a lot of water and look for different bites. This is something a guide loves to hear. In the end I think he was rewarded for his efforts. This first fish is a nice 26 inch walleye taken on a tip-up.
Finding good numbers of fish was not a problem but finding good numbers of biters was a different story. The second phote is another nice eye taken from the same hole as the first. This is kind of a rare thing thus far this year.
As evening approached Adam and Pat headed back to the shallow break we have been working since we have been able to get on the ice. It didn’t take Pat long to tie into a nice fat 27 incher. This fish came on a tip-up and golden shiner combo.
The big fish of the day ended up coming on one of the ventures several miles out onto the lake. Unfortunately, the only camera along was a not digital. Pat iced one of the bigggest walleye of the year this far, measuring just over 29 inches and weighing just shy of 10 pounds. This fish is impressive!! I will get the picture up as soon as we get it developed and scanned in. Again, the bite was not fast but patients was rewarded.
Thanks for the great report buddy!
What kind of water did you guys cover throughout the day?
Steve, we are still focusing on relatively shallow water, whether it be a shoreline break, a flat, gravel or rock. The big fish seem to be shallow and that is where you will find us. LOL
As you can see. With the lack of snow cover there is a lot of light penetration during the day as well as shadows in the AM & PM. We work hard to keep our movement liimited and try not to spook the fish out of the areas we are fishing. The typical hole hopping we normally do is not the answer right now.
Scott , How do you rig up your tip-ups for walleyes ? Any help would be of great help to me ! Thanks
Mille Lacs is very clear. We use regular tip-up or ice line to a swivel. We put a slip singer on the main line. From there I run a leader of 14 lb Vanish, usually about 3 ft to the terminal hook. I have tried just about every different set-up and this one works best for me.
Thanks , Scott .
Pat and I had a good time. We covered a lot of water looking for fish, but Pat was rewared with some nice fish and one was a fat 29″ fish. I am optomistic about the spot he caught that fish. We missed another nice fish there and were only able to spend a short period of time. I will be covering that area more thoroughly once I get back from x-mas break.
Fireline, the lighter the line the better. We use 14lb line on the tip-ups because we have a good variation of anglers pulling fish in. If you feel comfortable using 6lb, 8lb, or 10lb for leaders, use it. Clear line like Vanish is a must in clear water.