night fishing

[bucketbass]

does anyone fish for walleye at night through the ice???been really wanting to try it just wondering if its worth the time
what do you use  lures/bait???thanks for any replies

[icontact]

I have never had much luck too much after about 1 hour after dark, Use glow jigs or walleye flyer and minnow. Had pretty good luck open water after dark but not that great through the ice. Usually that 1/2 to 1 hour before and after sundown is when I have had the best luck for walleye in the winter.

[Grizzly Rider]

Is there any other time to fish for them?  90% after dark for me...................i n "SHALLOW" water, usually 6 fow or less............

Many times have caught them in 4 fow at midnight or later..........they love to cruise the shallow water flats after dark..........ever notice why all the small perch scatter just slightly before dark?  Eyes on patrol..........

Isn't anything more fun than trying to fight and land a 5 lb eye out of 4 or 5 fow in the dark................

Usually have my holes drilled in shallow water well before dark then after dark "sneak" over to the shallows "quietly" and then hang on.  Buckshot halographic spoon tipped with 2 or 3 perch minnows works the best for me.........

Don't be scared to fish the shallows after dark......my spot is just on the shore side of a nice weed bed.  Weed bed in 10 fow but after dark the eyes come cruising out of the weeds and chasing bait is their game...............

[bucketbass]

Is there any other time to fish for them?  90% after dark for me...................i n "SHALLOW" water, usually 6 fow or less............

Many times have caught them in 4 fow at midnight or later..........they love to cruise the shallow water flats after dark..........ever notice why all the small perch scatter just slightly before dark?  Eyes on patrol..........

Isn't anything more fun than trying to fight and land a 5 lb eye out of 4 or 5 fow in the dark................

Usually have my holes drilled in shallow water well before dark then after dark "sneak" over to the shallows "quietly" and then hang on.  Buckshot halographic spoon tipped with 2 or 3 perch minnows works the best for me.........

Don't be scared to fish the shallows after dark......my spot is just on the shore side of a nice weed bed.  Weed bed in 10 fow but after dark the eyes come cruising out of the weeds and chasing bait is their game...............

sounds like a plan ive wanted to do this for years cant get anyone interested to go with me im on my own i guess thanks for the response
do you find the same spots you fish off shore in the fall are the same spots you return to in the winter???thanks grizzly rider
icontact, i feel the same way, never to much when the sun goes down but in the fall i slam um in the river and around shore at night all the way up to midnight
good luck to all

[Grizzly Rider]

In the very early fall just after the first slight water cool down we fish for eyes after dark in 2 and 3 fow.  Sounds funny but we use beetle spins and very small spinnerbaits.......... ....lots of my friends didn't believe we were catching eyes with spinnerbaits till they seen it with their own eyes.   Some times we beach the boat and then wade the shallows flats about 2 and 3 fow fan casting.  Usually you can hear the eyes chasing minnows and such.................a nd yes we fish those same spots in the winter and usually after midnight............ag ain, having the holes drilled before dark................ha ve to be stealthy though as they are also sound sensitive............. .

Good luck.......

[walleye junkie]

have'nt had much luck either... 

[acer7]

I know from first hand experience the night bite is the best the big ones, spring, summer, winter, fall. If your not fishing at night your missing out on a lot time on the ice. My advice is to go out after work, what dose it matter if you get there when it is dark.

[MuskyHunter]

I always fish at night for eyes..usually have the whole lake to myself...listen to the coyotes, have a beer or 18...and the best part is watching everyone filter out onto the lake in the morning!

[fishstalker]

All i can say is its ALLOT of hard work. Make sure you have allot of time and energy.

[nightfisher]

 The only time to fish for walleye. Actively feeding, peace and quiet, what more could anyone want

[bucketbass]

All i can say is its ALLOT of hard work. Make sure you have allot of time and energy.

why do you think its anymore "work" than any type of fishing all you need different is a good light
its fishing bud and if you think that consists of work your crazy talkin
i know they are out there at night and its the only "work" im looking to do when the sun goes down 

[fishstalker]

why do you think its anymore "work" than any type of fishing all you need different is a good light
its fishing bud and if you think that consists of work your crazy talkin
i know they are out there at night and its the only "work" im looking to do when the sun goes down 

When i fish for my eyes during the winter i spend the weekend on the ice and don't come off. On top of that its 4 miles out from the  nearest access, but its fun when you catch fish. Its not fun though when you spend $30 on bait and catch nothing but northerns and perch!

[bucketbass]

well were i fish you dont need to travel at all to get to shallow water were they are this late and to tell ya the truth the season is over right now as of last saturday which sucks
ya it tough catching just perch and pike i know ..... at night come on fishtalker
if you have to travel 4 miles on a lake to catch a walleye id be perch jerkin like a motha,  there is no walleye worth that much walking for me bud anyhow just asked earlier in the year to see if this was something people do alot
i love them walleye, maybe you need to find other places to fish 4 miles and sometimes nothing WOW
sounds like its just ALOT of work for one who makes it alot of work
good luck Bucket

[jimmyclaude]

Fishstalker posts some pretty awesome walleye pics.  I think he has a proven track record

[bucketbass]

Fishstalker posts some pretty awesome walleye pics.  I think he has a proven track record

he even has a fan club ,he must be the man say a bad word around him and everyone is in on it
it was intended for the perch not him ...........sorry for any problems

[fishstalker]

When i drive 4 miles out i Sleep on the ice! I would never walk 4 miles to catch walleye....ohh wait i have b4! Its all about going where the bite is. Its all about the jeep, the camper and a good time for me! YOU EVER SPEND A WHOLE DERBY WEEK ON THE ICE?

Tight lines!

[jasensells]

sounds like a plan ive wanted to do this for years cant get anyone interested to go with me im on my own i guess thanks for the response
do you find the same spots you fish off shore in the fall are the same spots you return to in the winter???thanks grizzly rider
icontact, i feel the same way, never to much when the sun goes down but in the fall i slam um in the river and around shore at night all the way up to midnight
good luck to all

if you live near fair haven, i have some friends who are game, we have been for fishing for eyes late at night for years in the summer.

[jasensells]

All i can say is its ALLOT of hard work. Make sure you have allot of time and energy.

light or no light, green or white.........any other hints would be helpful
thanks

[sawoff]

some more help would be great do u set up tip ups or jig the holes in the shallows  this is the one fish i have never got here in new york waters i would like to get one soooon

[slipperybob]

When I night fish...hasn't been often since last season...I use dim lights and try to stay quiet.  Long periods of waiting, but pulling in a few big ones is all worth it.  I jig and have a deadstick set up.  When very tired...I'm the rod holder. 

[fishstalker]

light or no light, green or white.........any other hints would be helpful
thanks

I use no lights at all, and i fish with traps. I set up in depths from 5-30 feet of water on edges of drop offs, on top/ and around rock piles, edges of weed beds, sunken islands, and off of points. On Champlain you not only need to find and area that they feed in, but you need to find an area they travel through at the end of the year when they start to head to their spawning areas. You've gotta think like a walleye! I have 15 Heritage traps which i would highly recommend for walleye fishing. You can adjust the drag, the flag set is high enough so that blowing snow usually doesn't build up on the tripping mechanism, they can hold ALLOT of line, but most importantly you DON'T get wind flags (unless its 40 mph). Also remember that walleye are usually a finicky fish. They HATE to feel any tension on the spool when they eat and swim away, so make sure your drag is set at NO tension. They also hate light. If you have a flag up, don't walk up to it with your light on and don't bring it in with your light on. I can't tell you how many fish ive lost because they see the light coming up to the hole and they simply take off doing mock 7 or they just spit the hook out. It keeps the fish calmer, and keeps it it quiet to everyone else out on the ice that you just landed one.   Also walleye are a school fish. Many times ive reset the trap that i just caught a fish at and BOOM two minutes later, or on my walk back to the camper, the flag goes off again! As far as how to set the traps, i set mine about 2-3 feet off the bottom. Good luck! I use reflective tape on my tip ups. One piece around the wood shaft, and one piece on either side of the flag. when you shine you setups at night, and your two pieces of tape are side to side, you have no fish. If you have a foot separation between the two pieces of tape, YOU'VE GOT A HOOKUP!

NO FLAGS


Here is last years arsenal, ive added a few more Heritage

[sawoff]

thanks for the info will give that a try let u know how we make out   

[jimmyclaude]

So how has the action been Stalker?
 In your pic of "no flags", is that just the reflector tape in the camera flash?

[fishstalker]

I haven't been out yet this year, the ice isn't there yet. That picture is of 9 tip-ups, with the last one being a little over 100 yards away. The tape really shows up with the camera flash!

[MRwalleye]

When fishing walleyes with tip-ups I think tape is a must like Fishstalker has set-up. The only thing I do differently is I put red tape on the flag. When red is below the White no flag, but when the red is above the white then there's a flag.

[fishstalker]

Hey MRWALLEYE, how was your 09 walleye season?

[beeverfishing]

When fishing walleyes with tip-ups I think tape is a must like Fishstalker has set-up. The only thing I do differently is I put red tape on the flag. When red is below the White no flag, but when the red is above the white then there's a flag.

Reflective tape works...  But those tip up lights work awesome !!   
http://www.fish307.com/frabilllilshinertip-uplight.aspx

[mulebarnmax]

Couple of questions for stalker or mrwalleye, do you try to use big baits at night? how big? single or treble hooks? any time of the night better than others? moon phase?  I just want to try night fishing at a local lake and kind of hope to increase my odds with some tips.

[fishstalker]

Reflective tape works...  But those tip up lights work awesome !!   
http://www.fish307.com/frabilllilshinertip-uplight.aspx

It would get expensive if i had to buy 15 lights

[fishstalker]

Couple of questions for stalker or mrwalleye, do you try to use big baits at night? how big? single or treble hooks? any time of the night better than others? moon phase?  I just want to try night fishing at a local lake and kind of hope to increase my odds with some tips.

big bait big fish  I usually use baits around 3-4 inches. I use circle hooks, with fire line leaders. Ive never really payed attention to the moon phases when i do good, but i do know ive never had good luck when its a full moon. I have most of my luck when the pressure is dropping though.