night fishing

[MRwalleye]

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.

I never watch the moon phases that much. I like 3-5" bait. Sometime if I can get smelt then I will go a little bigger. I have been using red single hooks and like them. I have tried treble hooks and seem to get more dropped bait flags with them. Also try to run a few just under the ice. I have great luck doing this also.

[MRwalleye]

Hey MRWALLEYE, how was your 09 walleye season?

Not as good as I would have liked. Had twins in Dec of '09 so Ice fishing wasn't as much as I like and not many weekenders. When I got to go it was mostly 10:30pm-5am which are some of the best time, but just don't like setting up @ 10:30. Out in the boat it was hard to ever get some one to go. I guess my friends are too lazy. Tried to run the boat by myself, but that was a pain. I will have that problem fixed by spring though. I think I only ended the season with about 40 that were 20" or better. I will almost bet you that I will be in my boat for the last weekend of walleye season this year, because it sucked last year on the ice. 

[MRwalleye]

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

I have tip-up lights, but don't really like them. Too expensive to run and everyone knows when you have a flag. Which can kill a spot here in Vermont. I have 65 tip-ups and to have 65 lights would be too much. Reflective tape never stops working and last for many, many years.

[beeverfishing]

I have tip-up lights, but don't really like them. Too expensive to run and everyone knows when you have a flag. Which can kill a spot here in Vermont. I have 65 tip-ups and to have 65 lights would be too much. Reflective tape never stops working and last for many, many years.

 
What kind do you have ??  Mine are just like the ones I posted, batteries last "forever"..  But yeah, I agree they may give your secret spot away as they can be seen for some distance.    65 tip up's ??  Not sure of your regulations, But in Pa we can have 5 devices..and I know there is at least one lake in NY where they can use 15 tip ups..  But 65 ??  you only need enough lights for the amount you are actually using..   

[fishstalker]

 
What kind do you have ??  Mine are just like the ones I posted, batteries last "forever"..  But yeah, I agree they may give your secret spot away as they can be seen for some distance.    65 tip up's ??  Not sure of your regulations, But in Pa we can have 5 devices..and I know there is at least one lake in NY where they can use 15 tip ups..  But 65 ??  you only need enough lights for the amount you are actually using..   

15 tip-ups per persomn here on champlain 

[JiffyJockey]

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.

Fishstalker....thanks a ton for all the content you post on this site.  Although I have been ice fisihing avidly for 20 years, I havn't had much walleye fishing to do where I live (Montana).  That said, I am taking a 4 day trip to a lake in eastern Montana which holds pike, walleye and lakers.  From what I have heard, and realizing each of these fish are predators, what would you suggest for tip-up rigs?  Steel leader or heavier mono?  My concern is if I go with 10 pound mono or even fireline, a pike could easy break off.  With the leader, I do not have enough experience with walleye to know if they will shy away from the steel leader.  Any suggestions would be awesome. 

Thanks.

Paul

[fishstalker]

I would recommend 10 lb mono for walleye (if you don't care about snapping off the pike) If you'd like to land some pike too, i would use 30 lb fireline. It'll allow you to catch both. Stay away from steel leaders and make sure your spools have NO drag on them. 

[kiltman]

 
ditto, Grizzly Rider!!

[gibber13]

Are you filling the spool with 10lb mono, or are you spooling it with braided line and attaching a leader?

Also, What size circle hooks do you reccomend?

Im new into fishing for eyes on the hardwater, and thus far have only managed to catch one while jigging a Rap.

Thanks,

[fishstalker]

Are you filling the spool with 10lb mono, or are you spooling it with braided line and attaching a leader?

Also, What size circle hooks do you reccomend?

Im new into fishing for eyes on the hardwater, and thus far have only managed to catch one while jigging a Rap.

Thanks,

Nope, put 50+ yards of mason line or any braided nylon, tie on a swivel, 4 feet of 10 lb mono to that, and then a #4 octopus circle hook, and then a split shot about 10 inches above the hook. Then hook the bait just below the skin in front of the top fin (head side). MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GO TOO DEEP WITH  THE HOOK SO THAT YOU'LL HIT THE SPINE. Send it down so its about 1.5 -2 feet off the bottom , and watch the flags start tripping!

[fishermanna82]

i would ay just about anything that you use during the day would work at night as long as it is glow in the dark

[mricefish]

I fish at night alot of the time here, is the main reason i built a perm shack.  kids love it when we spend the night, and usually the night bite is better than during the day.  And another thing most of the big fish have came at night too.  and it is very fun to watch the guys filter out in the morning too.  Best thing about getting ready for the morning bite, just grab the pole and start fishing.

[tipup_time]

I pretty much exclusively fish walleyes through the ice at night. I never bother with glow, not saying it dont work, i just put sucker minnows under tipups. Walleyes are a nightime predator and can see very well in the dark. They have no problem locating a minnow on a hook. The only success i have with day walleye on ice is in stained water. in moderatly clear water, they typically feed heavily at dusk and then sporadically feed throughout the night. The problem that alot of people i run into have with night fishing is they do not target the shallows.  The lake i lived on in northern mn, everyone would hit the 20-30 foot humps at dusk and catch the 30 min. flurry and then leave because the bite was "over". at that point,  I would target 10 feet or less and pull up walleyes all night... they seem to move shallower once darkness falls.

[Wiener]

We usually get to the lake and have lots of holes drilled prior to the bite.  (don't want to spook the fish !)

We set up in the deep areas, trying to get the flurry of activity as the fish move shallow.
After everyone else leaves, we pack it in and head for the shallow flats, and fish our previously drilled holes.

This type of fishing is usually a slow, steady bite throughout the night.

We usually don't bother heading back out as the fish move to deeper water at sunrise.
We head in, get a nice hot breakfast, clean fish and then hit the sack for a few hours.


Hope this helps,

Wiener

[bucketbass]

I pretty much exclusively fish walleyes through the ice at night. I never bother with glow, not saying it dont work, i just put sucker minnows under tipups. Walleyes are a nightime predator and can see very well in the dark. They have no problem locating a minnow on a hook. The only success i have with day walleye on ice is in stained water. in moderatly clear water, they typically feed heavily at dusk and then sporadically feed throughout the night. The problem that alot of people i run into have with night fishing is they do not target the shallows.  The lake i lived on in northern mn, everyone would hit the 20-30 foot humps at dusk and catch the 30 min. flurry and then leave because the bite was "over". at that point,  I would target 10 feet or less and pull up walleyes all night... they seem to move shallower once darkness falls.

i think this is how they feed yr round
minnows stick it outwere its safe but when there are predators they just dont have a chance

[tipup_time]

ya wiener i do the same thing.. get my holes drilled in the shallows and then set up deeper to fish the evening bite. thats the way to do it!