Deep Creek Hard water Walleyes

[tomg]

Can anyone tell me how the eye fishing is through the ice at Deep Creek?  And I know some don't like to give up their honey hole but could ANYONE help a guy out and point him in the general direction.  I never fished Deep Creek.  I live about 40 min away in PA.

[Fat Boy]

Can anyone tell me how the eye fishing is through the ice at Deep Creek?  And I know some don't like to give up their honey hole but could ANYONE help a guy out and point him in the general direction.  I never fished Deep Creek.  I live about 40 min away in PA.

Tom, as you may have read in my panfish posts what I usually target, but this is one lake where I've caught walleyes targeting perch and panfish...so...should give you a good idea

I've done well on open water targeting walleye in this lake.  If you catch walleye in other lakes, then the same methods work here too as well as where to find them (type of deep water structure).  Good luck!

[Strike Lead]

For walleye, I go to place where the water is about 25 feet deep. I try to find a quick drop off......maybe where it goes from 15-25 feet in a short distance. Walleye swim along the bottom just like a snake. You have to jig about 6 inches from the bottom. Every once in a while kick up some stuff from the bottom. Try popping a head off a minnow and use a rattle jig.

Walleye hang with the perch especially at the edge of a weedbed. I've heard other fishermen that like a rock bottom. And, don't overlook placing a tip up near the shore especially if the water gets deep quickly.

I'd try Holy Cross........or near Turkey Neck....or anywhere else the perch are..

[blue]

Do they have the state park open for parking or do you have to park along the road somewhere.

[Strike Lead]

Do they have the state park open for parking or do you have to park along the road somewhere.

If you want to fish the State Park you can usually park in the boat ramp area....I think they leave the gate open. Otherwise, find a spot along the road where you can get on. You won't have a problem.

[blue]

Thanks strike lead i have never ice fished the lake before just from a boat.
I want to try it this year.Is there any baitshops close by that has minnows.

[Strike Lead]

Bait can be found at Deep Creek Outfitters (near the Burger King)...they open at 9:00. You could also go to Bills Outdoor Center (the old Johnnny's Bait House) they open at 8:00.

Later, maybe we can hook up. Really, the whole lake is good. And, you should fish the same places you did from a boat. The only difference that I find is that it seems that fish will migrate quite a bit. They school a lot under the ice too; which means that you can have times of "feast and famine".

The first place I ever ice fished on DCL was at the old S&H Marina back in the late 70's(on Deep Creek Drive). I wore tennis shoes and brought my tackle box. I turned around and went to buy some good boots and a compound bucket. I watched two old boys from North Dakota catch perch hand over fist. Their rig consists of a 1"x2"x24" stick with 30lb black line wrapped around it. They used a #6 hook, a split shot, and a bobber. They would catch 60-70 in a day.........no kidding! It took me 3 trips to catch my first one as I coudn't set the hook and lost them all. After that day, I figured it out, and have had a serious addiction every since.

From that time I have tried out LOTS of new places throughout the years. Almost all of them were just lucky hunches. Most of the places I fish, I like to park the car real close to the edge of the ice. There have been MANY times where I had to "pick up" and take refuge from the cold in an real emergency. I hate that.

Moral of the story......just pick a place and jigg 'em out!

[blue]

Strike lead if you want to hook up some time just let me know.
I live about 1 hr from there.

[tomg]

Stike lead and fat boy, 

Thanks for the information it is greatly appreciated.  I'll have to get my arse down there and give DCL a try.