Problem catching walleyes?

[fishslayer37]

I'm kind of new ice fishing for walleyes under the ice.  I went out the other day and had 5 flags but all of them would take out about 5 feet of line and drop the bait.  I had 8lb mono leader on about 2 feet long with a shiner.  Anyone have any ideas?  I was thinking maybe the treble hook was to big? Also which minow is best for walleyes?

[dwayne]

slayer...here is my set up for my tip-ups....10' leader of vanish 6" fluorocarbon, a size 12 treble hook, and a #4 split shot.  It has been very effective for me over the past few years.  I tend to stick with 3" shiners or smaller suckers if I can find them.

Many times drops are smaller perch or in some waters crappies.  Crappies are notorious for hiting a minnow on a tip-up and dropping once a resistance is felt.

[Pasquatch]

I use basically the same setup as Dwayne, but I use 6 pound test monofilament and a szie 14 hook. Minor differences.

[WYOiceman]

I've had good luck with 3' long leader of 30# spider wire braid(their teeth almost never cut it), I use #12 treble hooks threaded through the skin on the back, leave the treble facing the tail right behind the minnows head. I like minnows 3"to 6" long when I'm targeting walleye. With this rig I also get some jumbo perch and crappie. Threading the minnows on is a pain in the butt, but you don't have to deal with stolen bait; when they hit it they get hooked!

[bigredonice]

30# spider wire braid(their teeth almost never cut it)

I've never EVER had a walleye bite off a lure.

[WYOiceman]

I've never EVER had a walleye bite off a lure.

I never mentioned anything about a lure! When they swallow that minnow your line will end up on his teeth and those teeth will deffinately cut that line. I don't like steel leaders on my tip-ups cause I think it cuts down on the bites.

[grumpymoe]

When they swallow that minnow your line will end up on his teeth and those teeth will deffinately cut that line.

....Wow!!!!....I cannot ever recall an eye of any size cutting mono....one of my preferred mono's is Stren Original or Stren Blue in 6# or 8#.....and I never use leaders....snap-swivels with a snelled hook....Grump

[bigredonice]

I never mentioned anything about a lure! When they swallow that minnow your line will end up on his teeth and those teeth will deffinately cut that line.

I use small jigs for open water eyes, and they swallow those jigs all the way if I am slow on the set.  Still I have never EVER EVER had a walleye bite off a lure.  Look at their teeth.  They are cone shaped..sharp tips, but the sides are smooth, unlike pike species that have razor edges on their teeth.   

[IceGeek]

I second what big red said...never had a walleye bite me off...pickeral and pike, sure, but never a walleye....

[cstolp]

I use small jigs for open water eyes, and they swallow those jigs all the way if I am slow on the set.  Still I have never EVER EVER had a walleye bite off a lure.  Look at their teeth.  They are cone shaped..sharp tips, but the sides are smooth, unlike pike species that have razor edges on their teeth.   

I know most of us have been told that walleye are not responsible for bite off's.  But how the heck would you know what fish bit it off in the first place.  I guess this just struck me as funny this morning.  Withdrawl from fishing I guess.

[WYOiceman]

There are no pike in the lake that I'm fishing, but there are a lot of walleye, sauger, trout, catfish, ling,perch, and crappie. Since walleye and sauger have the biggest and sharpest teeth; I've blamed them for my loses. Maybe it was trout?

[bigredonice]

I know most of us have been told that walleye are not responsible for bite off's.  But how the heck would you know what fish bit it off in the first place.

The only time I lose my rigs walleye fishing is when I break them off on the bottom.

[Water Wolf]

Fishslayer, you may have had the pesky little perch playing with you, they strike your minnow and set off your tip up but with a bit larger hook don't properly get hooked, or like dwayne said cold be crappie to or even baby walleyes. I might be a good idea to try a smaller hook, that way you may get a chance to see whats stealing your bait.
If you are fishing live bait what the others suggested in rigging them is right on, of you are using frozen bait try center punching the minnow on a treble. It's a lot tougher for fish to steal the minnow. As for minnows, a fathead minnow it a good choice, as they tend to last longer than some other species, a small sucker may be good also. Try to match your minnow choice with the natural forage of the lake.
Good luck

WW

[IceGeek]

Alot of times if you get a pike or pickeral up to the boat and start to put pressure on them they will bite you off right at the boat and you can see it happen.   They don't actually bite you off, rather the line gets severed as it runs across their teeth.  I have never had a walleye bite me off at the boat so I assume that whatever bites me off is either a pike or pickeral.  Anyone who catches alot of walleyes can tell when you've got on on the line versus a bass or anything else.  They just have a different feel to the fight.

[eyedoktr]

yeah, a much nicer, sweeter feel.   

[icetime]

STUPID QUESTION FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER SEEN A LIVE WALLEYE! CAN YOU LIP-EM LIKE A BASS, OR WILL YOUR THUMB COME BACK LOOKIN LIKE YOU RAN IT THROUGH A PAPER SHREDDER?

[Ashnohgrimbatul]

It will hurt if you lip them.

[walleye55]

I'm kind of new ice fishing for walleyes under the ice.  I went out the other day and had 5 flags but all of them would take out about 5 feet of line and drop the bait.  I had 8lb mono leader on about 2 feet long with a shiner.  Anyone have any ideas?  I was thinking maybe the treble hook was to big? Also which minnow is best for walleyes?

my set up depends on the lake I'm fishing like crane lake in north eastern WI. the walleyes relate to the weeds in 5 to 10 fow. and when your in shallow water to long of a leader is a pain. in this case i only use a thee foot leader. In deep clear water i will use five feet or longer. I always use 10# power pro its two pound dia. and if your going to use super line you have to tie ether a uni-knot or a polymer knot if you tie a regular triline knot it will slip out making you think you've been bite off. I also use #4 single gamakatsu walleye hook. you just have to let them take a little longer. I also use 6 to 7" suckers in most lakes because I'm after big walleyes and a big fish rather chase one big meal then ten little ones because there metabolism is low in cold water. It can take two weeks to digest. and walleyes do bite in some cases during the day but it depends on the lake clarity and the forage. the general rule is low light periods.

[bwalleye]

STUPID QUESTION FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER SEEN A LIVE WALLEYE! CAN YOU LIP-EM LIKE A BASS, OR WILL YOUR THUMB COME BACK LOOKIN LIKE YOU RAN IT THROUGH A PAPER SHREDDER?

Most definitely hurt.

[walleyechaser]

I catch most of my walleyes on rattle spoons or swedish pimples.  Caught a few on tip ups.
I've found the inviso leaders by south bend co.  to work real nice.  Pike can't cut them and walleye can't see them.  I've really noticed a difference in the amount of flags I get since I've switched to them.  I don't mess around with mono leaders anymore.  Since I lost a pike that I could put my whole fist in its mouth I switched.

No more losing trophy fish to the inviso leaders.

PS.
walleye cannot cut line.  Their teeth are designed for impaling and holding.  Not shredding like a pike or musky.
I've had big walleyes break my line because when they see that net or boat they make a run for it and you better have your drag set right.  Line sounds like a .22 rifle going off when it snaps. 

[frog eyes]

I'm kind of new ice fishing for walleyes under the ice.  I went out the other day and had 5 flags but all of them would take out about 5 feet of line and drop the bait.  I had 8lb mono leader on about 2 feet long with a shiner.  Anyone have any ideas?  I was thinking maybe the treble hook was to big? Also which minnow is best for walleyes?

If you're in shallow water and no snow cover walk slow to your tip up. When you get there and the spool isn't spinning watch for a little while (30 seconds but seems like eternity). Pick up your tip up feeding line so no pressure is felt.  Now this is the part I differ from my buddies. I peel off about 6' of line and hold one hand by the hole and the other keeps the slack off of the ice (this way the slack doesn't snag frozen ice shavings). With the hand near the hole pull back lightly until you feel pressure. Set the hook and feed some line from your other hand. The first 10 seconds is when the 10#'ers break.  My buddies pick up and set the hook w the tip up in their hand and then set it down after.

[fishslayer37]

Ok i figured out how to catch them now i just got a problem catching keepers.  Anyone have any ideas?

[holeinhide]

Bigger bait with a stinger rig to pick up the short strikes.

[perch-man]

Fishslayer walleye are like kids on the playground little kids don't hang with the big kids !Fish are the same . If you are catching to big of slot fish move a fair distant and drill more holes.If you are catching all small fish move only about 25 yds the big fish  are herding them . Just dashing and picking a smaller  fish from the out side. Rule No;1 dont die on a spot go to them be moblie. I drill any where from 25-100  holes depends on the day and time of year. This time year is easy only 15 ins of ice right now. March alot harder 36-40 ins so you drill 6 and rest for .5 hr and go again. Hope this is a help

[walleyechaser]

make sure you cover all depths when drilling your holes.  They will be up as shallow as 3 or 4 fow after dark.
Gotta be stealthy when they are shallow.  We usually find a good shelf or a weed edge and drill the crap out of it long before dark.   then quietly hole hop after dark.

[fishslayer37]

Ive ran into a couple of bigger ones, one being a 6 pounder.  But i am still running into a lot of smaller ones.  A couple of buddies and I have about 9 tip-ups together and we string them out anywhere from 6 feet to 30 feet of water and each about 30  yards apart  making sure they cover different cover and fish so if we do run into the little ones than there is other tip-ups  in the vincinity of the other flag.  How big of a minnow can you use before you get to big?  I have caught plent of big walleye in this spot in the summer.  But cant get into them in the winter.  Also what does everyone use when you guys jig for them?

[holeinhide]

Jigging for perch, I have had walleye hit a 5in perch wile bringing it in. How big is to big? when it won't fit in their mouth. What do you do in the summer to get the larger fish and can you convert that to ice fishing (IE. trolling a 4in plug to using 4in bait on tip ups.) I find the fish do not change much over the seasons and a late fall pattern slowed down will still work until mid ice season. Alltho you have ice and fish so weeding through some small ones to get to that trophy fish sounds like fun to me.

[powderburns]

I don't believe I've ever had a biteoff from a walleye. What you fgure was a biteoff might be poor line quality or a bad knot.

[RLWagner]

Jigging for perch, I have had walleye hit a 5in perch wile bringing it in. How big is to big? when it won't fit in their mouth. What do you do in the summer to get the larger fish and can you convert that to ice fishing (IE. trolling a 4in plug to using 4in bait on tip ups.) I find the fish do not change much over the seasons and a late fall pattern slowed down will still work until mid ice season. Alltho you have ice and fish so weeding through some small ones to get to that trophy fish sounds like fun to me.

Atlanta GA.?.......What time of the year does Lanier freeze up?

[holeinhide]

Atlanta GA.?.......What time of the year does Lanier freeze up?

Birds fly south I fly north. No ice in atlanta I was stationed there for 4 years and I am back home in PA now.