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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Walleye => Topic started by: PikeKing2323 on Dec 29, 2011, 05:46 PM
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I'm wondering how far off the bottom you hang your minnows off the bottom when using tip ups. Tried today for walleye and only caught a pike. Any tips would be appreciated.
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I always go atleast one foot sometimes up to 3 or 4 feet depending on water clarity and depth. Walleyes eyes are on the top of their head so i have heard they like to strike up towards baitand have found it to be true from my experience.
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Lakes are different but I would suggest deeper water by day.
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Very true old goat...they scower the rocks for minnows and crawfish and other small fish.
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the more gobies that show up in your lake the more you will see fish looking down into the rocks and reefs. if you don't have gobies yet, you will, just a matter of time. alot of the fish we catch have their noses rubbed raw from the rockpiles/reefs. they get in there and try to root the gobies out of the creases in the stones. bass/trout/walleye/perch/pike/etc. none are afraid of the rockpiles/reefes anymore.
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so at this time of year (it has been a real mild winter for us in sask) would you still want to fish 15+ fow during mid day and go closer to shore at dusk and dawn around the 6-8fow? and for lure/bait is alot of it preference or do you guys find jig heads with a minnow or plastic bait works best? do they go for bay areas like pike do or do they just hang out where ever? i know in the open water season they prefer drop offs in the structure, but i have had little luck with them during hardwater season. any tips are greatly appreciated. thanks Quinn.
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6 inches
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How high to set your bait varies due to a number of factors, such as time of day, bait species, water clarity and how aggressive the fish are on that given day.
For instance our typical setup in CT where walter feeds on perch, crawfish and shiners/alewives is in 15-20 feet of water during the day and 2-5 feet after dark. Baits are 1-3 feet above bottom, closer to bottom in the shallow water. Most lakes are slightly stained, the clearer the water the farther off the bottom we set the bait. A word of caution-make sure the bait stays at the desired depth, you may need a little weight, just not too much as they are very sensitive to resistance.
A famous walleye lake in NY is normally very clear and we have had aggresive walleyes come 6 feet off the bottom during the day. This lake is known primarily for the jigging action during the day and has a reputation for no action at night, which belief I can say we have thoroughly debunked. ;D At night the fish cruise the shallow water same as other lakes and can be caught on tip-ups with the bait a foot or so off the bottom.
Our best success with walter is with relatively light leaders, even at night, 8 lb fluoro and a single split shot. In shallow water at night stealth is critical, pre-drill your holes before dark and set up camp at least 100' from the nearest tip-up. Use tip-up lights if possible and avoid shining your headlamp around as they will spook from the light. Don't use creepers or run if you can avoid it, if a school is hanging around in your spread when you tend the first flag they will split quick.
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5 feet.