walleye setup help

[tench]

I did a lot of walleye fishing last year on lake carmi without much success. Some days I would get my limit in an hour, some days I wouldn't be able to buy a bite. Does anyone have any effective setups or techniques?

[AugustWest]

Buy some Chubby Darters

[PWR BAIT]

kastmasters,jigging rapalas,cicada,sonars. i hope these help you out.PB

[ICEROGUE]

Buy some Chubby Darters

   would you recomend a 6 lb mono with a 12 lb thin steal leader? I dont really know where to start

[PWR BAIT]

I use 4lb crystal fire line with a 6 or 8lb mono leader (jigging rod).

[ICEROGUE]

I use 4lb crystal fire line with a 6 or 8lb mono leader (jigging rod).

  ok, there was another thred where people were saying to stay away from steal leaders also. do you belive there is a need to use a leader at all on walleye, could you be just as succesful on a straight 6lb mono or florocarbon

[PWR BAIT]

  ok, there was another thred where people were saying to stay away from steal leaders also. do you belive there is a need to use a leader at all on walleye, could you be just as succesful on a straight 6lb mono or florocarbon

Yes, I have never used a steel leader for eyes even when I used to run tip-ups you will still have brake offs. Just be a little more careful at fighting the fish thats why I use the fire line with a 2 ft mono leader straight mono will stretch and some times will get cut on the hole edges fire line won't. hope this helps you

[fishslayer37]

I use a 3ft trilene leaders 6lb test. I also use tip-ups and thats all i fish for walleye.  i use size 10 or 12 treble hooks with every other tip-ups shiner..small sucker.. works good for me... seen guys this year use there equipment next to me and have a lot of drops with size 8 treble hooks.  I have not had one drop this year yet.. i am lucky. 4 trips 4 limits

[Wiener]

Fireline or fireline crystal on the main line, and flourocarbon fishing line for the leader.

I use small trebles, #16 to #18.

This keeps the bait lively, and the walleye don't drop your line as often.

Hope this helps,

WIener

[iluvcrappie]

I started using 6 lb fireline this year and went and got 4 lb yesterday........shoul d help me feel even the smallest of bites without a problem...........I like the 6 lb dont get me wrong but I think 4 lb is the way to go..........and as far as leaders go I have never in my life used a leader while ice fishing.........you just have to take your time and let the fish do what it wants and reel when you can............more of a challenge this way.........I also went out and got a couple chubby darters but have had no luck with them yet so as far as jigging for big eyes I like to use a Frostee Jiggin Spoon........I like the swedish pimples and many other jigs as well but as far as catching fish I have got more fish with a frotsee spoon than I have any other way.............I really think the flasher may have a little something to do with that also   just my .02

[icontact]

I usually rig 6 rods for walleye fishing,  and usually end up trying them all as it can change every time I am out and often in the same day.
 
Chubby Darter small
Chubby Darter bigger
Walleye flyer
Rattl'n spoon
Drop shot rig, one hook high 3' high one low about 3-4"
slow poke jig
I use 8 lb fireline crystal, some with flourcarbon leaders and either ice buster or similar thill bobbers (line slide under water) on all rigs.

I am not really stuck on any one rig, I use them all and stick with what ever one seems to be working the best at the time. Having them all pre-rigged allows me change very quickly, especially if I am attracting lots of fish on the flasher but their not hitting.

[brokenline]

the ticket this year for me has to be the tinyest white jig i can find... with 8 lb

[GFHFG]

this is a great thread!! I am learning alot! here are a few more questions.

do any of you guys use spring bobbers on your walleye poles?

how many poles do you bring out with you?

how do you have them rigged?

Thanks CD

[velocty98]

Thanks for all of the info guys!  At this rate I might just ice mt first eye!

[iluvcrappie]

hopefully you get more than one eye this year........anyway you shouldnt need to use a spring bobber with a walleye setup they hit hard and you can feel it when they do..........the spring bobber is for a really sensitive bite from panfish............I carry 3 rods with me one is my jiggin rod which is an ultra light rod for feeling the softest bites and then I use a medium action rod for really jiggin hard for those aggressive fish......the last one I use is rigged up with a slip bobber for a deadstick rod

[Blaine]

Living way down here in CT I don't get up that way much, but I usually fish Carmi at least once a year. I've always done well there, we actually filmed a TV show there a few years back with On The Water.

I don't do much jigging there... We've always peppered the place with holes and set up in 20+ during the daylight. As it gets darker, we leap frog our tip ups shallower. We've caught fish in as little as 3 feet there. I use a 6 foot leader of 8lb Seaguar fluorocarbon and a #6 treble. We use 3-4" shiners never more than 18" off the bottom. All the tip ups have bells and lights so we get there quickly.

Hope this helps a little...

[BojiHawk]

Buckshot rattle spoons....swear by them.  I like to drill a series of holes across breakline...fish each one hard and fast...watch the vex.  This allows you to move as the fish move on and off the different depths.  I never fish a hole more than 4-5 minutes at sundown....start with about 10 holes 5 strides apart...slam than spoon into the bottom and cloud up the bottom a little...then raise that bait to the top of the sediment clould and aggressively jig or just quiver it.  When the mark rises and stops to look at it, if he doesn't grab it, slowly use the "escape" technique.  Slowly raise your rod tip in 2" increments..sometimes, as you go to pull it up further, the rod tip will not.  Hook it up...and get back down ASAP.  It seems I can catch 2-3 at a time...then move...don't "wait it out".  Terrible ice fishing technique....even if your in a permy, drill some holes you can walk out to around it.  Sometimes the caught walleyes will scatter the remaining buddies out a little ways.

[Blaine]

Great advice there!

[wally-eye]

One of the local lakes I ice fish I usually start out in the afternoon in about 18fow and then after dark move to 4 to 6 fow.  The trick is to have your shallow water holes drilled well before dark........even walking on the ice in that shallow of water will scatter them........

My rig is 8 lb fireline micro ice with a 3 ft piece of 6 lb mono as a leader.............my go to bait, when all else isn't working is the old standby Buckshot rattle spoon tipped with three perch minnows, one minnow thru the eyes on each treble..............do n't have to jig it a lot, more of a shake than a jig.............then hang on, nothing like a 5 lb eye in 4 fow, they think they're a steelhead.......lol...

[mix123]

Im new to fishing for walleye through the ice aswell. I have a new St. Croix ultralite and an HT Medium rod. Just wondering which you guys would use more often for walleye? I caught a small 1 lb walleye on the ultralite the other day and seemed good for feeling small hits....would it be too light for anything larger?

[Adam Bomb]

If your going to fish walleye, you definitely dont want an ultra light. Use your medium action St. Croix for the task. Lot more back bone to put the hook home and will handle larger fish. Not to mention the medium action rod will be suited much better for jigging larger jigs/spoons/swimbaits commonly used for walleye.

As far as my rigs, I personally use medium and medium heavy jigging rods for walleye in 28" and 32". I have a medium light 28" that i use for my deadstick rod. My rods are St. Croix, Rapala and Berkley Gary Roach Lightening rods.

For reels i run Shimano Sedona 500 FA's(not made anymore), Shimano Sedona 750, and Phlueger Trions. All great reels with infinite anit reverse(a must for jigging) and super smooth drags which is important when fighting larger fish.

As far as line is concerned, i use Berkley Trilene XL in 8# w/6# Berkley Vanish leaders. I also use 8# Power Pro with 6# Vanish leaders.

I always carry at least 8 rods out on the ice with me rigged with several different presentations. Rods with different jigs, rods with spoons and rods with swim baits in different sizes/styles or colors. That way i dont have to retie out on the ice just to change presentations. Keeps me effiscient and my bait in the water. I also only jig with one rod in conjunction with my electronics. I find that i concentrate more on my presentation and am able to manipulate more fish into striking. And when i get that strike i miss allot less fish. Although i only jig one rod i always have another rod baited up and ready to go incase i should miss a fish. I keep the lure in my minnow bucket so the bait doesnt freeze up. Should i miss a fish i simple grab the rod and drop it down the hole...much quicker than rebaiting.

[Hardwaternubie53]

Do you tip the chubby darters with bait of any kind?

[Adam Bomb]

I fish em clean.

[Hardwaternubie53]

THANKS!

 Any advice on how to fish them (the chubby darters)? Large movement up & down, or little? Deadstick? What works best- new to darters & 'eyes.

[Adam Bomb]

I like to drop the darter to the bottom, then reel it up about a foot. Then i do a lift and drop for long range attraction. Then when i have fish on the sonar ill repetitively bob the rod tip, while holding the heigth...Then ill pause. Usually the fish will strike it. If not, ill begin bobbing the rod again as i life the bait away from the fish. They usually come up and hit then. If not, ill raise it yet again and nod the rod. Then if they dont bite ill do a short sharp lift drop to try and trigger a strike. This will do one of two things. Theyll hit or swim like heck. Darters are a good bait, i just find they work a whole lot better when fish are aggressive. I fish a jiggin rap in the same manner...This is a good starting point, but dont be affraid to experiment cause there arent many hard and fast rules when it comes to fishin'.

[iluvcrappie]

I have found that the best way to fish the darter is to just keep it moving until something shows up and slowly jig your rod tip as to make the hooks move just a little bit and this usually works for me..........otherwise I just throw down a Frostee Jiggin Spoon tipped with a crappie minnow head or half a fathead and jig that...........that tends to work really well..........as for using an ultra light rod for walleyes I use mine all the time and pull 5-6 lbers out of the hole without any problems.............. just let the drag do the work and don't horse the fish in..................it is just more of a challenge to use light line and a light rod................... ...I find it more fun..........just my .02