Your experiences on the spook factor

[Kolby]

I follow the belief that you must drill many holes and move around if you want walleye success under the ice, especially on the marginal walleye waters I fish.  However, many times on the waters I fish, it seems THE INTITIAL DRILLING OVER AN AREA WILL KILL ANY CHANCES OF CATCHING Walleye FOR ABOUT AN HOUR.  How can you expect to drill 20 holes over and along side a nice point or reef, mark fish and catch them within 15 to 30 minutes like all the "Ice professionals" preach - that stuff may work on the prime walleye lakes they fish that have 20 fish an acre, but not on my Reservoirs. 

Another factor I question on the big mobility belief, is let's say you start an afternoon fishing a prime area, it's 1:00PM and most of the fish are probably down along the sides not doing much, but you know a few will move up and be suseptible at dusk.  You decide to drill some holes anyway, hoping to coax a neutral fish or two, along the sides and a few on top and some way out in the deeper stuff.  You fish till 2:00 or so marking very few fish and catching none.  Well, it must be time to move, you think - you know staying mobile is hip!  So off you go to try some timber or weeds nearby, starting all over again you punch holes and go through the same process, only now it's 4:30 and you know all fish will be turning on soon.  You stick it out and notice some guys fishing your spot you were on earlier.  And, their reeling them in left and right!  Did these fish just come back from your swiss cheese treatment or are they "turning on"?

I read so much about mobility - But how can you be mobile when drilling holes shuts an area down for an hour?

What are your experiences with drilling many holes (20+) in an area, marking fish and catching them all within a few minutes (Deep or shallow fish)?  And I'm talking Walter hear, not crappies - You could dynamite your holes and catch crappies right away. 

[IceTroll]

Creo,
I have never been convinced that drilling holes spooks or shuts down the fish. I have caught many many walleye on tipups while I was actually still drilling holes in the area. Think about it. No matter what time of year it is, on any given body of water, there is always going to be sounds and activity going on above the fish or in their general vicinity. We catch walleyes while trolling harnesses on fairly windy days while trolling with a kicker or sometimes even the big motor. You talked about your fishery being marginal and they may just be your problem. You didnt mention a state or specific body of water. I simply am not convinced that drilling holes is killing your fishing although I would not purposefully make more noise than I have to. My suggestion to you might be to spread out over several structure features in your fishing spot and sit it out until some active fish move into your set up. I believe in mobility but if its not working for you then you gotta adapt to your lake. You might also try getting there early and drilling as many holes as you can in the beginning so you can change locations in a more stealthy manner throughout the day. For what its worth.

[JT]

Icetroll nailed it,I've never felt that was a problem.

[Kolby]

That's what I wanted to here fellas.  Thank you for your thoughts!  I've been busting my hump on some lakes around Des Moines, Iowa - Reservoirs under 1000 acres, shad based, and only coming up with 2 or 3 eyes in a day.  I would say for every 50 holes I drill I'll mark 3 fish and catch 1.  It may be in 20 feet of water or 50 feet.  Suckers are scattered like crazy evidently.  Being on deep stump flats and some around points.  But I keep moving every couple hours to different structure types and depths, thinking I'll start picking up concentrations on the Vex.  It just won't happen. 

The reason I wanted your input was the fish I have been catching are coming out of the holes I drilled earlier in the day, as I backtrack from structure to structure to my starting point.  And yes all have come in the last hour and a half of the day.  I'm not giving up on the midday thing though! Thanks a bunch! 

[iceman480]

Just the other day I drilled my holes and dropped the line three minutes later I was reeling a Walleye I dont think drilling spooks fish . Maybe if the water is shallow but I fish indeeper water.