Complete 180

[A- bomb]

Well finally a year with good ice. However, the kid and I just couldn’t seem to get on em. Been to the waypoints of past, lakes of past, even chased the hot bite tips from others…yep struggling!
Even hit a community hole and only marked 2 fish all afternoon.  Like not even catching dinks!
So instead of chasing nothing, did a 180 and will lleave the gills and perch to the guys that know how to catch em!


Put a few clues together and started targeting walleye and basin gills and it’s paid off!  Got some good eyes and nice gills.  Thanks to those who helped
 ( jigmup) and others. Been hitting 3-4 a night on the eyes and some really decent gills.  About half have been 15 3/4” and the rest keepers up to 25”.

[Graygills22]

Way to get on em, good catch there!

[Hog Daddy]

Nice Going A-bomb. It's good have a reverse gear and use it sometime. 

What was your modus operandi for tricking them walters?  ( I admit to blowing up the picture of the bluegill to read the tape, lol )

HHD

[A- bomb]

Well….
They are eating bugs!
Most walleye have hit a spike on a fly. 2# floro. Same as the gills!
A couple shorts on a rap and they won’t touch a shiner on a tip up…..
But a crappie minnow on floro has put some on the ice and in the oil!!!
Seems they are looking for tid bits!
But all have been fat!!
So they are eating lots of whatever tiny bug hatches under the ice!
Oh and the 12” bass will get ya tired chasing flags on the little minis!
Hog daddy you still tie those darter head feather jigs?
And finally some willing perch

[Hog Daddy]

A-bomb, Just so you know ( I enlarged the perch picture too )....some good eating there.  wtg.
On the walleye I thought you were going to say you made a 1/4 oz version of the a-bomb with a dropper hook ??
Interesting they were hitting your tiny offering.

You remembered my bluegill jigs, lol.  After being a big bluegill fisherman, I got into crappie fishing and made crappie jigs, and more recently got corrupted into chasing after walleyes which I pretty much suck at.  I've not been tying jigs much lately but making a few walleye rigs, etc.  I did sit down the other day and tie
 up my favorite bluegill jig which you were referring to...the darter head with glow head and black hackle.  Of course the a-bombs you sent me a few years back, got me standing in the finger nail polish isle getting weird looks from women, and then got into making my own ice jig creations.   

HHD

[TeacherPreacher]

Nice fish Abomb! I remember back in the day when you were giving tutorials on your Abombs! This site was lit up with guys wanting info. Fun times!
Teach

[tater140]

Congrats on the eyes... I intend on chasing them around here soon.  Just curious how big of a fly you fish for the eyes when fishing local?    Like a #12 hook??? that seems small for a walleye.  i have fished small spoons, etc.. in the past without much luck around here, and I can't say either that I have had much luck on tip ups.  It's interesting to me to have to downsize to such a small offering here in our natural lakes, but when you go to erie or saginaw bay you almost can't get a bait big enough for those walleye.  I have fished big spoons there with 3-4" shiners hanging off of each treble and had them just nail it.

[A- bomb]

Well the eyes were a surprise catch as we fished for gills.
So yes, just a size 12 a bomb and a spike.
Also on some larger flies as in the pic.
But what ever is up there it must be tiny!
The pic shows the baits they have ate.
Tip ups and dead stick rods with a crappie mini took a few also but not what I expected.  And the bass drive ya nuts!



Yep the hog daddy’s too!!
About out of them. The crappie in the spring hammer them!!!

[tater140]

Thanks for the advice on the baits.... I have some smaller hair jigs, will have to do some digging around and see if I can find them.   I'm going to do some exploring maybe this weekend to try to find some.  Any depths you suggest targeting... My assumption is deeper weed edges, points, turns, etc...  but maybe i'm off in that assumption. 

[marmooskapaul]

Heck of a lot easier to clean walleye than a pile of bluegill lol
Fish on!!

[A- bomb]

Our fish are outside the weeds, basically on a flat or basin bottom.
About 20’ is as deep as we have gone.
And yes to the easier cleaning!!!

[Jigmup]

Slow playin'
LMAO