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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Walleye => Topic started by: bigredonice on Dec 09, 2005, 10:34 AM

Title: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: bigredonice on Dec 09, 2005, 10:34 AM
Anyone have any consistant luck with walleyes during the day? It seems the only walleye bite that I can get on is during the twilight periods.
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: grumpymoe on Dec 09, 2005, 10:43 AM
dusk and dawn for the most part during hardwater....softwater is a different story as you can induce a reaction strike.....Grump
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: IceGeek on Dec 09, 2005, 11:13 AM
I've found on a few lakes I fish that in addition to the dusk/dawn timeframes there seems to be a less intense feeding period around 11am to 1pm....when there is a bit of snow cover on the lake..otherwise its a dusk/dawn/night kinda thing for me
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Shrek on Dec 09, 2005, 05:12 PM
I have spent a lot of time fishing F/ walleye and find they seem to go on feeding spurts on average every 3 1/2 hours so ,daylight ,again around 11 or near noon ,3 and at dark. just my experience but  I have caught them just about anytime of day,you just have to work for them. ;)
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: fishuhalik on Dec 09, 2005, 05:18 PM
I've got 'em all time of the day on Upper Red in MN while crappie fishing.  Although, there is about 4-5 ft of ice on the lake, not to mention snow cover.  I'm sure it's perty dark down there.
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Traxion on Dec 09, 2005, 07:33 PM
I catch lots of 'eyes during the day with panfish gear.  I have also began using the XL size Genz worms packed with spikes, and have had good daytime luck.  Tipups also produce a few fish. 
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: fishuhalik on Dec 10, 2005, 09:50 AM
I've also caught 'eyes in the middle of the day on Winnibigoshish, which is crystal clear on sunny days.  Just shootin holes in your theory, slip!    ;)2
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: bigredonice on Dec 10, 2005, 11:19 AM
I've also caught 'eyes in the middle of the day on Winnibigoshish, which is crystal clear on sunny days.

What kind of an area were you fishing? Flats? Breaklines? Weeds? Reef?
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: camo_fish on Dec 10, 2005, 04:07 PM
I've also caught 'eyes in the middle of the day on Winnibigoshish, which is crystal clear on sunny days.  Just shootin holes in your theory, slip!    ;)2
What kind of an area were you fishing? Flats? Breaklines? Weeds? Reef?
Yes do tell, where abouts are you targeting them during the sunny daylight hours?  ;D
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: fishuhalik on Dec 10, 2005, 04:35 PM
Same as everywhere else, off breaks, usually about 18-25 fow.  Anyone on this thread ever fished winni?  Help me confirm that 'eyes are caught during the middle of the day out there w/ consistency.   :-[
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: camo_fish on Dec 10, 2005, 05:55 PM
Help me confirm that 'eyes are caught during the middle of the day out there w/ consistency.   :-[
I believe ya, there are articles in In-Fisherman, about daytime walleyes.
The one I got on tipup last year came about 10-11am. Just wondering if there location during the day is alittle different than in the evening. But, just like other fish on the ice, as long as you can locate them and get the bait of choice down to them, BLAM-O, Fish On!  ;D
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: bigredonice on Dec 10, 2005, 07:04 PM
Same as everywhere else, off breaks, usually about 18-25 fow.  Anyone on this thread ever fished winni?  Help me confirm that 'eyes are caught during the middle of the day out there w/ consistency.   :-[

I'm not doubting you...just wanted some info on locations I should be looking at on my home lake
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: timbertom on Dec 12, 2005, 11:45 AM
I lived in the area for 35 years and ice fished Winnie a few times, but mostly fished lakes around Grand Rapids like Pokegama, Sugar, Splithand and Bowstring.  We did catch walleyes during the day, but always had better luck at dawn, dusk and at night.   
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: cstolp on Dec 12, 2005, 12:29 PM
I fish Winnibigoshish several times during softwater and several during hardwater.  We only fish them during daylight hours and catch them throughout the day.  I've been told that there is absolutely no night bite whatsoever.  This is supposedly true of LOW as well.  At least that's what all the resorts and guides seem to think.  I've only ice-fished LOW once.  We rented a sleeper for 2 days and nights and I can tell ya that soon after the sun went down the bite dissappeared.

Chris
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: fishuhalik on Dec 12, 2005, 02:59 PM
As hard as it may be to believe, slip, it's true.  Winni is one of the strangest lakes there is when it comes to eyes.  There is no night bite.  My dad and his dad have been fishing it for years, and have never seen or heard of it.  Cutfoot, which is connected to Winni and is basically just a bay, does have a night bite early in the year around opener, but the big lake does not. 
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: fishuhalik on Dec 12, 2005, 03:55 PM
It is nice!  Wake up around 9, 10 am, take your time getting out.  Fishing during the warmest part of the day, and catching 'eyes.  I've even done good out there when the water looks like glass and it's sunny and 90!  Mmmm... I love winnie 'eyes!!!
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: walleye1 on Dec 13, 2005, 09:52 AM
We catch them during the day on Oneida with some consistency. The key is fishing cloudy days and in deeper water.
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Manny on Dec 14, 2005, 12:16 AM
I have never gotten consistent action for walleye's in daytime, except for first-ice, but the saugers will bite all day.  It's not 'eyes but they are quite entertaining nonetheless.  Since we always fish for saugers deep, in 35-45 feet of water, incidental catches of decent walleyes are quite common.

Like I said, it's not walleyes but it fills the daytime void.

Manny

Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Ashnohgrimbatul on Dec 14, 2005, 09:47 AM
Last year I stumbled upon a spot where the walleye would bite during the day, but only in 30 minute windows...usually at around 11:00am and 3:00pm.  I am not sure if the fish were in the spot and inactive, or if they were on the move and only in the area for brief periods.  I suspect they were moving.
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Little Brown Dog on Dec 14, 2005, 07:24 PM
So, I had to go to the book and see.

of the 24 walleye that I had in there, all but one was caught between 7 and 3
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: swantucky on Dec 16, 2005, 08:23 AM
We catch them all day long on lake Erie sunny , overcast does'nt seem to matter.  When its on its on all day long.  When the bite is tough I would agree late in the day seems to be better.
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: bluegill hunter on Dec 16, 2005, 10:25 AM
We catch them all day long on the Western portion of Lake Sakakawea.  the best bite is actually right around 10 am with not many biting after dark.  After dark one will get mostly ling, catfish and shiners.  When I have fished lake of the woods the guides say that the night bite is really happening however you can catch plenty of fish throughout the day there
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: trapperdirk on Dec 17, 2005, 02:14 AM
Yes there are those prime times at either dusk or dawn on many lakes but it's not when I mostly hunt big eyes and we hunt them till we find them and some days its alot of holes . We fish deep as in 35-40 fow and those fish bite . I am also a firm believer that there are always eyes that will bite on any lake at anytime of day and our best every year come from fishing deep during the day and hunting them down . What we also find is that those areas are mostly devoid of pike when both species inhabit the lake . We catch some smallies there,rockbass and more whitefish often than anything and these eyes are amongst them .
  I have caught some bruisers on flats during the day but its not the norm and I find it hard to stay on the fish for any length of time so I fish deep breaks more . If your lakes are shallower then look for the deepest break in that lake during the day .

              TD
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Cargo on Dec 27, 2005, 01:41 AM
After ice up the water will be very clear for me. The bite will be at dusk and dawn and short maybe 30 minutes. I really look forward to our first good snow and and warm spell, the run off will dirty the water and fishing can get real hot anytime during the day.
        I will jig from daylight to dark changing depths from 14' to 35'. Some of my biggest eyes have come at 10am and 2pm. I really seem to target 17' to 22' drop offs 30' to 35'.
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: ICE LUNATIC on Jan 05, 2006, 08:28 PM
I have caught many walleyes during the day ,the last one i got was at noon time !Thinking it might just be a little luck on my side.....LOL
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: jf5 on Jan 09, 2006, 05:46 PM
In my limited experience for ice walleyes, I have taken most at dusk or after dark. But, there are still exceptions.  Dec 2004 I took a 4lb eye at 12:30 in the afternoon and a few later that day. I have had open water days that I catch many walleyes right in bright sunlight.

Back to the ice though. Some tell you to fish deeper for daytime eyes. If you are catching them in say 6 FOW along a weedline at dark. Try 15+ FOW out from the weedline during the day...

Best part is when you can fish a lake for pike and eyes all day, then switch all traps to eyes that night! So if the day bite is slow, you have other species for action....
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: bigredonice on Jan 09, 2006, 06:04 PM
caught my first ice fishing daytime legal walleye yesturday.  Noon.  Bright sun. 18" walleye on a jigging spoon. 20 feet of water. 
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: jf5 on Jan 09, 2006, 06:21 PM
caught my first ice fishing daytime legal walleye yesturday.  Noon.  Bright sun. 18" walleye on a jigging spoon. 20 feet of water. 

There you go Lance!! Nice!

I can't wait to get on the ice for some eyes in VT...2 more weeks!!
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Pasquatch on Jan 09, 2006, 07:22 PM
I BEAT LANCE TO A FISHING MILESTONE! Will this tear a hole in the universe?

Good job Lance!
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: dwayne on Jan 11, 2006, 11:10 AM
There you go man.  Nice job and the best part is, IT WASN'T EVEN ON A TIPUP, thank god you didn't have to resort to using one of those to catch a walleye.  :clap: :clap: :thumbsup:

Easy on the tip-ups....they keep me in fresh walleye all winter long...
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: woodyvt on Feb 01, 2006, 12:35 PM
I agree with Shrek Re: Daytime Walleyes Reply #4 on: Dec 09, 2005, 06:12 PM

When we fish for walleys, yes the action slows during the day, but we still manage to catch them.  Since we fish for perch and northerns as well we keep pretty busy most of the day.

If fishing for just walleyes I would definately go at night when they are the most active.
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: fishcrusher on Feb 04, 2006, 07:55 PM
Its all true, eyes really do bite in the afternoon, all year long.  AS LONG as barometric pressure is correct.  When a front has moved in (this is in saskatchewan), don't even bother, two weeks ago this situation, saw 22 eyes on camera, not one taker.  theyd come in and come back when really ripping it, but just plain wouldn't.  on Dec 22, from 11:00 to 2:30 I caught 27 eyes- biggest was only 4 pounds though, but all in 15 feet of water.  Barometric was 101 steady.  Then 2 days later, at 11:30am my dad caught a 6.5lb eye in the same spot 15 fow.  But as to depths, generally fish 20+ fow, I try to get on slow tapers from 20-30 fow.  If they bite in shallower, theyv got to be deeper too.  Always try to have holes dug out before you move out, that way if bite slows down in morning, move out 5 fow, and so on, stay on as long as possible.  This uaually gets me to noon.
Fishcrusher
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Rockfish on Feb 10, 2006, 07:28 PM
I catch 'em with some consistancy throughout the day although there do seem to be spurts of heightened activity from 9-11am and 1-3 pm.  I tend to fish deep in the 40-50 ft range during this and then move shallow in late afternoon to find them when they move shallow.

Rockfish
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Kolby on Feb 11, 2006, 08:10 AM
I agree, the weather pattern really influences your success and productive depths.  "Nice" days with some sun and mild temps and I find fish coming in to 6-10 FOW for the first hour or two of the day, and they'll inhale untipped swimming lures.  Throw in a nasty cold snap, winds out of the north, and you see fish moving in later in the morning, the intense activity takes place out deeper, say 10 to 13 FOW, and you need to play with them using different presentations as not as many fish will commit after they start that rush up to your lure.  One thing that can help folks get on more mid day walleye action is to think laterally.  In other words, if you can't stay on your fish by moving deeper and deeper as the morning turns into afternoon, you can sometimes find they have moved laterally to a cup or area of sharper breaks cutting into the flat, and you may still find them at that last productive depth they were biting at earlier in the morning.  Maybe not true for really deep lakes, but it happens on quite a few shallower bodies of water, with not much deep structure to relate to during the day.

Kolby Kester
www.iawalleye.com
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: Tip-UpTommer on Feb 16, 2006, 08:22 PM
a 16 incher(had a cool looking blue colored tail) caught at 12:15 p.m today(Feb. 16) in 10 fow. also had a total of 7 flags (lost 3 eyes about 16 in at the hole) in the same depth between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Bottom line..... what depth to fish at what time of day depends entirely on the lake. all lakes are different and fish will do what they want no matter what the best fisherman can do. i do however think that walleyes feed more just before light and just before dark, at every lake that walleyes inhabit. Timing is ALMOST everything.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/DeerHunterTommer/16in.jpg)
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: adipose on Mar 07, 2006, 10:08 AM
Its all true, eyes really do bite in the afternoon, all year long.  AS LONG as barometric pressure is correct.  When a front has moved in (this is in saskatchewan), don't even bother, two weeks ago this situation, saw 22 eyes on camera, not one taker.  theyd come in and come back when really ripping it, but just plain wouldn't.  on Dec 22, from 11:00 to 2:30 I caught 27 eyes- biggest was only 4 pounds though, but all in 15 feet of water.  Barometric was 101 steady.  Then 2 days later, at 11:30am my dad caught a 6.5lb eye in the same spot 15 fow.  But as to depths, generally fish 20+ fow, I try to get on slow tapers from 20-30 fow.  If they bite in shallower, theyv got to be deeper too.  Always try to have holes dug out before you move out, that way if bite slows down in morning, move out 5 fow, and so on, stay on as long as possible.  This uaually gets me to noon.
Fishcrusher
Its all true, eyes really do bite in the afternoon, all year long.  AS LONG as barometric pressure is correct.  When a front has moved in (this is in saskatchewan), don't even bother, two weeks ago this situation, saw 22 eyes on camera, not one taker.  theyd come in and come back when really ripping it, but just plain wouldn't.  on Dec 22, from 11:00 to 2:30 I caught 27 eyes- biggest was only 4 pounds though, but all in 15 feet of water.  Barometric was 101 steady.  Then 2 days later, at 11:30am my dad caught a 6.5lb eye in the same spot 15 fow.  But as to depths, generally fish 20+ fow, I try to get on slow tapers from 20-30 fow.  If they bite in shallower, theyv got to be deeper too.  Always try to have holes dug out before you move out, that way if bite slows down in morning, move out 5 fow, and so on, stay on as long as possible.  This uaually gets me to noon.
Fishcrusher
but your date was dec 22nd.and if you recall we had a stable weather system(s) around that time and you were still in early eye date/time.the walleye fishing would have been good all the way up to this date cause we had a run of stable weather then BOOM after xmas as the norm,we run into unstable weather up here in saskatchewan.It is this unstable weather that brings on the search and find walleye troubles.so crusher you are correct in what you say but just wanted to point out the fact that walleye fishing is normally good till early jan.depending on weather stability.then throw in other factors like lake types and excess food etc.man we gotta be thinkin all the time up here
Title: Re: Daytime Walleyes
Post by: perchwisher on Mar 07, 2006, 07:30 PM
I had a fluke day on chautauqua lake.Didnt do much in the morning one tap and then all the locals left and about noon i went hole hopping.I fished all there holes till i hit the mother load limited in one hour me and my buddy! 10 fish in one hour.It was hot!!!!Off point chautauqua!Best day i ever had.During the day i would say just stay mobile fish a hole 20 minutes and move till you hit them.They go somewhere during the day.