White Bass & First Walleye

[ZRWHAT]

1/21/11 7-10PM, Wawasee  Decided to head out to a deep basin to try and catch a few White Bass with a buddy.  We were fishing in 37-40fow and periodically marked fish that were interested but couldn't get a bite.  I switched from Chubby Darters, Roadrunners, Plastics, Spoons.......Finally ended up getting a hit and cathcing one on a Glow Lindy Darter tipped with spikes.  The fish was in the 14" range, and unfortunately forgot to take a picture.

1/22/11 2-8PM, Sylvan  We decided to give Sylvan a try again, two weekends ago in the morning we had seen quite a few in the camera that were interested but no biters.  This time we headed out for the evening bite and setup in the same exact spot we had been two weeks before.  By dumb luck we had drilled right next to a huge stump two weeks earlier and had marked it on my GPS (Funny thing is I had lost a pole to my shappell and when I walked us out to the stump there was my missing pole in the snow ).  Not sure if the stump was actually helping but we had seen quite a few fish on the previous trip so didn't think it would hurt.  We had 6 tip-ups out with a mix of Shiners & Large Crappie Minnows, and the three of us were switching between spoons/pimples tipped with both full live minnows & heads and our gill poles. I had a couple small eye's come flying in and hit my minnow head but didn't get a hookup.  We also had many fish after dark hit our live minnows but also no hookups.  We ended up catching a 14" bass on a tip-up around 6pm that was somewhat of a disappointment since we had only seen one bass in the cameras all afternoon.  It was cold so we had to keep checking tip-ups to make sure they weren't froze up.  I was out checking my pole on the artic warrior and made the rounds.  We had one tip-up out about 50yds and I couldn't see a flag up but it was a good distance away and we didn't have our lights on the flags.  My buddy yelled out did you check the far tip-up, I said yes and I can't see a flag.  He asked if I had walked all the way over and of course I hadn't so I turned around and walked out to the tipup with my headlight on.  As I got closer and I realized the flag was up but was point directly away from us so all you could see was the thin rod.  I yelled back we have a flag, of course they thought I was blowing them crap since I had just turned around and walked back out to check it.  Whatever it was it wasn't taking line, so at first just thought it was a false alarm.  I lifted the tip up out of the hole which had good 1/4" ice on it.  And whatever was on ripped line out, I pulled in what little slack there was and set the hook.  It fought a little bit but not much til I got it to the hole and it saw my light.  Of course not realizing the ice was so thick in the hole I couldn't get the fish through it and back down the hole it went.  I still couldn't tell if it was a Bass or a Walleye as I am pounding the hole open with one hand and fighting the fish with the other.  My buddies were sitting nice and cozy in the shanty listening to me go crazy trying to get the fish onto the ice.  Finally got the hole broke open enough to get the fish out I brought it back up to the hole and finally got a look at the marble eyes and back down she went.  Third time was it and I pulled her out of the hole, a very nice 22" 4lb'er.  First Walleye through the ice for me, so of course I ran back to the Shanty's and they just about crap their pants  Not a trophy but for sure a good eater and of course now we are talking about our next Walleye trip.

Not sure what the eyes feed on, but this ones stomach was completely empty with the exception of a few Dorsal Fin Spines that appeared they could have been smaller walleye?

[hotdog]

nice. looks like the eggs are looking good.

[Jigmup]

Congratulations on your walleye. Great eating size fish there! Enjoy!

[wax_worm]

Nice story and nice Walter!!!  Good eater there!

[bret]

Great story ZR and that is a fine Indiana walleye!  Congrats!

[blueultra2]

That looks like a good walleye!  And like everyone else has said already.....great story!!

[jhc]

WTG !!!!!

[Gill Gitter]

nice eye there !!! sylvan has some nice ones with the socond largest in the state comin from those waters. congrats and keep on them. did you try jig-n-raps tipped with monnows? eyes love them

[ZRWHAT]

Thanks guys!  Didn't try any jig-n-raps or darters for that matter, not sure why got a box full of em.  Do you use the whole minnow or just the head on the raps?  Shiners caught both the bass and the eye, had lots of action on the big crappie minnows but no hookups.

It was also the maiden voyage for the Finicky's Fish Factory, it worked perfect in the cold/windy night keeping the hole open and jigging away.  Only problem is never had a run on it, maybe next time.

[bret]

Thanks guys!  Didn't try any jig-n-raps or darters for that matter, not sure why got a box full of em.  Do you use the whole minnow or just the head on the raps?  Shiners caught both the bass and the eye, had lots of action on the big crappie minnows but no hookups.

I'll use the head or tail, but rarely the whole minnow.  80 percent of the time I'm just the jiggin rap....no meat.  When they're biting at "prime time" I don't think tipping the jig is needed.  In the middle of the day tipping might help seal the deal.  Good luck!

[Jigmup]

I use just the head but on Erie some put a shiner on every hook.

[wallydan]

love seeing walleyes loks like agood time to cold for me

[theangling1]

WTG.... nice fish for sure. Just curious, do you ever fish Minnesota? I have a fillet knife just like the one you have that I picked up on a trip up there and have never seen any like it around here. Only difference is my handle is all red.

Either way, nice fish.

[abishop]

Nice fish. What type of knife is that?

[ZRWHAT]

The knife is a Leech Lake made by Don Canney.  Best Fillet Knife I have ever owned, still use the electric though when there's a bunch of fish to clean.  Reeds sell Don's knives.

http://www.leechlakeknife.com/Site%204/Home.html

[Gill Gitter]

i like to use smaller crappie minnows and run the treble hook through the head and use the whole minnow. most of the hook ups i get are on just the trebble hook only. by using the whole minnow i will say that you need to wait till the fish bumps it a couple times before you set the hook or sometimes it only has the minnow in its mouth and you will lose the fish. this is my favorite way of fishin for the eyes through the ice. good luck on your next trip

[rico]

Great read and nice 'eye......I do have a question for ya.........What did you catch the Miller Lite on?  Inquiring minds want to know!!!!

[ZRWHAT]

Usually the spoon



But some nights they just jump out of the hole

[Derslayer1]

The knife is a Leech Lake made by Don Canney.  Best Fillet Knife I have ever owned, still use the electric though when there's a bunch of fish to clean.  Reeds sell Don's knives.

http://www.leechlakeknife.com/Site%204/Home.html

I also have that knife made by Don, best knife I ever had,
love the double edge. Mines a pretty aqua blue/green

[mr_mojo]

Usually the spoon

(Image removed from quote.)

But some nights they just jump out of the hole


(Image removed from quote.)

I need to get one of those spoons......