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.