weed die off on lakes

[Salmonquest]

Howdy everyone. My question is about lakes with massive weed die off. I started fishing a new lake this year and thought I was being clever marking some major weed edges on my GPS for ice fishing. Much to my chagrin when I got out this year and lowered my camera no weeds to be found in any of the spots I marked. These are major weed beds so I know they must just die off in the winter. This lake has a 30' main basin and some well defined drop offs. My hope is to target Blue Gill and Walleye which I know from experience are in there.

So my question is where to look if I can't find any weeds? I've covered acres and acres of the lake drilling more holes then I care to count. i've gonve from 6' flats to the deep edge of drop offs. I haven't checked the deep hole yet. I've marked nothing on my graph or with my camera.

I'm not sure if I should just find a likely spot and fish it hard hoping, or continue to punch holes and search until I start marking or seeing on the camera?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. 

[cwavs1982]

Sounds like after the weed die off, they have moved out over the deep basin.  I would suggest you start looking in that area. 

Once the weeds die off, there is nothing there to really hold them there.  They will follow wherever the bait fish and bugs are.  This is typical what happens in the mid winter pattern. 

[Ronnie D]

A lot of lakes that have homeowners on the frontage spread algaecides to get their watercraft access & control odor.
Look up the lake in your states listing or check w/ homeowners association web-site.

[perch chacer]

The weeds in the deeper shallows, like 6-10' will die down due to ice cover and lack of sun light in the Winter.  Try checking sallower water, like less then 6', you should find weeds there.  The gills will not stay out in open lake bottom because of the predator fish.  As for the walleyes, they should be found at the drop-off edges and down the slopes to the deep bottom.  These are general rules, but I don't know your lake situation.

[Salmonquest]

Thanks for the input fellas!