Fished Greys Landing Friday. Morning started with lots of bites and landing 6 nice trout thru the ice. Real steady bite but a very lite bite. Ended the day with 17 caught but released most. Good day very little wind and very bright.
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Thanks for the report. Unless someone can figure out how to consistently get walleye through the ice down there I probably won't be down there this year, but glad to hear success.
Does anyone catch walleye ice fishing down there?
Windriver
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I've talked to several guys that claim they catch walleye at SFCR thru the ice. I've never saw any of their catch and am lead to believe the walleye must leave for warmer climates. The people that claim they do the best, fish at night and use dead minnows as bait. I will not stay on the ice at night to find out. We don't normally fish deep water but stay in the 20 to 15 foot range. I know where some underwater ridges are but they would be hard to get to. I may try down at the dam where the canyon edge is. I've always saw fish on the edge with my sonar during the summer. It goes from 20 feet to over 100 in a few feet.
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[cool][#0000ff]I have not fished SFCR in the winter but have done well on the wallies there in the warmer months. They seem to act much like the same species in some of Utah's waters so I suspect they act the same in the winter. But you can never assume anything about that species. I think they were put on earth to keep anglers humble.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have often made the comparison between SFCR and Starvation Reservoir in Utah. Deep channels with rocky shorelines and shallow bays. And the fish in SFCR probably feed and hang out in the same types of areas.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That being said, the walleyes in Starvation are not completely predictable either and are often almost impossible to find under the ice. Sometimes you can find them hanging out with perch in water shallower than 30 feet. Other times they are caught on the bottom in over 60 feet of water. And guys with cameras report seeing a lot more than they catch. Hmmm.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have caught a bunch of walleyes through the ice from several different Utah reservoirs. Some on purpose. Most were caught on stuff I was fishing for perch. They both feed on baby perch and other small species during the winter...when they are active. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Some guys fish them on a second rod, using either a whole crawler or a minnow hanging just off the bottom...with a split shot a foot or so above the baited hook. Others prefer to put the bait on some kind of colorful jig head...or even on a small jigging spoon. Both work...sometimes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]How you fish a jig or spoon depends on the mood of the fish. If they are actively cruising and looking for food, it is good to hold the rod and keep the bait and jig moving. Sometimes a lot of action is best. Other times just a "shivver jig" now and then. And there are lots of times when the fish hit "dead stick" baits and lures better than if you are giving it a lot of movement. You have to experiment and see what the fish want. And you have to keep changing up during the day because the moods change. They can go from negative to positive in an instant. Or, they can go from a wide open bite to lockjaw just as fast. Moody suckers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If I were to make it up to SFCR for an ice fishing fest I would look for a point going out into the water and drill a series of holes on both sides in water from about 25 feet out to 45 feet. I would use a good flasher to check the underwater life in each hole...but being aware that the sonar will not work as well on steeply sloping bottom. Sometimes a flatter area on either side of the points are better. At other times the fish will spread out on the flats to feed...especially if the bottom has mud, rocks or weeds that hold invertebrates. Walleyes (especially smaller ones) do feed on worms, leeches and insect larvae during the winter. Bigger fish feed on the smaller fish that inhabit these areas to feed on the bitty bites.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you find an area that holds a lot of small perch...from 2" young of the year to 5" two year olds...there will usually be some walleyes nearby. Those small perch are walleye cheeseburgers. So dropping your jigs and working your lures around perchlets will sometimes bring in the predators. Sometimes.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are two truths in fishing for walleyes. 1. You cain't ketch 'em where they ain't. 2. Finding them is no guarantee you can get 'em to bite.[/#0000ff]
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