Fishing Forum

Hey,

Does anybody on here target or consistently catch walleye through the ice? I have started to really enjoy fishing for walleye in the summer at Willard, but have no idea where or how to get them through the ice. I know that DC and Starvation have some as well as Willard, but does anybody catch them in the winter. I would love to learn a little about where and how you are doing it? Any tips or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Plug-puller
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Only winter walleye consistency involves pulling ziplocked bags of summer fillets from out of the freezer. Some buddies & I have managed several 12-14"ers from Starvation when they're with a school of jumbo perch we're fortunate enough to be over, but that's about it. You must be from the Midwest.
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Until you can use live bait ( minnows) you will not have consistent success with Walleye through the ice. You can still catch them, but you need to hunt them more than fish for them. Time of day is really critical also. Low light, before sunrise and after sunset. Target the same period on the ice that you would normally, 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes before sunset. Your choice of lures will also be different. Jigging Rapalas' in 5 & 7's, the jigging shads, blade baits, and spoons would be the choice. Sweeten the bait with a minnow head ( I use gold fish, cheap, readily available ), but they must be DEAD !!! Small perch are also good, but I find fresh goldfish work best. Be prepared to drill a lot of holes, different depths, different bottom types. Like I said, it is more hunting than fishing. I would fish Deer Creek, Starvation, and Yuba more than Utah Lake and Willard. More structure and different areas to target.