Walleyes

When I’m fishing in 15 feet of water or less, I often pre-drill my holes several hours before I return to fish them. During the late season the holes may stay open for the remainder of safe ice. Try to cut down on making any noise or moving around much: Being cautiously quiet can make the difference between catching the motherlode and no fish at all.

At first-ice, or during years when lakes freeze clear and there’s not much snow cover, look for darker ice or patches of snow on top of the ice. These spots create a shaded edge in shallower (20 feet or less) water—just like weeds, submerged wood, or docks.

Shaded spots conceal your outline and movements, too. Again, walleyes can easily see through clear water and ice, making them leery of any motion. Some anglers have been known to haul large chunks of carpet onto the ice to hide their movements. Another trick is to load a sled with snow, pull it on to the ice, and spread it over the spot you plan to fish.

Ice heaves (pushes, pressure ridges) offer a temporary edge, too. Heaves form similarly to earthquakes—two ice plates, separated by a crack, push against each other until eventually the pressure causes the ice to give way. Some chunks get pushed up, some down. It’s the stuff that gets pushed down that creates a temporary structure. Large ice heaves in shallower lakes can be particularly good. But even in deeper water, walleyes have been found suspending near ice heaves. Be extremely careful of your safety when fishing these areas—it’s some of the most unstable ice out there and must be respected.

Bottom-content edges, such as mud meeting sand or gravel, narrow waterways between two bodies of water, or deeper water holes and bays, can be good. It’s easiest to discover such spots during the open-water season using an underwater camera. Just cruise along in aboat with your Aqua-Vu deployed. When you spot a bottom-content variance, mark it on GPS and return there during ice season.

Fertile bays connected to the main lake are overlooked locations. Due to fishing pressure or buildups of baitfish and bug larvae in these bays, walleyes can make a move into these areas.

Generally, there isn’t a lot of structure here, so key in on any that’s available and stay mobile. Walleyes in this situation are generally aggressive and voracious. Don’t spend a lot of time fishing these spots—they’ll either be there, or they won’t. The times we’ve found them in such duck-hunting bays, the fish were plentiful and hungry.