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Okay I know they were still hitting jigs just before ice up and I've heard lots of stories of catching them in other states through the ice using live minnows, but does anyone have hints what I could try here in Utah for a walleye through the ice? What locations they tend to look for in the winter? Just wanting to try a new game since the Porcupine Kokes and Hyrum trout and Newton Perch are so small and I don't have time to hit Bear Lake. Anyone willing to offer some general or specific ideas? Thanks J
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I treat Walleye through the ice much the same as I do Burbot while on the ice. I fish for them after dark and in areas I know they moving into shallow water to feed.
At times I like using a blade bait (lots of vibration) and jig for them in the same manner I would for white bass. I have picked them up on 1 1/2" glow tubes tipped with a small shiner or strip of sucker skin, or a head hooked crawler. I drill my holes at least 2 hours before sun set. Keep your lighting low (if I use it, I keep my lantern in a 5gl bucket). Think stealth above the ice, not so much below the ice.
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There are lots of theories about Walleye through the ice, but the primary technique is live minnows, which are illegal in Utah. So be satisfied when you get one every now and then, but to consistently catch them live bait is the key !!
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I know you had your crazy wild ideas about ice adventures, but I wonder if the shallow backwaters might hold promise.
Seen some bass and slabbos being yanked through some shallow iced over waters. There's another where I'd run into messes of minnows last spring, and wonder if the ice out there might hold some night-time promise. Would bet some of the more toothy/mouthy types make a night-time swoop to fill their bellies a bit . . .
Tried Willard bay one year - early morn, before dawn. But alas - it was a desert!
I'd be game to give it a try if you wanna hook up.
OR - we head to Oneida and do it up!!!
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[quote Therapist]There are lots of theories about Walleye through the ice, but the primary technique is live minnows, which are illegal in Utah. So be satisfied when you get one every now and then, but to consistently catch them live bait is the key !![/quote]
You can get them with blade baits like Coldfooter suggests. There are other lures / plastics that can work too but you have to be on top of them to catch them and through the ice that often means drilling a lot of holes. The guys I know who consistently catch eyes through the ice usually drill 200+ holes in a day to find them... I'm too lazy for that[  ] (This is at a lake with a lot of shad, if you find the bait balls through the ice you're on them).
Fishing at night and shallow will also increase your odds but not many people night fish.
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What about an artificial minnow?
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Thanks for the tips, do they shut off during daylight hours? I'm not much of a night fisher. Maybe they will be more of a challenge than I can meet. I thought it might be fun to try though. Thanks for the info. J
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Yote guess I'm going on a crazy scouting trip this morning are you off work? Got a funeral tomorrow so I guess today is my only chance this week. I'll let ya know what I find if you're not free to try it this morning. I think Oneita could be fun if the ice was safe. Not sure what you would find with the power generation there they fluctuate the water level often and so the ice may be scary. Heading out about 7 if your free. Later J
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I haven't ever tried them, and I don't have any but they might work. I'll probably stick to what I know and hope it works through ice. I'm afraid the tip about lots of holes might be right. If you can find them or a spot they like to swing through you might have a chance but I bet that will be the challenge. Later J
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[#0000FF][cool]There are only a few walleye waters that freeze in Utah and each of them takes different approaches. They range from shallow Utah Lake to deeper Willard Bay and deepest Starvation and Deer Creek. Also a few stray wallies in a couple of other waters but those are the main ones. Yuba used to be fantastic but is hardly worth the effort as a carp condo.
I have caught individual walleyes from all of the better walleye habitats...both open water and through the ice. With few exceptions these fish were caught "on accident" while fishing for other species...or just anything and everything. I got no pride. I usually fish for perch...or white bass...but I gladly accept toothy volunteers.
I have fished walleyes from a lot of the midwest habitats and I have read plenty of articles and watched hours of TV programs on "standard" walleye fishing. And I have tried a lot of the tricks and techniques I have learned from them. Some of them work on our silly Utah transplants, but Utah is different and so are our fish.
First of all, most of the renowned midwestern and northerly walleye lakes have huge populations of walleyes...so there are places where you have a much better shot at finding a hungry walleye in a day of fishing. And these lakes usually have multiple species of forage fish (minnows) to keep the walleyes plentiful and healthy. Also, these lakes are mostly natural lakes...or at least lakes on larger rivers that flow year round to keep the lakes at fairly constant levels. Sound like Utah? Not.
We gotta take what we get and be happy for it. But fishing with live minnows is not always necessary. A lot of anglers in the other walleye states simply tip their spoons and jigs with a piece of a small minnow, for flavor, and do quite well. But it does help if you have more fish to fish for.
Plenty of walleyes caught in Utah on dead minnows. Fish them whole or pieces pinned on jigs. However, the walleyes in Utah seem to like crawler-sweetened jigs almost as well as minnows.
In earlier days...before wipers...Willard Bay had more walleyes and they were easier to catch. Since wipers and shad have entered the picture the walleyes have changed their feeding habits and are not as easily found and caught during the winter. But in days of old it was possible to sneak on the ice before first light, drill a few holes in an area and then jig a small silver spoon...without bait...and you could often take several small wallies before the first sociable and noisy fellow anglers stomped out on the ice to set up right next to you. I have not been able to duplicate that success in the past few years.
Deer Creek has lots of walleyes but the tend to go to the deepest parts of the lake and sulk a lot through the winter. Occasionally they will cruise in shallower and smack an offering meant for trout or perch. But if you fish solely for the walleyes...no matter what you use...you will seldom leave the ice happy.
Utah Lake is a fairly shallow lake...by most midwest walleye standards. But it does grow lots of walleyes and they get big and fat on the white bass and other smaller species. And you can target them and catch them if you find the underwater structure and depths they prefer. But the big problem is the shallow water and the inherently spooky nature of the walleyes. They simply avoid your spot if they can see your shadow through the ice and hear your noisy shuffling and banging above them. One of the guys I know who has occasional success with winter walleyes on Utah Lake fishes whole dead minnows...on a rod set some distance away from his second hole. He leaves the rod with the bail open on the spinning reel and the line wrapped around an empty "beverage" can. If a walleye (or cat...or white bass) picks up the bait, the falling can audibly signals the take and the line can run out freely until he gets there to set the hook...hopefully.
In years past, before gas augers, sonar and all the other silly modern refinements, we used to chop a single hole in the ice at Lincoln Beach with an axe (getting wet in the process) and then jig a hammered brass spoon all day in the same hole. We caught all species...including walleyes...on that "refined" approach. I wonder if we are overthinking it today.
When Yuba was in its heyday, jigging a 3/8 oz gold Kastmaster with a piece of perch meat on it would not only catch the huge perch but also more than a few walleyes. Not many of either in the lake these days.
Starvation is usually a frustrating puzzle for folks who wanna ice a wallie. Those with cameras watch the walleyes swimming around their lures, along with the perch, and are frustrated when they can't coax a bite. But, there are a few regulars that can target walleyes and occasionally hang a few. They almost always use some kind of jigging spoon, like the rattling Buckshot...with or without sweetener. The key is to find where the fish are hanging out or moving through and watch the sonar. When you mark fish start varying your jigging action to get the fish to respond.
Walleye are well known for being nocturnal feeders. And fishing for them at night will help insure that you are not pestered by perch in your efforts. Unlike their larger cousins (walleye), perch go to sleep at night and do not bite well. So the fish moving beneath your sonar beam are more likely to be the toothy guys. Using glow sometimes helps, but walleye do just fine without it. However, using something with noise...rattles, blades or beads...will help the fish find your offerings better.
Even though walleyes are nocturnal, there are a lot of them caught during daylight hours too. This is especially true at Starvation. The water is deeper and the fish forage more actively through the day. The midwest walleye guys also catch walleye all day long.
I have done well in several places in the past by using plastics...regular or glow...with or without crawler or minnow parts. You can wiggle and jiggle them seductively without a lot of jerking. Too much action can turn off a cautious walleye.
Winter walleye fishing is not a high percentage thing. But, they can be caught. It just takes going to a known walleye habitat and using tactics that are likely to interest one of those beasts.
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my old man and I have gotten some over the years at DC, a few have been on accident for sure but some we were actually targeting them at sundown on a rocky point that has a gravel ledge near it. I had a hard time picking them up but my dad always seemed to manage 1 or 2 every week we tried but this was probly 4 to 5 years back. when we would get em it was in less than 20 feet right when the sun would go down and would just use chartruese tubes tipped with waxies. Last year i managed a 22 incher in about 50 feet of water if i remember right and it was my only bite of that trip, i was not fishing for eyes either.
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Been there done that !!! Back in the day, we would set up on a spot at Yuba and drill 30- 40 holes, swiss cheese it. Work the whole area for a couple of hours, then move to another spot. There would be 3 or 4 of us, each drilling 10 - 15 holes apiece, so we covered it pretty good. Never were able to be consistent with the catching. Early season ice is always best, but just after ice out is better !!!
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Thanks TD we're on the ice trying it now. Thanks for lots of great advice and things to try. Let ya know how it goes. Later J
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Trying a spot like you mention now. So far no fish but its a fun adventure. Later J
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During the day fish the bottom of breaks about 50ft or so near shallow feeding flats. Walleyes will move up and down to chase perch. I have more success with a hair jig tipped with nightcrawler than I have with rattling jigs. One tactic used a lot in the midwest is to use a rattling jig in one hole and a deadstick in a hole about four to six feet away. The jig will attract walleyes and the dead stick seals the deal. I fished the midwest for over 15yrs and 90% of the time my jigs were tipped with half a minnow so live bait is not required. Finding the right location is.
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thats how i do it
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I like those ideas, but I couldn't find a spot like that. We ended up catching catfish instead or at least ShawDog did. I ended up SkunkedAgain but it was a fun adventure until we got back to the truck and found out someone smashed into it while we were out fishing. Sorry Dog hope they can fix it right.
I think that's the first time I've seen channels caught through the ice. I'll post a picture later when I get on the computer. We didn't weigh or measure but they were nice cookie cutters probably 17 to 21 inch range. Fun day even with the bad news on the tail end. Later J
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I think my nose was itchin....did someone mention that wonderful word?
I like the Swedish pimple or just a glow jig(the lighter the better)... I get the bling going on(silver) and tip with a BIG crawler. Remember those Eye's look UP not down so your presentation is the key if you find where they hang out. Perch pretty much hug the bottom hiding from their big cousin right now and the Eyes move a couple feet above...Drop your lure to the bottom and reel up a couple feet...then every 5 minutes or so I raise my line about 5-6 feet(my arms length) and let it drop back down(slower the better). The drop is the catch baby!
Not catching Eye's in daylight is a MYTH! I've caught them anytime of the day.. and even in 90 F at noon. P & L is the key! Good Luck!
Smiles Always!
MA
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That's terrible to have your truck broken into! Where were you guys at? Could use a heads up so we can be aware and keep an eye out.
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Wasn't broken into it got hit by another vehicle that I guess the driver fell asleep or was texting or something and it looks like they were trying to get it back on the road but our truck was there and they hit it pretty hard. The cop said it rolled the other vehicle after they hit the truck. Too bad it wasn't my truck it's older and not a brand new one. Anyway it sort of puts a damper on the day. Later J
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