Muskegon Lake Walleyes

[kcarlson]

I usually ICE fish the 30fow all day for the eyes, and I have had some success. I was thinking about trying shallow water this year, maybe during the no light hours. Anyone ever ICE fish for walleye at night on Muskegon Lake?
The best walleye action for me the last three years has been from 2:30pm till dark, then nothing after that. So I was thinking they must be moving to the shallows??

Thanks

[wally-eye]

5 to 8 fow works after dark......:evilsmile but you have to be quiet........can't just walk up to that shallow water and drill a hole and expect to catch a fish. Usually be in the shallow water just before dark with all holes drilled, sitting down and real quiet. Just footsteps in that shallow water is enough to send then scattering at times.

I fish a local unnamed lake in the winter where quite often I catch eyes in 3 to 4fow. Just a blast cus they go crazy in that shallow water, you think you have a steelhead on instead of an eye.........

Don't be afraid to work the shallows especially if there are still some scattered weeds still up.

[N M Mechanical]

Same time frame for me the last three years I have not yet caught one through the ice after dark :help:

[kcarlson]

Thanks Guys. I will be trying the shallows this winter come an hour before dark. Wally-eye are you using a jigging rap in the shallows?
Thanks again

[wally-eye]

Thanks Guys. I will be trying the shallows this winter come an hour before dark. Wally-eye are you using a jigging rap in the shallows?
Thanks again



I do but my go to bait for the past 3 winters is a buckshot rattle spoon tipped with 3 perch minnows..............have tried just heads but the three perch minnows hooked in the head, one on each treble seems to be the extra flash they like. Doesn't take a lot of jigging either, more of a shake of the rod to get the minnies jumping around a little. But that depends on the fish also.....let the graph/flasher tell you the action the fish are looking for.

The color of the buckshot spoon can vary day by day or even hour by hour at times.........


Dan

[kcarlson]

I do but my go to bait for the past 3 winters is a buckshot rattle spoon tipped with 3 perch minnows..............have tried just heads but the three perch minnows hooked in the head, one on each treble seems to be the extra flash they like. Doesn't take a lot of jigging either, more of a shake of the rod to get the minnies jumping around a little. But that depends on the fish also.....let the graph/flasher tell you the action the fish are looking for.

The color of the buckshot spoon can vary day by day or even hour by hour at times.........


Dan
Sounds like this is worth a try (three minnows) . I have some buckshot spoons, also I have some Lindy rattln flyer spoons. What size do you like best? 1/16 1/8 3/16 1/4 none of the above?

Also hear of anglers using #7, & #9 jigging raps. I have never used anything bigger than a # 5 But I also may try 7s & 9s this year.

Thanks again for the tips.

[wally-eye]

Sounds like this is worth a try (three minnows) . I have some buckshot spoons, also I have some Lindy rattln flyer spoons. What size do you like best? 1/16 1/8 3/16 1/4 none of the above?

Also hear of anglers using #7, & #9 jigging raps. I have never used anything bigger than a # 5 But I also may try 7s & 9s this year.

Thanks again for the tips.


Any of the baits and sizes you list will work alot depends on the day/temp/current/barometer and the fishes pea size brain telling him what looks good.

There are days at another unnamed lake I fish a lot in the winter that I could put down a full one ouch spoon and they'd hit it but just an hour later they want nothing bigger than an 1/8th ounce.

One trick do NOT BE AFRAID to use a regular jig with a plastic curly tail on it..........I can attest that they will work just fine in winter....:coolgleam

I have one I'm looking at right now rigged up on one rod, kind of chartruese with orange eyes and a white curly tail........some days guys laugh at you when they see you dropping down a summer time walleye jig with curly tail. They quit laughing when they see them bring up fish....:lol:

One tip on eyes you have to let the fish tell you what they want. I have been known to use 6 different baits in 15 minutes in the same hole, but I carry 6 rods all rigged for eyes, each with a different bait........

Good luck.....


Dan...............

[cobia302]

Hey wally-eye, when you fish the shallows at night do you have a lantern or some kind of light on. Just wondering if the light bothered them at night.

[wally-eye]

I'm usually in my Shappell and do have a lantern on. My feelings on the matter that there would be marginal light entering the hole based upon the floor of the shanty etc. My other feelings are more positive that just the little bit of light that might enter the hole, especially if your in 8fow or less would be just enough to shed a little light on your baits. Have tried it both ways, lights and no lights and it didn't seem to matter. Now maybe if you were sitting on bare ice, no shanty and in 6 fow and the ice was less than 6 inches and no snow cover on the ice then "maybe" it might be detrimental.

[cobia302]

ok, thanx for the advice..

[kcarlson]

What hours of the "no light hours" do you do best?
7pm-12am
middle
4am to sun up?

[wally-eye]

6PM to 12PM is my time but usually by midnight I'm ready to call it a night...

[WALLEYEvision]

5 to 8 fow works after dark......:evilsmile ...

That seems to be the magic depth for me too. Anywhere from 6' - 8' FOW, except we do better using tip-ups that we set up along the outside edge of weedbeds. Like wally-eye said, being quite is key when fishing for them in shallow water. We usually set are tip-ups, then keep warm around a fire on shore. One of the biggest walleyes I ever caught through the ice was caught in 6' FOW.

[TheBigRedDog]

What do use on the tip up and how do you set it up? I have tried it at night with no luck not sure if I'm doin it right

[YKJ]

light line, small trouble hook, and a walleye minnow. Thats what I do and have some success.