The first few weeks of the ice fishing season tend to be the most frustratingly weeks of the fishing season. The ice is thin enough that it can barely support the weight of the ice fisherman, and the fish are in transition from there deep winter habitats to the shallows where they will spend the remainder of the winter. During this time, the walleye can be very aggressive in one hour, yet entirely invisible during the next hour.
Walleye in the early stages of the ice fishing season are not yet established in the same depths that they typically resides during February. During this time, the walleye are either near the edges of the deep basins in the lake, or they are hovering just above the lakebed, in transition to their winter habit. If you fish with the same strategy that you use in the middle of winter, you will likely spend the day fishing with no success.
The key to success when fishing during the early stages of the ice fishing season is to change the way that you locate the fish, and to change the way that you trigger a strike from the fish. While the fishing gear that you use can have a major impact on your success when fishing for walleye, there are some strategies that you can use to increase your chances of success during the early stage of the season. These strategies pertain to the specifics of early stages of the season, such as how you should read the bottom of the lake, and how you should fish your lure.
Top Strategies For Early Ice Walleye Fishing
1. Focus on the Transition Zone
One of the best strategies to employ when beginning your day’s fishing efforts is to focus your efforts on the transition zone within the lake. Walleye during the early stages of the fishing season are not likely to be located in the middle of a flat area, or deep within one of the basins of the lake. Instead, the fish will be located on the edges of those flats, or where flats of sand transition into rocky ledges in the basin of the lake.
Using a tip up with a large, flashing blade will save you many hour of drilling into the ice to find the walleye. While ice fisherman most commonly utilize jigging, the walleye during the early stages of the season are more scattered in their movement than they are during late winter. Using a tip up will allow you to cover a large area of the ice, and will allow you to attract the walleye to you instead of forcing you to hope that you drill into the ice direct above a school of fish.
The strategy for utilizing tip up is to set the line in the perimeter around your main fishing spot. Focus on the edges of the flats that you discover during your scouting of the lake. When a fish strike the tip up, you will be able to pinpoint the location of the fish.
You can then move to that spot, drill into the ice, and utilize a jig to target the struck fish. This strategy is more efficient then randomly drilling into the ice. Tungsten jig with a slightly larger profile work best during early stages of the season when the water is relatively warm.
During the middle of winter, the smallest jigs work best. During early stages of the season, the walleye are more active due to there higher metabolic rate. A slightly heavier jig will allow the jig to reach the bottom of the deepest portion of the lake, and will vibrate in a manner that the walleye recognize.
Pair these jig with a live minnow to attract the fish. Utilize either a fathead minnow or a shiner minnow. The scent of the live bait will convince the not-starving walleye to strike at the jig.
2. Locate the Break Line
The goal is to find the break line in the lake; the edge where the depth of the lake changes. If you can find a zone where the depth of the lake changes from 10 feet to 20 feet, for example, you have located a highway for the walleye to travel through these zones. Walleye use these edges to find there prey, and they use them to remain protected from the sun by staying within certain depth of the lake.
3. Slowly Drag Lures Horizontally
Walleye that are well-fed tend to be picky eater. Slowly dragging your jig across the bottom is a strategy that many angler do not utilize during the early stages of the season. If you notice the fish striking your jig, many anglers automatically begin to move the lure in vertical hops up and down the depth of the lake.
Walleye during the early stages of the fishing season prefer horizontal movement across the bottom rather than vertical movement. By slowly dragging the lure across the bottom from a few inches to a few inches, and pausing the jig between each movement, you mimic the movement of a minnow that is wounded in the silt of the lake bottom. If you practice this technique, the fish will strike during the pause in movement of the jig.
4. Target the Windward Shore
Another strategy to employ is to target the windward shore of the lake. The fish will naturally move towards the shoreline due to the movement of the wind. The wind moves the plankton and other baitfish towards the shore.
Walleye will follow these fish to the shore due to the abundance of food and oxygen in these areas. If the wind is from the north for example, and it has been blowing steadily for the past two days, target the shoreline along the northern part of the lake. You dont need to go to the surf, but you do need to go to the shallow areas of the bay or inlet.
5. Experiment with Glow Lures
A less obvious strategy for success when fishing during the early stages of the season is to manage your light and noise within the fishing spot. Early stages of the fishing season are typically associated with thinner ice. The deeper penetration of light into the lake will make the walleye more skittish.
Skittish walleye will not enter the open water. If you use a high-powered LED light to see your fishing line, use a dimmer setting. Avoid stomping heavily on the ice, and avoid shouting loudly over your fishing spot.
The sound will travel through the ice to the fish, and the wary walleye will leave the area before you even cast your line. This may seem to be a small adjustment to your fishing spot, but it will preserve the habitat of the walleye so that they feel safe around your fishing spot. Another strategy you can use is to experiment with the glow colors of your lure.
Glow colors of neon green and neon orange are effective during the winter months. Glow lures that store the light and emit it will work best during the early stages of the season, especially within the deep transition zones within the lake. The contrast between the glow lure and the dark lake bottom will attract the walleye.
Charged glow lures will help to highlight your fishing line. Especially in the dark. Use a flashlight to charge the lure just before it enters the water.
Do not overdo the lighting of the lure, as this will spook the fish. Use the light to produce a subtle shimmer. Walleye are located in specific temperature zones within the lake during the early stages of the fishing season.
6. Monitor Water Temperature
By dropping a thermometer into the water, you can locate the zone within which the walleye reside. Typically, the fish are within a band of six inches of the water temperature. By noting this temperature, you can adjust your jig to land within that range of temperature.
While the ice fishing conditions during the early stages of the fishing season are somewhat unpredictable, they do typically follow a pattern within the lake. During this time, the walleye are in transition in their sleeping lakes. By utilizing the strategies noted above, what was once a frustrating day spent drilling into the ice can become a productive day for the ice fisherman.
Always keep your gear ready, and always keep your eyes on the shoreline of the lake. The walleye will be on the break lines when the ice becomes stable, and when the wind changes direction. You must be the fisherman who knows where to drill into the ice to catch the fish.