Be patient- seems obvious, but give it some time, sometimes you get lucky, but usually time on the ice is necessary. this ties into the next point.
Fish at the right time- Again, seems obvious but so many people are walking into the bait shop at noon and asking where the walleyes are. We respond with our own question- "Can you fish into dark tonight at all?" and the answer too many times is " No, not tonight I have to be home by 5pm" what we are getting at is, where isn't always as important as when. Make sure You are on the ice in the evening or early a.m. if You are serious about catching walleye!
Get alone- Being off by yourself where it is quiet isn't always necessary when walleye fishing, but we would argue that the experienced anglers that get away from the crowds are catching the majority of the eyes! This has been hard to do lately, but now that Jim has plowed such a nice network of roads, people can start to spread out!
Try something new- Easy to say, but just get a little creative. Try slowing down, downsize baits when it's tough. When there is action, upsize and get aggresive, pay attention to what the fish are doing today. Just because something worked great with your uncle back in 1988 doesn't mean that it applies to today.
Enough about fish, let's talk lake conditions. Ice thickness is now in the 10" to 17" range , with 14" to 15" being most common. We are certain you can find more or less than this in areas, but these numbers are most common. Slush under the deep snow had been difficult to deal with last week, but thanks to the extreme cold, those slushy areas have firmed up nicely. Driving off road has gotten easier thanks that slush freezing and the snow settling some. When you venture off the beaten path still make sure to check ice ahead of yourself and don't forget the shovel.
Good luck on the ice!
Call the bait shop anytime with any questions!
(952) 442-2096
