Great day of fishing. I hit up a small Splake Trout lake around 9am. Worked the shoreline in 3 to 10 feet of water. I had a small minnow with a split shot on one rod and a small jigging spoon tipped with a wax worm on the other. Worked each hole for about 15 min before moving down shore. Hit a small Splake around 11am in 8 feet of water off a small point. I quickly changed my spoon to another small minnow and split shot. I find that 90% of my catches are on the minnow? I use the spoon to call them in? (that’s the theory) As soon as I mark fish I like to get both rods rigged with minnows. I put them in rod holders a wait for strikes. For about an hour I had non-stop action. Caught 6 Splake and lost a monster at the hole. The largest fish was 17 inches, the others were all small. One big fish popped the hook out at the hole. It gave a big head shake as I was trying to land it. The hook hit the side of the hole and popped out . It gave me an incredible fight and at least I had the chance to see him, even if it was just to watch him smile at me as he backed down the hole. Action stopped around noon. Decided to head over to another lake for some late afternoon Walleye fishing.
After some food and a short nap I set up my portable ice hut on a Lake with Walleye, Pike, and big Jumbo Perch. Put the hut off a sunken island in the middle of the lake next to the main basin. I was fishing in about 22 feet of water on a steep drop off that starts at 3 feet and drops to about 30 feet. I normally fish the evening Walleye bite in shallower water. I’ve had great success in 8 to 12 feet of water. The Walleye come up from the main basin to the closest shallow water structure to feed. The only problem is I never get any Jumbo Perch in the shallows. So the executive decision was made to set up in 22 feet of water, hoping to get some Perch in the mix. I lowered a medium sized minnow down the hole rigged with a split shot on a 8lb fluorocarbon leader with Fire Line Fused Crystal as my main line. (used 4lb floro leader for Splake) BAM! As soon as my bait hit the bottom I got a solid hit! Great fight, my line was running hard! After a few minutes I get the fish to hole. Big Smallmouth Bass?! I quickly release the fish after a quick snapshot. Lower my bait back down the hole, SLAM! Another fish is on! This goes on from 4pm till 6:30pm. A mix of Smallies, Jumbo Perch, and a few tiny Walleye. A great day of fishing. Without complaining, the next time I set up for evening Walleye I will hit up my old depth of 8 to 12 feet of water. I was catching too many Bass in the deeper water. Granted I did get a ton of big Perch No pike, but I plan on targeting them in the shallow weedy bays during the late ice spawn.
After some food and a short nap I set up my portable ice hut on a Lake with Walleye, Pike, and big Jumbo Perch. Put the hut off a sunken island in the middle of the lake next to the main basin. I was fishing in about 22 feet of water on a steep drop off that starts at 3 feet and drops to about 30 feet. I normally fish the evening Walleye bite in shallower water. I’ve had great success in 8 to 12 feet of water. The Walleye come up from the main basin to the closest shallow water structure to feed. The only problem is I never get any Jumbo Perch in the shallows. So the executive decision was made to set up in 22 feet of water, hoping to get some Perch in the mix. I lowered a medium sized minnow down the hole rigged with a split shot on a 8lb fluorocarbon leader with Fire Line Fused Crystal as my main line. (used 4lb floro leader for Splake) BAM! As soon as my bait hit the bottom I got a solid hit! Great fight, my line was running hard! After a few minutes I get the fish to hole. Big Smallmouth Bass?! I quickly release the fish after a quick snapshot. Lower my bait back down the hole, SLAM! Another fish is on! This goes on from 4pm till 6:30pm. A mix of Smallies, Jumbo Perch, and a few tiny Walleye. A great day of fishing. Without complaining, the next time I set up for evening Walleye I will hit up my old depth of 8 to 12 feet of water. I was catching too many Bass in the deeper water. Granted I did get a ton of big Perch No pike, but I plan on targeting them in the shallow weedy bays during the late ice spawn.
