Noise or Cold front?

[honker23]

I have been doing well this early ice period on the walleyes fishing shallow 6-7 feet. We have not done well on the super cold nights when it is making ice and cracking all night. Do you guys think it's the noise or the cold front slowing the action. I know it's probably both, but which one do you think has more of an effect?

[korn_fish]

both - but mostly the cold. The temp chaNGE has been so dramatic that things are changing with the ice and under the ice too fast.

I like to fish shallow 5 feet etc. for night eyes. But with the extreme temp change, I have focused on deeper water 15-20ft. But still bhaving the best luck late night in the shallow water when the ice cracking like crazy.

[d.roy]

I've not fished for eye's in that shallow of water on the ice much. What kind of lakes are you talking about - big/small, shallow/deep? I often night troll raps that shallow throughout the soft water season with good success - do you find the fish holding to same night haunts in the winter that they do in the summer? Interesting stuff.

[honker23]

Just about every lake south of the metro down to iowa has shallow weed filled bays near some deeper water. Most lakes have a population of weed walleyes all year long. Also some sand and rock bars at 3-4 feet on top.

Early in the winter they are cruising for food and lots of it, so I like to fish shallow after dark with tip ups.