Nite Bite?

[INWally]

Im new to ice fishing walleyes. Can you have any luck catching them at night through the ice? If so should you jig or just put down the rattle reels?

Thanks in advance for any info!

[Team Otter]

Catching 'eyes through the night is very common on some lakes but next to non-existent on others. The clearer water lakes often produce throughout the evening with a combination of dead-sticking or jigging. It just depends on how aggressive the fish are. Also, when fishing through the night, look for the fish to be traveling all over the water column. You'd be surprised how close to the surface they will be.

[tunrevir]

I agree with TM, also look at the forage base that is available and that might help you out as well. The fish (baitfish) may sit belly to bottom like perch and /or roam like shiners on alot of lakes mid state to south but may be up in the water towards evening in the case of lakes that hold ciscoes or whitefish. Darker stained water tends to be more of a midday bite (IMO) depending on the lake. In clearer water the early a.m. and later p.m. bites seem to predominate for me. I like to fish the stained water untill dark and move and fish a clear water lake late into the evening if I can. My .02.

Tunrevir~

[PerchJerker]

Jigging will usually draw fish into your area, so I like to give them a choice of the a jigged bait and a deadsticked bait. Some nights though jigging seems to scare them away, then you're better to go with minnows and experiment with how you hook them until you find what the fish want. Good luck.