Tip-Up Tactics #2 (Walleye Rigs)

[SportFishin']

Hey all enjoyed the Topic for Tip-Up Tactics for pike so I thought I would throw this one out there. I have had a similar problem as Pikehunter for the last few outings on the ice a couple dozen flags no fish and I have wondered if they have been walleye because of the small amount of line being stripped out 4'-6'. So here are my questions.
Can the walleye feel your steel leader? & if so is that the reason for(NO Fish) on the tip-up? What are some different ways to rig & prefferences that some of you use for rigging for the Walldogs on Tip-Ups & What depths to set them at? We are going to be moving the shacks to what looks to be a promising peice of structure for walleye. I.E. (somewhat of a point with a real sharp break from 10' to 30' then coming back up to 10' on a sunken hump in what looks like a very short distance on the map to create a saddle between the main basin and a bay.)
Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated for learning how to rig Tip-Ups for Walleye.

Thanks
SportFishin'

[Guest]

To answer your question about walleye feeling the steel leader, I would say sometimes. I have gotten a lot of walleye fishing for pike, with a chub, treble hook and a steel leader. So it is possible! But, when targeting walleye with tip-ups, I usually have a jig on one tip-up and the other is a "Flyingfish Rig"! The reason I call it a "flyingfish rig" is because the first person I saw use it was Flyingfish from this site. It is a converted Lindy rig. Take a lindy rig, remover the single hook and replace with a very small treble, lift the spinner and beads up about 12 inches and put a small sinker on the line and attach to your tip-up line. Now you have a rig that is legal with a treble hook, has a strong mono leader, and you are ready to go.

As for where to fish them, wherever you normally fish walleye. Usually I keep them set within 18 inches of the bottom. Any of the cenarios you described above should be good spots. You just have to figure out if the fish are on top, the sides or at the base of the stucture.ScottS

[hawgTime]

For walleye on a tipup, I rig a 3-4' fluororcarbon leader (tied to the braided line with a small swivel) with a small treble hook(size 8-10) and place a split-shot(light as possible) a foot above the hook. I fish 8-12" of the bottom with a fathead or a shiner. Also, Strike Sensors work great when fishing walleye because you know immediately when the flag goes up. It's important to know when a walleye takes that first run because that's the only chance you usually get to set the hook. Caught tons of walleye and perch with this rig.

flagTime

mike

[This message has been edited by hawgTime (edited 01-25-2002).]

[Jim W]

Scott gives some excellent pointers on how to make a treble legal and sexy!! I will have to try the "flying fish rig" myself.

How I usually rig for walleyes is without a steel leader. In fact, I have one ready to go with a steel leader if it seems a lot of Northerns are taking my bait.

I put on about 4 feet of 8lb, tied through a 20lb. swivel attached directly to my tip-up line! I tip it with a single hook. I like this setup for two reasons.

I believe(my opinion guys) a single hook allows a shiner or chub to swim more naturally and the walleye can grab your bait not feeling the hook as easliy as a treble.

I attach a decent size sinker about a foot up from my bait.

I seem to be one of the few who use their vexilar when setting up a tip-up. This might take a few seconds longer, but I get to see my minnow reacting to the bottom, while placing it more accurately in relation to the bottom.

PArt of this impetus is my constant movement of tipups. If my flag hasn't flipped up in quite a while I'll move it.

Now as far as where. It all depends on the lake/river or flowage you are fishing.
If you know this body of water well, remember key weedlines and structural zones that have and remain to hold or attract bait fish.

In flowages I have set flags in 2 feet of water, sometimes 3-5 feet in certain lakes. ALso, I have set rigs in 20 + feet of water catching walleyes. You are your best friend when placing tip-ups. So don't second guess your knowledge on your favorite body of water. There is a good chance your flags will be flying high with a swimming walldog below.

Perch, small walleyes and even northerns can trip a flag. Big fish can as well. ALways re-check your shiner or bait, keeping an eye on exactly where the last fish grabbed hold of your shiner. Then move your hook accordingly! Often I see teeth marks above or below where I have hooked my shiner.

Lastly, I like to fish with several people, allowing for more ice coverage. If you have what looks like an airstrip, you'll have more fun watching flags than jigging!!

I have to get my flags ready for tomorrow!

Good luck, keep the rods bendin' and the flags flying high!!!

Jim W

[This message has been edited by Jim W (edited 01-25-2002).]

[Guest]

hawgTime, good method. I like to use a 6 or 8 pound mono leader tied to heavier line like 20 pound Gudenbrod. Makes it easier to pull up the fish with a heavier line. I hava had good success on treble hooks and some beads. I also like to use Perch Haugers tipped with a fathead when using tip-ups for walleye.

SportFishin', try setting your drag system as low as possible. I have watched walleyes on cameras that hit the minnow, start to take off a couple feet. and then spit it out because it feels resistance. I also like to use deadsticks when fishing walleye too. You can open your bail and let the fish run without any resistance. It's exciting too!

Good Fishing, Matt.

[Guest]

I am not sure if Hawgtimes rig is legal in MN. You may want to check before you use it in MN. Jim W had a great point when walleye fishing with tip-ups. If you haven't had a flag in awhile, check you bait. Using smaller bait (Shiners, fatheads, etc.) your odds of getting picked without the flag going up is pretty good, so check that bait often. I also use the Vex to set the depth, that is very important!ScottS

[GullGuide]

If it does not have a small spinner, etc above the treble it is not legal. The flyingfish rig is, hawgtime's is not.
>"////=<

[SportFishin']

Thanks for the great tips & keep them coming!
Sounds like I need to grab some of my walleye snells from my summer box & rig them up to try the "Flyfish Rig" on one of my tip-ups. As for the flags not flying I have always been an impatient person so when I get to the lake everyone thinks I'm a nut for making swiss cheese on the hard water but I'm constantly moving my tip-ups around every 15 min. or so when they are unproductive, but I average the most flags per day over everyone who lets them just sit there all day. Thanks again for the tips!

Thanks

SportFishin'

[hawgTime]

I did fail to mention that you have to make it minnesota legal. You could use Scotts method which sound similar to what i do. I put a couple beads and a Swedish pimple flipper above the split shot. There's many different ways to make it legal. You can use a tiny swedish pimple in place of the split-shot and put a foot dropper line with a treble.

MJ5- I've used mono in the past--but the new fluorocarbon is a lot tougher.

mike

[huntnfish]

When I fish for walleyes with tip-ups, I also use a 4-6 foot mono or flourocarbon leader. If I don't use a jig, I ussually use a smallish hook to keep them from feeling it when they take the bait. I have always thought that a steel leader would be felt by a finicky walleye. I tip the small hooks with a fathead or a small shiner and the glow jigs with a larger shiner.

[Pherris]

Has anyone used the Jimmyrig under a tip-up? it sounds like what is being described.

[SpikeRoberts]

pherris,
I've used the jimmyrig quite a bit this winter -- like so many others I was sick of getting flags w/ nothing on the end and that product sure looked liked it might be the answer. However, I don't get any flags when I use it so I guess I'll never be able to tell. I think it is just too big, too bulky, and too obvious to fish and the two treble hooks on a sucker or shiner makes them look unnatural. I thing it might work if the fish are super agressive, but in those instances almost any decent set-up works.

[Pherris]

Spike,
I can say I have had decent success with them this year. I have only had 3-4 of about 20 flags w/o fish. All nothern except one, It was a 5-6lb Large Mouth.

[Ret-ro]

I have had good luck with the a mono leader and small jigging spoon also, glow colors are a bonus. Perch color w/glow even landed a nice 13" crappie on URL.

Fish ONNNNNNNN!

[J.A.Say.Tree]

8-10 lb mono does the trick... sharp no. 6 hook & splitshot..one thing that I really like to do is add a single "stinger" hook. Basically take a piece of 6-8 lb mono and tie the hook on, then run the end of the line through the eye of the hook on your tip-up... be sure to hook the minnow through the mouth so it can still open and close it to "breath," then put the stinger in carefully behind the dorsil.. not only does this give you an extra hooking chance, if done right it will really make that minnow struggle down there.

Oh, and another thing that is a great idea is after you have your depth set... (whether by vexi or old fashion means) mark that spot (so you don't have to jack around everytime) with a bobber stop or small splitshot... I used to use a bobber, but I feel that's too much resistence for the walleye game!

JA!!!