Ice or Open Water?

[hanson]

What's your preference when fishing walleyes?

When I think of all the different situations and techniques that a guy encounters and uses to catch walleyes, there is still something magic about seeing a large walleye coming up through a hole in the ice.

My vote is for ice, specifically vertical jigging a big spoon when Wham! happens. What a feeling!

[Scott K]

My love was on the ice, but I crave spring and fall walleye fishing during the hard water season. I think now I crave winter, but during the winter I crave my boat. Either way I win

[Team Otter]

I love both but if you're making me choose, I'm going to say open water.

[PerchJerker]

I like ice fishing but I LOVE open water fishing. Somewhere in my future is my own 30' center console boat tied up to my pier in Florida (I hope)

[Corey Bechtold]

Open water!

Good luck,

Corey Bechtold

[vermilionwally]

Open Water for me too . Although ice fishing can be fun too.

[Kyle Sandberg]

Ice ice baby, do do do dododo, ice ice baby.

ICE ALL THE WAY

[Scott M]

I like them both, but if I could choose it would be open water feeling em pick it up. Finesse fishing and feeling that tap...wow, it just gets me going thinking about it. Don't get me wrong, I love a jigging spoon getting nailed, but finessing a walleye on a lindy rig is how i want to do it every day in heaven!

[gunflint]

Amen Da chise31. Amen

[Northlander]

Open water preference here too but I sure do love my ice fishing. Nothing like a 10 pound eye on a short rod and a 8" hole with 3' of ice to get it through. Talk about a heart pumper.

[insurance guy]

Open water for sure. My favorite way to catch walleyes is flatlining stickbaits at night in November, close second is backtrolling bouncers and spinners during the day in the summer.

[Flaco651]

Very rarely do I target walleyes during open water anymore, but they are one of my main targets thru the ice.

[Mike Walerak]

I like the open water in the middle of winter. Most days I have the river to myself for the most part.

mw

[harvey lee]

Give me the hard water. Seems like much more of a battle on a ice rod.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I'm with Tom on this one. The harder the water the better.

[Borch]

Open water for me as well. I love pulling cranks late in the fall!

[bgreen82]

open here too, but i am getting excited about watching tip-ups.

[Kyle Sandberg]

Oh yes, tip up watching is so FUN!

Just kidding bgreen82. I enjoy a tip up trip to.

[bgreen82]

the flag going up is fun. i always have one tipup out while trying to find pannies on my rod at the same time.

[Kyle Sandberg]

When it gets real fun is when you get a northern on your pannie rod. HOLD ON.

[BobT]

I guess I'm an open water person. I like the added flexibility that is available. But then...there's something about hooksetting into a 20" plus walleye or 5 pound northern using an 18" rod and bringing it up through that hole. What a rush!

Bob

[walleyeking#8]

I too am an open water person. There's nothing like spring and fall jig fishing whether it be vertical or casting. Oh and i can't forget the live bait rigging that too is awesome. I used to be into the ice fishing, i still do it on occasion, but i would rather have the boat in the lake 12 months out of the year.

[Scott K]

Thats the nice thing about MN you dont have to chose, you get to do both, without going anywhere. Just sit back and enjoy, and make the best of the situation mother nature gives you. Its the best of all worlds

[CrappieAttitude]

I prefer the open water walleyes. Covering water to locate them in a boat is way easier, regardless of what type of method you are using. However catching them through the ice is definately a rush. When hard water hits, this guy spends most of his efforts chasing the slabs. I look at waleyes as a bonus fish while panfishing.

CA