Shallow Winter Walleyes

[Fuzzbient]

Are people out there finding patterns of finding walleyes in the shallows (under 10 fow) in the winter feeding on bluegills for forrage through ice-out? I keep hearing of the "weed walleyes" having bluegills in their stomachs when checked. Does this mean you can follow the bluegills to find the walleyes in many situations?

[hhguide]

You pretty much hit it on the head. Look on inside weededges on the lakes I fish is usually around 7 or 8 feet. Then what I do is look for transitions from weeds to sand, sand to rock, weed to rock and set up shop. The late evening and early morning bites are best. As for baitfish, I follow the perch and sunnies year round the walleyes and northerns wont be far behind! dont be moving around to much when your in that shallow water as it will spook the fish. hope this helps

[Fuzzbient]

Great info. Thanks Drake!

[hhguide]

I love the shallow water bite. When the lake is clear and you see them come in is the best. They nudge your minnow and then BAMM minnow gone.

[riverrat56]

What hhguide said is spot on, don't just look for the weedline, look for something differnt in that weed line that will hold more bait and then more walleyes. I like to follow around small perch, shiners, shad or bullheads; I have not found much a bluegill connection on the lakes I fish, maybe due to more abundant forage of other types.

I have been targeting shallow walleyes throught the ice and in open water for a few seasons now, one things I have found is that is usually a feast or famine deal.....more often than not I strike out, but when you do find them it can be amazing fishing.

[fishermatt]

Shallow water can have it's own share of structure too. An 8 foot flat might have a 6 foot rock ridge on it where a sandy bottom has a gravel spine on it. Or another favorite on a lake I fish is a flat with several small ridges and scattered weed patches over about a 200 yard area. It's mainly about 8 feet, but has several narrow ridges that come up to 6-6.5 feet, then it drops right back down to 8 again as you go towards shore. Shallow structure is way easier to locate in the summer, but it's also to be remembered for winter time! The fish are either there or they're not, but if they are shallow, they generally are biters.

[Ed Carlson]

Shallow water feeding walleye mean business, and this situation is especially good for a active jigging presentation such as a Salmo Chubby Darter.

Walleye are hunting and flushing there prey in these situations. They move through quick, flush prey, chase them and seal the deal on a meal.

If you have identified a good area and likely time of there prime feeding, get there early. Drill a long set of holes that zig-zag over the feeding area and add a few more...just deeper on the first associated drop off or gradient.

Now..get jiggy with it. Carry a 1-2 rod arsenal of a Chubby Darter and a second flash jig option. One may be hot for active fish while the second may convert lookers into Hookers.

A 1-2 hit and run zig-zag will keep you on fish or locate the prime area quickest. Don't get too emotionally attached to any one hole...move, get with them and better yet ahead of them.

Good hunting!

[JBone]

I like to chill unlike Fast Eddy above! Get a few guys together throw up some tip-ups, deadstick and jig in your houses! Setup up before dark on any structure a shallow has to offer..

[hhguide]

Im with Jbone I like to be quiet and not move around very much I feel like I spook the fish! good luck!

[riverrat56]

I stay mobile when in shallow, just be sure to step quietly and a fresh blanket of snow always helps! Fish will often move on to shallow flats to feed and then quickly retreat, maybe in less than 10 mins, and while you may catch a few sitting still, by hitting more water you will catch more fish

[Fuzzbient]

Thanks for all the great advice. I've got an inside turn area that I sometimes target for pike that I've seen walleyes swim through while watching down the hole. We'll scatter a few tip-ups in the area at the sundown time. I'll fire up the stove and hide in the shack and wait for a flag while I'm jigging. In the past I've only targeted walleyes in the area in 15fow and deeper with success year round. It will be interesting to see if I can get the shallow ones to bite. Always more to learn...

[MNfishtrapper]

You say "weed edges" in the shallows. Now, do you mean the edge of emergent weeds(above the surface. IE Cabbage, reeds ect) adjacent to weeds on the bottom or submerged weeds(IE-foil,ect) adjacent to a clear(sand, rock, mud) bottom. Many of the lakes I fish in the metro grow weeds out to about 15 feet of water. To be more clear, I mean you will see emergent weeds out to about 5 FOW, then submerged weeds out to about 15/20 FOW then a clear bottom deeper than 20.

[Meatwad]

Would you guys recommend these strategies for a few sunken islands in the middle of a lake that have rock piles surrounding them, plenty of perch, and muskie have been caught there? The islands are roughly 15 deep if I remember correctly.

[JBone]

sounds like great structure for walleyes!

[Ray1]

Meatwad, that sounds like an excellent spot.

[Meatwad]

Thanks guys. I have not fished this spot at night, and have not really ice fished in somewhat shallow water for walleyes. So I don't really know what to expect, but me and some buddies will give it a try tonight. I will let you guys know how it turns out.

[clblanchette]

How long should someone fish a hole before moving on to the next hole?

[Meatwad]

Well Boys, we had all the small walleyes we could handle on that spot, and not one keeper, haha. I don't feel real bad, as they were walleyes, but it would have been nice to get a few up the hole larger than 12". On to different spots I guess, and put in the work to find a legit spot.