10/30/2000
- Article
‘Eyes
Up High
By Noel Vick with On Ice Tour
On
Ice Tour cofounder Chip Leer recounts a valuable ice fishing
experience…
“I
was running fish houses for a resort on Lake of the Woods’ Oak
Island…way up north. And
I’ll never forget how this kid who worked at a neighboring resort
proved that there’s no such thing as
too shallow for winter walleyes.
 The
kid headed out to catch a meal of walleyes one evening.
Short on time, he took to the nearest piece of structure
around, which happened to be a rock reef.
This particular reef was so shallow across the top that
warning buoys marked it during the summer…two feet deep, tops.
On
that very evening my fishing party was working deeper breaks off the
same reef, with some success. I
heard an auger fire up so I spun around to see who was fishing
inside of us. It was
that crazy kid. I
snickered. But my tone soon changed as my fishing party watched him hook
a walleye…and then another one and another one.”
“I’ll
never say too shallow
again.”
Since
then, Chip, as well as his partner Tommy Skarlis, have proved this
shallow-water-phenomenon on practically any body of water where
walleyes roam. Even on
lakes, reservoirs and rivers where deepwater patterns dominate,
somewhere, somehow, there’s a shallow walleye bite.
What constitutes shallow?
On Ice Tour regards any depths of 10-feet and under to be
shallow.
In
a walleye’s world, shallow means active and shallow means feeding.
Shallows can also be dangerous, because fish lack the breadth
of protective structure and deepwater sanctuary.
So when walleyes range shallow, rest assured they’re alert,
thrifty, and looking to score a meal.
The
When
Winter’s
natural progression yields two primetimes for chasing shallow water
‘eyes. During early
ice, when oxygen and baitfish abound, walleyes spend considerable
time up high. The same goes for late ice, when shallow terrain
re-oxygenates by way of melting snow, and extended daylight hours
with heightened sunlight angles foster new weed growth.
These fish are also fattening up to spawn.
It’s during the in between periods where shallow water
raids are fewer and further between.
Think deeper and offshore for mid-winter walleyes.
A
walleye’s light sensitive eyes are certainly not designed for
effectiveness in bright and clear shallows.
Therefore, the best times of day for probing shallows are
dawn, dusk, and overnight, when a walleye’s vision does
yield an advantage. Notoriously
dark lakes are exceptions to the rule.
Here, midday forays are common and nighttime bites rarely
occur.
 The
Where
Think
of shallows where walleyes feed as “food shelves”. In general, they’re hard-bottomed stretches – bigger the
better – in less than 10-feet of water, with access to deepwater.
But they’re not always shoreline related, as you’ll soon
see.
Sizable
shoreline points are one of the finest shallow water formations.
Look for a point, which features an expansive bar, almost a
flat (food shelf), that stretches far and wide before tilting
deeper. Points that
break quickly and deeply from shore aren’t what you’re searching
for; they’re better suited for mid-winter, mid-summer, and late
fall.
Shallow
sand or gravel flats featuring broadleaf greenery (cabbage) are
exceptional – beds of bushier coontail and milfoil can also host
walleyes. On
natural lakes, where weeds flourish, it’s usual to encounter
distinct inside and outside weededges.
Shallow feeding walleyes scour such edges for baitfish.
Typically, Chip and Tommy explore the deeper weedline at dawn
and dusk and the shallower inside edge overnight.
The depth of an outside weedline varies from lake to lake.
On murky waters it might appear in less than eight feet of
water, conversely, vegetation will grow down to 15 and 20-feet of
water on clearer waters.
Pockets
and clear lanes inside a dense weed mat also provide shallow water
habitat. And, the
surrounding and protective weed-canopy makes these openings usable
during daylight hours.
Weed
patches carry a premium on lakes and reservoirs where barren sand,
gravel, and rock dominate the shallow waterscape.
Even scraggly weed plots will hold crayfish and baitfish in
areas others devoid of vegetation.
One
last vegetated situation to look for is a stand of emergent reeds or
bulrushes over clean (hard) bottom.
Points, reef tops, and shoreline flats frequently sport
emergent weeds in five to ten feet of water – these can be deadly
zones during low light periods. Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago and Big Stone Lake, which
creates part of the Minnesota and South Dakota border, are renowned
for producing walleyes in standing weeds.
A
trough is another shallow feature Chip and Tommy seek out.
Subtle two, three, and four-foot depressions, over otherwise
flat expanses, are typical on larger waters dominated by sand and
gravel. Organic
material settles inside troughs and subsequently encourages weed
growth and adds color (darker) to the water.
Minnesota’s Leech Lake offers walleye-infested troughs over
sand flats; most of which are unmapped.
Take note of troughs when you find them, because you’ll
want to return year after year.
On
bodies of water such as Devils Lake in North Dakota, flooded roads
and highways present ideal terrain for shallow water assaults. Reservoir related, submerged creek channels, which bend
toward shore, create washouts that also qualify as shallow walleye
habitat. And river
oriented, add to your list the juncture where a shallow backwater
greets the main channel.
Leaving
shoreline locations we next find shallow ranging walleyes over
offshore reefs. Reef
tops, like the one in Chip’s opening narrative, make the grade.
Realistically, reefs that crest at six or eight feet of water
have greater potential than ones peaking at only two or three feet,
but fear not lesser depths. And
the more surface area across the top of a reef the better.
As
you can see, fishable shallows are quite common.
The
How
Catching
shallow walleyes is an art. Okay,
that’s a bit overboard, but tactical refinements are required.
Spooking
fish is a major concern. Shallow
water, clear ice, minimal snow cover, and a walleye’s keen sense
of sound incorporate to produce a serious hardwater challenge.
You
must first be cunning and quiet.
March around as little as possible and avoid dropping the ice
scoop or minnow bucket. Hold
lantern light to a minimum – It’s unnatural and causes shadows. Frisbee and touch football are out of the question and man’s
best friend should be left at home.
Chip
and Tommy have a system of counteracting a walleye’s innate
advantage. Their first
move is to scout an area long before “witching hour”.
By day, particularly early in the season, favorable habitat,
such as rocks and weeds, are visible through the ice.
Scout and cut holes ahead of time.
And if possible, pop your holes over patches of snow or
darker ice, both of which conceal shadows and movement.
Once
the drilling is over, Chip and Tommy deploy a couple of remote lines
(tip-ups). This enables
them to sample an area without disturbing fish.
And there’s no better tool for exploration than Finicky’s
Fish Factory – it’s the ultimate remote setline device.
Unlike traditional motionless tip-ups, The Finicky’s
auto-jigger keeps your presentation lively.
Speaking of presentation, it’s wise to rig your Finicky
with a plain hook and sizable minnow, such as a shiner, chub or
small sucker. A large
and natural offering, positioned in an isolated spot, has the power
to dupe really big walleyes and it offers fish an alternative to
jigs and spoons.
Aggressive
times call for aggressive measures, so don’t be afraid to jig with
gaudy spoons. Chip
compliments his field of Finicky’s by jigging a Northland
Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon matched with the front half of a minnow.
And most of his shallow walleyes come during low light
intervals, so Chip straps a Northland Fire-Light Glow Stick to his
spoon.
Tommy
also favors a clattery lure, so he fixes up a Lindy Rattl’r Spoon
with the head of a shiner minnow.
He squirts on a glob of Berkley Walleye Attractant to make
his presentation even more irresistible during low light conditions.
Occasionally,
aggressive jigging tactics don’t seduce shallow walleyes.
In such an event, Chip dorsal-hooks a whole fathead minnow on
a Northland Fire-Ball Jig and pumps it slowly.
Tommy gently raises and lowers a System Tackle Fat Boy XL
with a lip hooked chub or shiner.
Sight
fishing is often part of the equation.
In clear and shallow water Chip and Tommy look down their
holes, monitoring jigging motions and watching for incoming
walleyes. Larger
10-inch holes make for better sight fishing, and with their Fish
Traps pulled shut, remaining ambient light illuminates the lake
floor. A well-energized
glow (phosphorescent) lure is easily seen in low light conditions;
turn your Coleman lantern all the way up to really intensify the
lure’s brightness.
Jigging
with such a short leash demands specific gear.
Your reel must feature instant anti-reverse and a reliable
drag. The instant or
Infinite Anti-Reverse found on an Abu Garcia Agenda delivers an
immediate and firm hookset in shallow water.
Its drag-system allows a sizable walleye to run without the
reel seizing up and causing the line to pressure break.
Your
complimenting rod needs good length with a firm but not stiff feel.
The 29-inch ML Dave Genz Series Lightning Rod meets the
demands of lighter tackle. For
heavier tackle, such as spoons, the 30-inch M satisfies; the new
26-inch was custom built for sight fishing and jigging in a shelter
without hitting the wall.
Spool
her up with six or eight-pound test Berkley Micro Ice and you’re
in business. Micro Ice,
a monofilament specifically engineered for ice fishing, yields the
perfect amount of stretch for battling walleyes in shallow water.
Never
say never when a hunk of structure looks too shallow. On Ice Tour knows that shallows aren’t always the magic
bullet for engaging winter walleyes, but when the sun’s low and
your deeper haunts aren’t producing, the dinner bell is ringing
over some shallow food shelf.
On
Ice Tour is an intensive effort directed at expanding the sport of
ice fishing. Cofounders
Chip Leer and Tommy Skarlis offer public seminars and kid’s
clinics; appear at in-store events; exhibit at sport shows and ice
fishing competitions; broadcast a weekly radio show and conduct
hands-on product demonstrations.
On Ice Tour produces an annual ice fishing publication (On
Ice), and they can be found on the Internet at www.onicetour.com
- COMING SOON!
|
