Techniques for early season walleyes and pike through the ice on Lake Vermilion
Posted by Terry "Ace" Sjoberg on Friday, December 21, 2012 Under: Ice Fishing
Hello everybody!
The hard water season is in full swing here in the north country. Lake Vermilion has a good solid ice cover of about 8 to 9 inches in the Mckinley park area of Big Bay. There are still some areas with less ice, however the main bay in front of the park seems to be pretty even. Channel areas, neck downs and river and creek mouths may still have some thin ice, so proceed with caution if you are in those areas.
So far the Walleye action has been pretty good for many of the anglers I have talked to this week. I unfortunately have been off my game a little so far this winter and have only been on the ice one time so far. I have been battling a major kidney infection since the early part of November.
My health has been improving as of late and I will no doubt be out on the ice a lot more in the next few weeks.
Typically I like to fish the mud this time of the season. The Walleyes are feeding on may fly larva and it can be the most consistent action of the winter. There are also fish being caught on the rocks and many anglers will spend the entire winter fishing those locations. Small bright colored jigs and spoons tipped with a minnow, or minnow head, have always been effective for me. I like a plain #6 red hook with a split shot on my dead stick rod. There are times when that presentation will out fish any other.
For you Pike fishermen out there this can be the best big fish action of the season. Rocky points and shoreline breaks in 6 to 14 feet can get very active during the hard water season. Large weed flats can be very active however the size is typically smaller.
I prefer a tip-up with a medium sized sucker or frozen smelt. I use the dead bait just below the ice surface and the live suckers about a foot off of the bottom. I will also use a 3/8oz hair jig tipped with a sucker or even a soft plastic bait when the action gets hot and jigging is the most effective way to catch them.
The weather is about to get much colder at night, so it shouldn't be too long before we can drive on the ice. Right now however we are walking or using 4 wheelers. Don't push your luck, no fish is worth going through the ice for. Below zero temps are on the way, so make sure you have at least 12 inches of good ice before even thinking about driving a car or truck out on the ice.
Be safe and remember there is no such thing as totally safe ice. Keep a few and put some back, the future of our fisheries depends on it.
Happy Holidays!
"Ace" <*)))><
The hard water season is in full swing here in the north country. Lake Vermilion has a good solid ice cover of about 8 to 9 inches in the Mckinley park area of Big Bay. There are still some areas with less ice, however the main bay in front of the park seems to be pretty even. Channel areas, neck downs and river and creek mouths may still have some thin ice, so proceed with caution if you are in those areas.
So far the Walleye action has been pretty good for many of the anglers I have talked to this week. I unfortunately have been off my game a little so far this winter and have only been on the ice one time so far. I have been battling a major kidney infection since the early part of November.
My health has been improving as of late and I will no doubt be out on the ice a lot more in the next few weeks.
Typically I like to fish the mud this time of the season. The Walleyes are feeding on may fly larva and it can be the most consistent action of the winter. There are also fish being caught on the rocks and many anglers will spend the entire winter fishing those locations. Small bright colored jigs and spoons tipped with a minnow, or minnow head, have always been effective for me. I like a plain #6 red hook with a split shot on my dead stick rod. There are times when that presentation will out fish any other.
For you Pike fishermen out there this can be the best big fish action of the season. Rocky points and shoreline breaks in 6 to 14 feet can get very active during the hard water season. Large weed flats can be very active however the size is typically smaller.
I prefer a tip-up with a medium sized sucker or frozen smelt. I use the dead bait just below the ice surface and the live suckers about a foot off of the bottom. I will also use a 3/8oz hair jig tipped with a sucker or even a soft plastic bait when the action gets hot and jigging is the most effective way to catch them.
The weather is about to get much colder at night, so it shouldn't be too long before we can drive on the ice. Right now however we are walking or using 4 wheelers. Don't push your luck, no fish is worth going through the ice for. Below zero temps are on the way, so make sure you have at least 12 inches of good ice before even thinking about driving a car or truck out on the ice.
Be safe and remember there is no such thing as totally safe ice. Keep a few and put some back, the future of our fisheries depends on it.
Happy Holidays!
"Ace" <*)))><
Terry "Ace" Sjoberg Ace guide service On Beautiful Lake Vermilion Muskies and More. member Lake Vermilion guides league. www.aceguideservice.com Pro Staff Member, Ace Muskie leaders. www.glittertail.com www.NeverSnag.com www.h2otackle.com www.hawgseekers.com www.Ducktaillures.com www.bearpawshandpouredbaits.com
In : Ice Fishing
Tags: "ice fishing" "lake vermilion" minnesota walleye pike fish angling mckinley "big bay" tips tricks
Terry "Ace" Sjoberg is the owner-operator of Ace guide service on Beautiful Lake Vermilion. He has been guiding on Lake Vermilion since 1987 and does full and half day fishing adventures for muskie, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike and most Minnesotan's favorite fish, Walleye. He has a full-time professional guide service so he is on the water almost every day between May and November. Ace has also spent many years as a tournament angler, including the Masters Walleye Circuit. He is a two-time Champion of the "Lake Vermilion Walleye Classic;" a two-time MWC "World Walleye Championship" qualifier; and he has several top 10 tournament finishes over his career.
Ace has also written several articles on topics related to fishing, everything from where to fish and how to fish for your favorite species, to what presentations work the best and the correct way to use them. Muskies are his favorite species, but he also loves fishing for those hard-fighting Smallmouth bass. He has been published in many outdoor publications including "Muskie," Musky Hunter," "FLW Outdoors," "Ice fishing," "Minnesota
outdoors," and "Midwest outdoors." He has also written for a number of outdoor websites including local fishing reports.
For more see www.aceguideservice.com.
