Last week we had quite a bit of slush and water coming up on the ice. It was a combination of snow weight and melting snow, so last weekend it was a little wet out there. Now a few days later we find ourselves with normal temperatures for January and the slush and water has nearly all frozen solid. This should make getting around much easier.
Fishing is still very good for walleye and panfish. We set the houses up for crappie this week and it has been very productive. Some areas are producing crappie and sunfish all day where others have a better evening/night bite. Either way a small #12 jig and a euro has been catching plenty of fish during the day. This technique works after dark too but I prefer a plain #8 hook and a crappie minnow under a small bobber for the crappie. The fish are usually suspended a few feet and roaming the deeper 15’ areas near shallow weeds.
As for the walleye, I’m still hearing decent numbers of fish coming from 18’ feet of water. The best times as always are the evenings and mornings during low light. The trick to walleye in my opinion is to get to areas that have not been fished too heavily. The snow has restricted travel so there are plenty of great areas left out there. If you have an ATV or snowmobile you really put the odds in your favor. That said the snow melted significantly last week, so I think you should be able to get to most areas with a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Pick out underwater points, inside turns and bottom transitions. For example, if you can find where the rocks stop and the sand starts or where the sand stops and the mud starts… these are great areas to try for walleye.
As always feel free to comment or email if you have any questions. I’ve been trying to get back to everyone within a day or two of receiving their emails. Good luck and enjoy!
