Triggering Finicky Winter-Ice Walleyes

A trick we have used with some success when dealing with more finicky walleyes through the ice is to play a game of cat-and-mouse with them. Say you are watching a fish on your locator but the fish does no‰t bite your offering immediately. That‰’s a good time to begin raising the bait up aggressively often several feet jiggle it and then raise it up some more (often having to reel in line). It is important to watch your depth finder to see how far and how aggressively you can try to pull the fish up and get it to bite. But this time of year pulling a walleye up 10 to 15 feet before it bites is not uncommon. It‰’s a trick to keep in mind that can often pay off big.