RFRG 2/2 Icefishing w/Muskie Matt Update

[Muskie Matt]

Sub-zero weather slowed down the walleye bite. In situations like this I go to fishing different areas looking for these more inactive walleye. Was out Saturday and found 12-15 inches of ice. Travel was easy due to recent warm weather which melted snow cover then we got -15 temps at night which re-froze everything and made a great surface for icefishermen.

Locations for severe cold front walleyes... I'm famous for backing way off my usual structures I fish. How far? Sometimes a couple hundred yards. I basically fish suspended walleye during these times. Smaller fish will group together out deeper and hold in 35-45 feet of water. These fish can be good action for very short periods, what I'm after takes a slightly different approach. I'd like to catch those 26-30in walleye and those fish will go deep also but have more of a tendency to suspend and roam at the depths they suspend at over the deeper water.

I'm fishing over deep water, 30-60ft, but the key is to hang the bait down at 25, 30, or 35 feet over the deeper water. An example is, I set a tip-up in 40ft of water but pull the bait 8-10 feet up off bottom. I will begin setting in shallower water as our weather warms this week but something to keep in mind is I will set deep as mentioned above during the daylight hours, I've taken some very big walleyes on bluebird days at 1 in the afternoon fishing in this manner. Small shiners are still producing well for me at this time.

Dennis P: That is a very good question and I hate math too, to the right of the post title is the time posted, it seems to be showing correct CST for me.

Good fishing to everybody...

[Muskie Matt]

Got out alone for a very enjoyable and quiet evening of fishing and I mean quiet, didn't get one flag! No wind, snowing lightly and the coyotes n hoot owls were making lots of racket and as the photo shows I was snug as a bug in a rug. It was quite enjoyable actually, caught myself nodding off a couple times...

I fished some deeper edges with no results, I let em' soak for awhile too, 3-7pm, Dead Sea...

[Sid Chigger]

Fishin at those depths tells me you're not on the ER chain, eh?

[Muskie Matt]

You are correct Sid, campfire night found me on Banana Lake...

[Sid Chigger]

It's a beautiful pic, that's for sure!!