Canada Walleye Fishing

Options Through the Ice

Canada walleye fishing strategies vary from season to season. Walleye fishing strategies often vary even within a season. Make sure you are up to date on the advice to land you the kind of walleye action you seek.

Through the ice, Canada walleye fishing can have loads of action. But keep in mind that the fish get used to repetitive presentation. Walleye can become accustomed to seeing the same action over and over. When this happens the fish tend to become less aggressive. As such your success on the hard water becomes tougher to achieve.

You will find while Canada walleye fishing (even in the summer months) if you return to the same spot with the same presentation, your success may begin to wane. Make sure you check out the walleye strategies page for successful walleye tips year round.

While on the hard water it is very important to have a variety of lures. The assortment should include a wide selection of spoons, jigs and airplane jigs. The action the walleye are most attracted to will begin to change over time, so make sure you are ready.

Airplane jigs (or flyers) are a personal favorite to many anglers. The horizontal swimming and jigging action can entice even the most finicky of walleye to strike. Make sure you have a variety of these in your tackle box on your way to the hard water!

Size does matter in these circumstances as well. If the fish are active, many times a larger jig or spoon can entice a trophy walleye to bite. If things are slow however, consider downsizing your tackle.

The same bait on the same lure will have diminished returns as the winter wears on. The bait you take Canada walleye fishing needs to have some diversity. Again, the size of the bait depends on the mood of the fish. Downscale the size of the bait on your lure if you are having a tough time getting the walleye to bite.

You may have to experiment a little to find what the walleye are really attracted to. Go with what your instinct tells you right off the bat. If your success is limited, don’t hesitate to mix it up a little. Big lure and little bait may work for you. A big lure with big bait might have luck the next time. Again, don’t be shy to try different things.

Plastic tails are gaining popularity with ice anglers who enjoy Canada walleye fishing. They allow you to try a variety of different colors in a hurry by simply removing them and popping on a different tail. There are even glow in the dark plastic tails to really help entice the walleye to strike at dusk or later!

Speaking of glow in the dark tails, there are a variety of glow in the dark lures and jigs that should be part of your arsenal. Rattlers, jig heads and airplane jigs can often provide the right combination of action and visibility to get a walleye to strike. Keep this in your back pocket when you are heading out onto the ice this winter.

Lures and tackle with some “flash” typically need to be used in lakes and systems with “dirty water”. In fact, fishing these systems in the middle of the day with glow in the dark and flashing lures can prove to be successful. You may not have to wait until dusk for success Canada walleye fishing on these types of waters.

The key is to not outsmart yourself. Go with what you have had success with in the past right off the bat. If you notice that your luck is beginning to change and the action is slowing down, it’s time to try something else. Use common sense, but keep an open mind. This approach will help you realize success while Canada walleye fishing through the ice. Thanks for reading.

Good luck out there!

For more great walleye strategies, check out our main walleye page .

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