puzzling walleyes

[Runner]

I've been out ice fishing the last couple of days. I've had some nice walleyes coming into the hole, but, they are either just looking at the bait or bumping it and swimming away. I usually use fireball jigs w/ a minnow. tonight I also put down a minnow with a single hook. Still no luck. Does anybody have any ideas on how to make these guy's bite? I think I'll try a smaller bait in the a.m. It's frustrating. Spoons seem to attract them as well, but they just look at them, any ideas would be appreciated.

Runner

[wallydog1]

Try putting stinger hooks on your jigs or spoons.never hurts to put
minnows/shiners on stinger.

[Walleye Express]

Runner.
We're having the same problem on the Saginaw Bay right now. Had three nice walleyes I could actually see come in Wednesday night, stick around just looking for about 30/40 seconds and then just fin-off.

I usually have a live minnow deadstick rig next to my jigging spoon, but my buddy made me change when he said his son had hit a nice one the night before on a jigging rapala. So I was jigging with two lures versus the deadstick.

Anyway, the guys next to us caught two nice ones on guess what? Live bait and a small #12 treble fishing next to their jiggers.

Another problem/solution over this occured to me Friday, when I ran into my son at the bait shop, going out on the Saginaw River with his 1/2 brother.

He has a Agua View camera and said there were more shad in the river right now than he has ever seen before. Lets face it, if your not very hungry, you become pretty finicky. But something alive and an easy meal like the deadstick combo, might be just easy enough to encourage a strike.

[Runner]

capt Dan,
Thanks for the info. In the mornings I do see alot of 1" perch swimming around. I have caught a couple and they had empty stomachs. I think I'll have to try a smaller hook with my minnow. Maybe use a small swedish pimple and tail of a minnow. I guess that's why they call it fishing.

Runner

[almosthaddabite]

Dan is right ," Lets face it, if your not very hungry, you become pretty finicky."

When the bite is hot even I can catch fish, however, when they are slowed down in the winter and/or not feeding you must become a fisherman. With todays electronics, you have an heck of a start, you know if fish are around, your job is simple, make them bite. This is done by trial and error there is no magic trick, one thing isn't going to work all the time. This is why I love fishing so much, and in fact, the reason they call it "fishing".

We have been using flurocarbon leaders in the 6-14#test with good results.