Fishing Articles & Pro Fishing Tips

Over the span of his professional fishing career, Author and Outdoor Educator Joel DeBoer has authored many, many top-notch articles on the "How To's" of becoming a better angler. On this page you will find just a sampling of some of his articles and tips - we hope you enjoy!

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Ice Walleyes at Night
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There is something special about ice-fishing for walleyes at night. The creak of ice and snow underfoot is accompanied by the occasional call from an owl, and shadows cast by the moon appear almost specter-like. It is in this dark and mysterious world that the angler willing to forgo the comfort of a chair by the fireplace can experience some of the most exciting fishing of the hard water season.
 
Successfully targeting walleyes begins first and foremost with being in the right place at the right time - location, location, location.  Here in North-Central Wisconsin we are privy to rivers, lakes, and flowages in which to pursue marble-eyes; each presenting unique challenges when pursuing walleyes through the ice. We'll look first at finding winter walleyes in natural lakes.  Prime locations on natural lakes for early winter walleyes are bars extending into deep water. While these areas will produce fish all winter long, they are an excellent place to begin your search early in the hard water season.  Typically the best bars will have a hard bottom and a mix of cover such as vegetation or wood.    

Although often overlooked in respect to natural lakes especially during the winter months, current areas such as where feeder creeks enter can also be excellent this time of year. In-flowing water not only contains higher levels of oxygen but food for both predators and prey. This influx in return often creates a concentration of fish species including walleyes.  One thing to pay close attention to are ice conditions in these areas as the ice consistency can vary within a matter of feet and even change from day to day depending on flow and weather conditions.   

A third key location for ice walleyes is humps in the main lake basin.  A common misconception is that the hump needs to top out at a shallow depth in order to be productive for night fishing.  While walleyes do make a migration of sorts into the "shallows" during the low-light periods to feed, the term "shallow" is relative to the specific body of water, even section of the lake where the hump is found.  For example, on a lake whose average depth may be twenty-five feet or more, a hump topping out at fifteen feet may be considered shallow versus a shallow lake where humps extending into a couple feet of water may be the key.   

Walleye fishing during winter is not an event limited to just lakes. Here in the greater Wausau area, the passing through of the mighty Wisconsin River provides ample opportunity for nighttime winter walleyes in the dam-created flowages and numerous river backwaters. In fact, some of the best walleye ice fishing I have experienced in the state has been on the Wisconsin itself or its flowages in our area. 

When looking to identify areas to locate and catch walleyes in river and flowages, current again is a key component to angler success. Identifying areas of current will not only help to keep you safe on the ice, but locate likely holding spots for feeding walleyes. Current breaks such as bars and wing dams will hold fish behind them during the day.  At night, walleyes will often move right up on top of the structure given the size and depth of the water or to adjoining flats to feed.

Walleye anglers often overlook secondary channels and adjoining bays during winter instead thinking of them as spots for pike or panfish only. These two areas are solid options to find numbers of active walleyes in the early winter.  If there is ample current and water depth, both secondary channels and bays will hold fish all winter long making for often overlooked and under pressured angling opportunities. The best bays and channels will not only have current flowing through them, but also contain structure of some sort. My personal favorite is wood - especially stumps; my most consistent night-bite walleye bays contain a plethora of snags and blow-downs, and will produce evening action all season long.

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