Winter Fishing Tips: Tips for Ice Fishing for Walleye at Night

Like most fishermen/women, I am always looking for a new challenge; something that will enhance the already exhilarating and thrilling experience of catching a spirited and aggressive walleye. I have risen well before the sun, trekked out through a thick blanket of fog, surrounded by the mournful howling of coyotes in the distance, just to stake out the prime fishing holes before anyone else. I have hiked through the dense forests of Northern Ontario just to reach the perfect rock outcropping where I will stand for hours to catch the first tasty fish of the day.

One thing I have never had the chance to do is set up a small, wooden shanty on the middle of a frozen lake in the dead of night. So, I decided that this was my next adventure. But, being one to always prepare myself ahead of time, I set out to learn the best techniques and tips so that I wouldn't have to return home, head hanging low, and mumble to everyone that I got skunked. Following are the three top tips that I learned in order to have a successful - and toasty night on the lake:

Location is the key - Now, you may think that because the entire lake is frozen over that there is a virtual paradise of spots to choose from. This isn't entirely true. You need to think about where you are going to set up and drill your hole. Otherwise, you will find yourself trudging all over the ice making hole after hole and wondering why you haven't had a single bite.

If you are familiar with the lake, set up near known sunken islands, channel edges and in bays. If you know where the weed beds are, this is a good place to set up as well. Areas near the mouth of flowing rivers are also good spots because the current underneath carries an abundance of plankton that the walleye will follow. If you are fishing in an area that you are not familiar with, you may want to bring a GPS or fish finder so that you can see the underwater areas.

Many reservoirs are man made and so they do not possess many of these underwater structures. Seek out areas where there are other fishermen - they are obviously there for a reason, so use this information to your advantage.

Light the Way (in moderation) - Walleye are very sensitive to the light because of the way their eyes are structured. Their eyes are located on the top of their heads and so, light from the surface can irritate them and cause them to seek darker areas in the water.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best walleye fishing information possible. Go to http://www.askwalle yefishing. com/editorials/ tips-for- ice-fishing- for-walleye- at-night- .html for more information on walleye night fishing.

Fishing Tip : The Best Method To Catch Northern Pike

The northern pike is a species of fish that live in fresh water. These fish are very aggressive and powerful, so fishing for northern pike can be very difficult.

However, it can also be very exciting. The northern pike is able to grow to a vast length. In fact, they very often grow longer than forty inches. They tend to weigh between fifteen and twenty five pounds. A nice northern pike is any that is over thirty inches long and weighs between five and seven pounds.

There are a lot of fishermen that plan trips specifically in an effort to catch the northern pike. These trips are done on an annual basis. The best places for catching northern pike are situated in the northern parts of the United States of America and also areas of Canada.

In the United States of America some of the best areas are Lake of Woods, Leech Lake, Mille Lacs Lake and Vermilion. All of these four lakes are within the area of Minnesota. Within Canada the best lakes for fishing for northern pike are Eagle Lake, Red Lake, Lake of the Woods and also Lac Seul.

It is fairly easy to locate and catch the smaller northern pike, as they tend to spend a great deal of time in the shallow areas that are weedy. These areas are between two and fifteen feet in depth.

The larger northern pike are not quite so easy to catch as they tend to start off living amongst the smaller pike. As the weather gets warmer they move off into deeper waters of usually between fifteen and thirty feet in depth. The fishing of these big northern pike is more difficult as they become more scattered.

The fishermen spend the summer months angling for the northern pike; however, if the water becomes too hot then this can be very difficult. If the pike are unable to find cooler water then they will not eat as often, and they also eat very little.

The fishermen should fish for the northern pike during the day light hours, as they tend to be rarely caught during the night. However, it is not completely unknown of. The northern pike that are mature tend to stay in one area and hide amongst the weedy coverage. They do this to wait for the baitfish.

The northern pike lay motionless waiting within the weeds or near submerged logs and rocks, and they then make a short vicious lunge at the passing bait fish. The northern pike also tend to be found near any freshwater environment.

There often seems to be a large number of northern pike around the inlets and bays of the larger lakes and even the Great Lakes in Canada and the harbor of the United States of America. These areas have warmer water and a lot more food than the areas of open water.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best walleye fishing information possible. Go to http://www.askwalle yefishing. com/editorials/ 4_best_method_ catch_northern_ pike.html for more information on walleye fishing.