Fishing guide Paul Delaney shares some tips for targeting big Green Bay walleyes through the ice!
Jigging Tactics for Green Bay Walleyes
With the introduction of zebra mussels into the Great Lakes in the mid 1980’s the water clarity has improved drastically with some areas having over thirty feet of visibility.
Green Bay on Lake Michigan is no exception; the water clarity has really improved and as a result of that the feeding windows for walleyes has changed from fishing biting throughout the day to short windows during low-light periods.
Usually there is about a one-hour bite window first thing in the morning and a one-hour bite window during primetime in the evening as the sun is setting.
In order to capitalize on these short feeding windows it’s important to be set up and ready to go well before those walleyes begin to move in.
If you can be set up and ready to go about forty-five minutes to an hour ahead of time, you’ll put yourself in a good situation to catch some of these monster Green Bay walleyes.
There are a few different types of forage species that these Green Bay walleyes feed on and determining which one they are keying in on will help let you know what presentations you should be using.
When walleyes are cruising around actively feeding on shad and smelt they are generally moving along the bottom looking up. This is a great time to use aggressive jigging presentations.
A few good options are the Rapala Jigging Rap and the VMC Rattle Spoon. Typically we are presenting these baits about a foot or two feet off the bottom.
When walleyes are hugging bottom and feeding heavily on gobies, that’s when you should make the switch to jigs paired with livebait.
Typically we will fish this presentation on the bottom or an inch or two off the bottom.
If you target these feeding windows and utilize these two presentations you’ll be able to catch plenty of big Green Bay walleyes through the ice.
Paul Delaney
Late Eyes Sport Fishing Guide Service
920-421-0896
