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Walleyes On Ice At Night
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Walleyes On Ice At Night
By Doug Stange
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In 1962, Ontario fisheries scientist Richard A. Ryder began 15 years of research on walleyes. Ryder sought to prove that light was a primary feeding trigger for these fish.
One aspect of Ryder's work showed that the rate of change in light is the most important trigger causing walleyes to feed. Ryder found that fishing was better at certain surface light levels -- for instance, as the sun's rays became more oblique (about 1 1/2 hours before sunset to a half hour after).
Ryder concluded that amount of light has a bearing on walleye feeding, and under optimum light conditions, fish might leisurely feed throughout the day. But the main trigger for intensive feeding appears to be the fast rate of change in light at dusk, and to a lesser degree at dawn.
CHANGES IN SUN ANGLE
The angle of the sun changes as the seasons progress through the year. The illustrations below show the approximate angle of the sun above the horizon at Minneapolis-St. Paul on the 21st day of the month at various times of day throughout the year. Sunset occurs about 1 1/4 hours after the sun reaches 10 degrees above the horizon in the afternoon.
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