Where I fish in northeastern South Dakota, late-ice runs from about mid-February until you can no longer safely get out. By this time, the bite usually has been tough for some time and most folks are a little burned out. As the days get longer, thoughts turn to open-water fishing, reorganizing tackle, and attending Sport Shows.
If you're interested in icing some big walleyes, though, now's the time to get after it. Your odds of catching heavy-weight females are better now than at just about any other time of the year. Their location is predictable and they can be relatively easy to hook, if you use the right methods. Large livebaits suspended below a tip-up have been critical to my success.
The location of prespawn fish has been consistent for me from year to year, the fish naturally moving toward their spawning grounds, the only variable being exactly when they begin to arrive. They move into the basin area near spawning sites earlier than most anglers think, well before the fish move onto spawning flats. This is why fishing becomes so inconsistent at late-ice on traditional classic structure spots that attract fish at first-ice throughout much of the winter. Mother Nature trips a biological trigger and the big girls begin lounging out in the basin near spawning sites, awaiting ice-out.
For the most part, these fish are in a neutral foraging state. At this stage in their lives, they're masters at expending the least amount of energy for the highest return in protein, preferring to slurp down a large meal as opposed to chasing numerous small ones, so you won't find them hanging out with smaller males that are slashing at almost anything that moves. They avoid the competition and feed only when conditions are optimal for success.
This is why large baits work so well -- particularly, big chubs. If you can find one, a 6- to 8-inch creek chub or redtail chub is best; even 10 inches isn't too big. Sucker chubs are most readily available and work fine, too, most of the time.
I've also had good results using big shiners in areas with decaying weeds that hold juvenile sunfish, crappies and bluegills. The fish have a virtual buffet line set up on the weededge and you can nearly set your watch by their nightly arrival.
The first step is to identify an area where the fish traditionally spawn. Some of my best spots are south-facing gravel or sand shorelines with a feeder creek. These areas warm quickly, and any influx of fresh water from the feeder stirs the pot.
I predrill holes long before either dawn or dusk, although I prefer fishing the sunset bite, as the movement is more pronounced and seems to last longer than at sunrise. Start drilling in the nearest deep water and work your way to the shallowest drop-off or weedline. Position your major concentration of holes at the shallow breakline, but have open holes at each of the various depths. This allows you to jig progressively shallower as the evening wears on and the fish move in, while you watch your tip-ups.
Fish with a couple of buddies or bring some kids along, in order to place as many lines as possible. Run the tip-ups from deep to shallow, with the highest number on the shallow end as you wait for the inevitable bites. I like HT's pop-up style and I rig them with 50-pound Berkley Gorilla Braid for main line and tie to a small snap swivel. To this I attach a 4- to 6-foot leader of 10-pound mono or fluorocarbon.
