Early walleye bite has been good; use caution on ice

Ice conditions have continued to improve despite the bit of warm weather we’ve had. We’re hearing reports of up to eight inches on some lakes, with others still sporting very thin spots, so caution is in order.
The Chain, as typical, is on the lower side of that spectrum; however, there is still good ice out there.
It would still be great to get some really cold days and nights before a big dump of snow, but regardless we’re all ready for it now. Heck, if it’s going to be winter it might as well be a couple feet deep!
Walleye fishing has been good. We’re hearing about good numbers, but not great size – and actually this is true across all species. The evening bite has been pretty consistent throughout the area.
Plan on getting out and being set up by 3 p.m. or so. Medium shiners or sucker minnows under tip-ups are best for walleye.
Best setups are in about 10 to 15’ of water right off any structure. These fish are coming out of deeper water to feed in the evenings, and you will intercept the fish as they come in.
Northern action continues to be good, with fish being caught all day long in the weeds using large shiners. If you’re fishing on weed edges for walleye, you may find that the northerns are interested in your offerings, too!
Panfish action is also good, and perch are being caught on most lakes on the deeper edge of weeds through either jigging or using crappie minnows under tip-ups.
We are still seeing some panfish in water of 10’ or less, but if you’re not finding them in the shallows, move deeper where you can, and check the 12-25’ range at the edges of weed beds or structure. Jigging is often a great way to rattle some of these fish into hitting and is an easy way to search horizontally through the water column.
Try tipping a 1/16 oz jig or spoon with a minnow head and jigging high in the column for crappie or dead sticking about 6” from the bottom for bluegill and perch.
Get out there and enjoy some time on the ice as an antidote to Christmas – it’s still quiet out there and we can all use a bit of that sometimes.
Good Luck and Good Fishin’!