Here in Minnesota, we don’t get to target the king of freshwater all year long. Walleye season closes on inland lakes the last Sunday in February. This gives the state fish a chance to have a little reprieve before the annual spawning rituals. Canadian border lakes such as Rainy Lake and famed walleye factory Lake of the Woods remain open until April 14. This gives anglers plenty of extra ice fishing time if willing to venture north for a fishing trip. 

To be honest, February walleyes are not super easy to catch. Anglers also deal with the “doldrums of winter” and can lack motivation due to less exposure to sunlight. Walleyes do not feed as aggressively as they did during the early season. This makes it extremely important to put everything in your favor if you want to taste some level of success. 

To up your odds of catching mister walleye, it is important to go to one of the many walleye factories in the state. Do a little research to pick out the lakes with a decent population of walleyes. Use the available resources, such as Minnesota DNR lake surveys or apps such as ONX Fish. Lakes such as Lake of the Woods, Rainy, Mille Lacs, Upper Red Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish and Leech are well-known walleye lakes, for good reason. However, there are also a lot of medium-sized lakes spread throughout the state that have great numbers of walleyes. A little homework can go a long way to unlocking some gems and tip the odds in your favor.

Even in early-ice season when walleyes are more prone to bite, it is still important to prioritize low-light conditions. In mid-winter, it is absolutely critical to target walleyes at sunrise and at sunset. It’s not a complete waste of time to be out during the daytime hours, but it’s pretty close. Snowy days, or days with a pressure drop, can also help with the bite, but focus on sunrise and sunset. 

Pull out all the stops when you are out there. In Minnesota, you can legally use two lines while ice fishing. So, make sure to maximize your opportunity; the more options that you have below the ice, the better. There are a lot of ways to do this. 

One is to have a deadstick setup close by, using a bobber setup. That way, you can use your jigging rod in one hole and while keeping an eye on the bobber setup in another. If you want to spread out a little more, opt for a tip-up setup a further distance away while you use your jigging setup in another hole. 

Better yet, use a one of the tip-up setups that utilize a rod and reel, such as a Finicky Fooler. This allows you to have a flag to indicate a bite, and then be able to set the hook and fight the fish on a rod and reel. 

The 13 Fishing BaitStriker rod and reel combination was created for this type of fishing. The unique reel allows you to basically freespool a spinning reel while the line is still engaged on the reel. A fish can take the bait, pull line off, and then the angler just switches a lever to set the hook and reel it in. This takes deadsticking to whole new level with a clever new reel. 

Whatever method you choose and use in midwinter, be sure to downsize. It’s not uncommon to catch walleyes on panfish-sized jigs and offerings during this time. Be sure to use smaller-profile spoons, such as the VMC Bull spoon. This compact profile helps you get to where you need and offers a nice presentation for finicky walleyes. Be sure to use smaller minnows on the deadstick setup as well. Smaller chubs or fatheads are the best choices, but don’t be afraid to even use crappie minnows. Remember, super-easy fishing tactics produce. You just want to be able to entice a bite or two, so smaller offerings help tip the odds. 

Don’t neglect to go out in midwinter. Just plan on tipping the odds in your favor to ice a few more walleye before the spring thaw. Put in a little more time during daily prime times and be a hero at the dinner table once again.