{"id":844,"date":"2017-01-06T10:43:48","date_gmt":"2017-01-06T15:43:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.jayssportinggoods.com\/?p=844"},"modified":"2020-09-22T15:16:07","modified_gmt":"2020-09-22T20:16:07","slug":"winter-walleye-mobility-key","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.jayssportinggoods.com\/blog\/winter-walleye-mobility-key\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Walleye, Mobility is the Key"},"content":{"rendered":"
In the investment world there are two schools of thought. One group takes the conservative approach, preferring to stick with the established norm and rarely breaking the rules. The other group lives life a little more on the edge and is willing to take some chances in exchange for a shot at higher rewards. Both approaches work, but it\u2019s the most dramatic success stories are most often told by those who take the biggest risks.<\/p>\n
In the world of ice fishing, anglers who target walleye also take different routes in pursuit of success. The majority of these anglers take the conservative approach. Mostly they spend their time at well established spots fishing techniques that fall neatly within the mainstream.<\/p>\n
A much smaller group of ice fishermen view winter walleye angling as a game that\u2019s mostly about location. This group of anglers feels strongly that investing lots of time into locating fish is the key to icing more walleye.<\/p>\n
The question becomes, when does it make more sense to \u201crun and gun\u201d while fishing aggressively and when should an angler take the conservative \u201csit tight and see\u201d approach? In the winter when fish travel and feed less often, rarely does playing it safe produce more fish! Camping out on a spot and hoping the fish will show up or start biting simply can\u2019t compete with a more aggressive approach that focuses on moving again and again until fish are located. Location is always an important element of fishing success, but during the winter location plays a role that can\u2019t be overstated.<\/p>\n
The problem is moving constantly in search of winter walleye is a lot of work. Unlike the open water season when covering water is relatively easy, the ice fishermen is burdened with the reality of lugging all his gear over the ice, drilling new holes, tearing down and setting up the shelter and then repeating the whole process over again and again until fish are located. To say the least, this approach is labor intensive.<\/p>\n
Selecting specific gear can help take some of the work out of run and gun ice fishing for walleye, but in the end it\u2019s having a positive attitude and a willingness to work that drives success. Moving once or twice then settling down to a wait and see approach doesn\u2019t cut it. The run and gun strategy works best when caution is thrown to the winter winds.<\/p>\n
MOBILITY IS CRITICAL<\/p>\n
Walleye are rarely found in lakes small enough that walking is a practical means of covering water. Instead walleye prefer large sprawling waters and that means that motorized mobility on the ice ranks as a critical aspect of success. If the gear required for winter walleye can\u2019t be moved from one spot to another easily, the mobility edge is lost.<\/p>\n
Quads, side by sides, snow machines and Argo Amphibious vehicles are not merely a luxury, but rather a necessity for serious run and gun walleye fishing adventures. Walking isn\u2019t an option when the next spot could be several miles away.<\/p>\n