Low light is best light

• The aptly named walleye has very large eyes, which makes the species very light-sensitive. They often feed in shallows during early morning and early evening hours to avoid the bright daytime sunlight. During the day, walleyes move into deeper water or near available cover such as boulders or logs. Thus, the best fishing typically occurs during low-light conditions -- at dawn, dusk and sometimes through the night.
  
  

Drill holes early, fish late

• Not only are walleyes sensitive to bright light, they also will shy away from foreign noise, such as a gas-powered ice auger. Try to drill holes long before the prime fishing time begins. Let the memory of the noise fade, and you'll strike more fish.
  
  

Fish where walleyes are

• Some of the best places to locate early winter walleyes are in shallow bays, along shorelines and shoreline points, particularly near drop-offs. They'll come into the shallows to feed on bait-fish. Again, the best times are when the sun is low or below the horizon. As the season progresses, look for walleyes near deeper-water structures such as bars, humps and reefs. In late winter, walleyes will again focus more on the shallows, behaving in a pattern similar to early winter.
  
  

Find one walleye, find a bunch

• Walleyes are schooling fish and often congregate with like-sized fish. If you catch one fish in a certain area, it's likely that others of similar size are nearby. Keep your line in the water and be ready for fast action.
  
  

Use the right bait

• Although winter walleyes can be challenging to catch, the gear needed to entice a hungry fish is pretty basic. You can't go wrong with minnow-tipped jigs, jigging spoons and tip-ups rigged with minnows.