Steve Carney: How to find success on the ice on western Minnesota’s Big Stone Lake

I always try to take a couple of winter trips to Big Stone Lake in western Minnesota because I rate this as one of the best ice-fishing destinations in the Midwest.

I recently returned from one of these outing after having had some success. Here are a few tips if you plan to explore this awesome fishery.

It’s slick out there

At this point of January, there is no snow on the big lake.

Glare ice is the norm. Because of this lack of snow cover, silence on the ice is paramount. This means getting away from the travel lanes and finding fishing spots away from the crowds.

I am a fan of the north end of Big Stone because not many anglers will drive the 26 miles to go north, especially on the ice. There were only three “hard houses” in sight where I fished. When the occasional vehicle was heading north on the lake, it sounded like a 747 coming in for a landing.

Sound travels on glare ice like crazy. You are much better off fishing shoreline areas, away from the center of the lake.

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Jeremy Smith: Perch action thriving again this winter on Minnesota’s Lake Mille Lacs

How to crack January’s mid-season walleye code

Nice crop of walleyes

I was impressed with the 16- to 17-inch walleyes in the lake. All of our fish were in that great “eater” category.

Big Stone always has the potential to produce a giant walleye, and during every trip I make, somebody in my group catches a 7- to 9-pound walleye.

As for the perch

In my opinion, Big Stone perch fishing has been below par as compared to what it was just a few years ago. It seems the crappies and bluegills are now the dominant panfish and seem to be taking over.

Now, the proliferation of root-based plants has created a perfect environment for crappies and bluegills. Big Stone features both numbers and size of these fish, and fishing seems to get better every season.

It wasn’t that long ago that Big Stone didn’t produce crappies and bluegills in any great number. Now these fish have really taken off, and I can’t think of any other fishery that has better walleye, crappie, and bluegill potential than Big Stone.

Butterworms?

My buddy out at Big Stone is a big fan of butterworms. These little buggers are larger than wax worms, and it takes some effort to get them on your hook.

Because of their toughness, butterworms stay on the hook much longer, too. These things also tend to emit lots of scent. Think of three wax worms together – that’s the size of the butterworms.

Walleyes and panfish really seem to love them.