What it takes is a good map, a GPS, sonar and an underwater viewing camera. You must explore. On good perch lakes, there's always plenty of structure that never gets touched by those ice-fishers who feel compelled to follow the crowds. Remember, if it looks good on the map, it probably is. And if you're willing to get there, you will likely reap the benefit of your extra effort.

Let's look at some of my favorite late-season hotspots and why they tend to produce well for me during this period.

WALLEYES
Pelican Lake
When it comes to late-season walleye fishing, it doesn't get any better than Pelican Lake in Crow Wing County. This lake is loaded with walleyes that stack up like cordwood at the base of the sharp breaklines on the edges of rocky reefs.

One of my favorite spots is on the western tip of Gooseberry Island where it drops off real fast into 45 feet of water and then ramps back up to a small sunken island. Those walleyes will be lying in the base of the saddle in deep water or they'll be sitting on top of that sunken island in 25 to 30 feet. I'm always hoping to find the walleyes suspended about 3 to 5 feet off the bottom because they show up well on the sonar and can be spotted easily with the underwater viewing camera.

The water visibility on Pelican is great for the camera, and I use it to watch the walleyes move into my bait zone. Even when those fish aren't aggressive to the lure, sometimes I can generate a bite if I know how they're reacting to the presentation.

If my current jigging presentation is just eliciting stares from the walleyes, I'll try a tighter quivering motion or no action at all. Sometimes you have to change lures, trying different styles and colors. Sometimes a whole minnow works better than a minnow head. I said earlier that timing means a lot right now, but you can negate that factor sometimes just by finding the right trigger. If there are walleyes below, I'm pulling out every trick to find that lure or presentation that will generate a bite.

There are plenty of other spots on Pelican to check out. Fortunately the walleye population in this lake is high, so most of you will have some fish to tempt.

Woman Lake
Woman Lake is a great quick-stop point on my way home from perch fishing on Lake Winnibigoshish. That's because there is always a great early-evening bite, and the timing works well.

Another thing I like about Woman Lake is that next to every deep hole, there is a sunken island. This narrows down the amount of time I have to search. Drill holes from the deep spots to the humps and you will likely find some walleyes in that zone somewhere.

You'll spot a lot of small perch on the sonar as you make your way from hole to hole, looking for walleyes on the screen. This is a good sign, because where you have baitfish, you'll have walleyes nearby.

I'll use a 1/4-ounce Buck-Shot Dropper Spoon and a small shiner hooked through the back behind the dorsal fin. The rattling of the spoon attracts the walleyes, and as soon as I see them move up onto the bait, I just let the lure sit motionless and let the swimming minnow do the work.

This is where you need a lively minnow to entice the bite. If your minnow is weak and not swimming, put on another one that has some energy. Walleyes can't resist the struggling minnow, and these shiners are big enough that the perch aren't a factor.