Little Bay de Noc Fishing Reports

As far as a night bite, it's been my experience that there is (or can be) a decent night bite, but it usually doesn't kick in until about 2 hours or so after it gets dark.  When we were guiding ice fishermen, many times we'd keep them out after dark if there wasn't much of a bite at "prime time".  Many times the fish started biting a couple hours after dark, after all the commotion and noise was gone from anglers leaving the ice.  Also, most of the time when we had a night bite, we were fishing shallower flats and weedy areas where walleyes go at night to feed.  While fishing the morning and evening "prime times", 90% of our fish come jigging.  However, after dark, it was about 50-50 between tip-ups vs jigging.  We kept just enough light in the shanty to see, too bright and you'll spook the fish.  As far as colors on our swimming jigs like Rapalas, Ice Darters, and Nils Masters...it seemed to be that firetiger was by far the best producer after dark.  If you set tip-ups after dark, keep your baits up off the bottom at least 3-5 feet, and if in deeper water (20-30 feet)...we've had very good luck putting baits as far as 10-15 feet off bottom after dark.  Walleyes can see just fine after dark, and they will come up a long ways to grab a bait, but they typically will never go down to hit a bait.  Good luck...