Timing can be critical when ice-fishing and first ice is no different. Walleyes tend to feed during low-light periods, so snow, or lack of it, can be the deciding factor whether the bite will be short lived or long lasting. Still, Courts recommended being on the water when the sun rises and again at dusk. Heavy snow might cut light penetration and prolong the bite, but midday is seldom the best time to fish for walleyes, even at first ice.

To pinpoint walleyes on a structural element, Courts incorporates tip-ups. Some states only allow a couple of baits per angler, while others have no limit during the winter months. Check your state's regulations to stay within the guidelines.

"The tip-up is a great tool for ice-anglers because it lets you cover some ground," Courts said. "Call it stationary trolling. You can drill a lot of holes over a point, hump or reef and cover depths from 5 feet to 25 feet with the tip-ups and figure out where those walleyes are."

After Courts has his holes drilled and tip-ups set, he grabs a jigging rod or an underwater camera and starts exploring.

"I can tell if there are fish below with the sonar," he said. "But I can't know for sure what they are until I catch one or see one on the camera.

"I tend to grab the camera if I'm in an area I haven't fished before. With the camera, I can tell what kind of bottom I've drilled over, sand or rock or mud. I can tell if there is a nearby transition where the bottom changes, what the vegetation looks like, and what kind of fish are there. If I'm after walleyes and all I see are perch, suckers, bluegills and bass, I move to another location."

Since much first-ice fishing may be in shallower water -- under 15 feet -- Courts recommended anglers use a stealth approach on the ice.

"I noticed this when I first started using the camera," Courts said. "Shallow fish get wary when they hear all that noise on the ice. I was watching some walleyes on a rockpile in 10 feet of water when one of the guys I was fishing with dragged a portable shelter to the spot. The noise from the boots clomping and the sled dragging sent a bunch of fish into deeper water and the few that remained huddled into the cracks in the rocks. Eventually, those that left came back, but it took awhile and this would never have happened if we would have been quiet to start with."

When the tip-ups start showing a preference for depth, Courts drills more holes and jigs aggressively.

"First-ice walleyes are biters," he said. "You accomplish two things with an aggressive presentation. You attract fish to the lure from a distance and you trigger a bite."