Drop a worm in the water on a summer day and just try to not catch a bluegill. But in winter, sometimes those same big slabs get finicky and only bite best at classic walleye times—dawn and dusk.

Nothing is more frustrating than watching a fish appear below you that won't bite. Too many times I've seen a big red bar show up on my flasher below my bait, but after a few seconds of jigging, it ...