WALLEYE HARDWARE

from Ice Team January 2021 Edition

FLAG FISHING PIKE

By: Mike Hungle

Winter walleye fishing requires a good selection of lures to be able to consistently put walleye on the ice day after day. Some days call for a finesse approach with minnows suspended from tiny jigs such as the Clam Tungsten Drop Jig. On other days jigging spoons like the Leech Flutter Spoon with their erratic slow back and forth drops will provide success. Yet on other days, the walleye will prefer to hit a vertical swimbait presentation such as the Tikka Minnow.

When selecting walleye lures keep in mind that every lure has its own unique action and even changing between sizes of the same lure will change the action. For example, heavier spoons will fall to the bottom quicker than lighter spoons and hit the bottom with a more solid thud. Lighter spoons will drop more slowly and depending on their shape, they’ll drop and fall more erratically. They’ll also strike the bottom with less of a thud but will still disturb bottom silt when they hit bottom. brass and gold work great as they give off lots of flash and glare as they move through the water column. Its best to match the lure colors to those of the local baitfish such as perch, shiners and cisco. On days when the traditional colors aren’t working, try something totally different like white, pink or chartreuse.

When jigging for walleye, try to find a jigging motion that attracts the fish. Since most of the action will take place near the bottom, periodically bounce your lure off the bottom to create noise and silt. Don’t be afraid to partially lift the lure from the bottom and twitch it to represent a fish or crayfish trying to dig into the bottom to hide.

I personally like to start my outings using a jigging spoon. While I work the jigging spoon, I’ll watch my Vexilar Flasher to see how the fish react to my offering. If the fish take my offering, I’ll continue using jigging spoons. If the fish won’t hit jigging spoons but follow it or stick around, I’ll switch over to a vertical approach after trying a few different sizes and colors of jigging spoons. However, if the fish move away from the jigging spoons, then I’ll try fishing with jigs and minnow.

There are varied opinions with respect to using terminal tackle while walleye fishing. Some anglers never use snaps and swivels, while other anglers will never fish without them. As for myself, if I’m using a subtle approach with a jig and minnow, I’ll tie the jigs directly to my line. Doing so reduces the profile that I’m presenting to the walleye. In addition, tying the jig directly to the line allows me to position the jig and minnow to hang totally horizontally. However, if I’m aggressively jigging I’ll always use a barrel swivel in-line about 6 to 9 inches up from my lure to avoid line twist from the jigging motions and tumbling lures. In addition, I’ll attach my lures to my line with a small cross lock snap so I can make lure changes quickly and easily.

Speaking of fishing line, try using as light of line as possible The reason for this is twofold. First off, lighter line gives you more feeling and sensitivity to detect even the lightest of bites. Secondly, light line allows lures to

tumble and fall in an unrestricted manner so they can work to their fullest extent. I typically use a line with a breaking strength of 6 pounds.

The key to being able to find and switch hooks on go is being organized. Start with a small tackle bag or a back pack. Then put all your hooks into storage containers that will fit into your tackle bag/pack. The Clam Jig Box and Super Slim Jig Box work excellent for keeping jigs organized and ready for action. The Deluxe Spoon Box is a great way to store jigging spoons and keep them getting tangled and damaged. Finally, a slotted tackle tray will work perfectly for storing all your Tikka Minnows.