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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Walleye => Topic started by: Iceassin on Feb 09, 2021, 02:31 PM

Title: Jigging techniques
Post by: Iceassin on Feb 09, 2021, 02:31 PM
So what do you do? In the spring, on the river, I bounce lead heads off the bottom keeping the line taught...up and down. Hits usually occurring on the up tick. Is the technique the same through the ice...and do you keep the jig just above the fish, wherever they are in the water column...or should I stay at or near the bottom regardless ?

I will be fishing a lake where most of the Walleye are caught on tip ups, but I plan on jigging as well so looking for some sage advice. I will be fishing in depths that are between 9 to 15' deep.

As I said, I do plenty of Walleye fishing on the softwater...jigging leads and trolling cranks/crawler harnesses. But ice jigging is really new to me. Any tips are appreciated and welcome.
Title: Re: Jigging techniques
Post by: stripernut on Feb 09, 2021, 02:40 PM
I have posted before;
Chubby Darter is what I start each hole with;
This is how I most often fish them;
Drop to the bottom, then I start with a cadence of 2 big arm sweeps (2-4ft), short pause (3-4 sec.)(in this pause the Darter turns and "swims" back to the "center" of the hole), 5-6 "jerks" of about 4-6 inches, pause, then a short "vibration", then repeat. If in 2 or 3 cycles I don't mark fish or hook up, I move to the next hole, all in about 3-4 minutes. This is about what I start out with each trip out.

I keep a second rod rigged with a smaller jig and the few times that I could get it down to the fish that the Darter has "Called" in, the fish I hooked were small.
Title: Re: Jigging techniques
Post by: meandcuznalfy on Feb 09, 2021, 05:06 PM
I start on the bottom. Then I just adjust from there depending on what the fish do. If they're suspended then I get to that level or a bit higher.
Title: Re: Jigging techniques
Post by: slipperybob on Feb 10, 2021, 06:34 AM
I'm a spoon jigger, so I guess I like to flutter a spoon.

Title: Re: Jigging techniques
Post by: eyeflyer on Nov 26, 2021, 09:21 PM
I always start with a walleye flyer and jig about 6 inches to a foot off the bottom. If you have sonar or a camera and see lots of fish coming to the lure but no takes I drop the flyer right to the bottom with a minnow or minnow head and let it sit under a wave buster or the last few years a Venom float. Jig may every 3-4 minutes and let them suck it in right off the bottom. My float is set so it actually lays flat when the flyer is on  the bottom and the float stands up when they inhale it, by the time the float is vertical (no resistance as they never have to pull the float under) they usually have it in enough to set the hook. Not a violent hook set just a gentle lift of the rod keeping pressure on. Best slow action presentation I have found.