Tipping

[Mr_Jigster]

Dont have a lot of walleye ice fishing experience, but have rigged up for this year.  Put together a selection of Chubby Darters, Lindy Darters, Jigging Raps, Buckshot Rattle Spoons, and Lindy Slick Rigs.  Question is on baits that get tipped (or can be) with minnow heads, which is the best way to go?  Live minnows, preserved, Berkely Alive Minnow heads?  Does it matter?  At $4 a doz for walleye minnows, it gets kinda pricy to just cut their heads off, lol.

[wally-eye]

For eyes I just use perch minnow heads.  I mostly use buckshots and jigging raps and put a perch minnow head on each hook of the treble.......has worked for me for more years than I care to remember.......lol..  No need for walleye minnows unless you just want to use them on a dead stick........perch minnows are a heck of a lot cheaper......

[Wiener]

For tipping, you can use any kind of minnow, or parts of a minnow. (dead or alive)

I usually use the minnows that didn't make the trip to the lake as my first offerings before using live minnows.

I usually pinch the bodies into pieces, leaving a raged edge.  Pieces can be thrown down the hole to further act as an attractant.
Make sure you pop the air bladders of the minnows so that they sink slowly to bottom.

My "go to" method for fishing with baits that get tipped, is to have my Jigging Rap, Darter, spoon or what ever on my 'active' rod  and I usually have a live minnow on my dead stick rod a couple of feet away.   Usually my "dead stick" rod is just a rattle reel that I clamp on to my shack, but you get the idea.

You attract the fish with your original offering, but they have  a choice between the aggressive presentation or the minnow that is just sitting there.


Hope this helps,

Wiener

[slab_slayer]

Crappie or Fathead minnow heads are a lot cheaper, they seem 2 work fine 4 me.  Later on in the season, when the action slows, a pile of maggots can be the ticket

[fishermanna82]

i use minnow heads.

[slipperybob]

When I say tipped, it's usually with a minnow head or tail peice.  Otherwise it's baited, that's with the whole minnow.

[tipup_time]

usually fathead work for me.. good profile for the size of most of the jigs i use. and they are cheap (couple bucks a dozen in WI and 1.50 for a big scoop in MN) and in my opinion, the ONLY thing them fatheads are good for is pinching their heads off.. tipups get the sucker minnows.