jigging question

[grizinidaho]

I have only ever had luck for perch on the HALI jig.  With the other jigs do I need to jig them differently?  Is there a secret I don't know or what.  I have never caught a walleye through the ice and rarely while fishing in the summer.  I really like them, but suck at fishing for them.  Is there another couple of jigs that are a must have.  Also, for walleye I've been told when trolling for walleye if I get a bite to drop the pole before setting the hook, is it the same with ice fishing, instead of setting should I drop and then set.  Thanks in advance...

[fishinwithbrittanies]

There are a couple good threads on the WALLEYE topic area in the main ice shanty page.  The five favorite jigs thread could help with a few more jigs to choose from.
 
I've only really fished for eyes in the summer in Minnesota.  We always left the bail open and held the line with a finger.  When you get a strike let your finger off of the line and it will fall of the reel.  Give it a bit flip the bail and set the hook, it works for us but like I said no expert here

[Bareback Jack]

The only way I ever catch walleyes is with bait,minnows,crawlers,sucker meat and it is usaly a dead stick or a tip up.
I have about every imaginable jig made for fish from soft water to hard water.I still have a tough time catching them.So don't feel left out.
BBJ

[iceholer]

fishing eyes with a buck shot  or pimple tip it with a minnow head or perch belly if you have  sonar when the fish appears slowly raise and shake the jig as to keep it away from it just a little six inches if the fish doesant follow rite away shake just the jig don't raise it just keep trying to entice it if you don't have sonar get one good luck

[icing_perch]

Well I am no expert on the walleyes but I do pretty good on the perch fishing.  My favorite baits for perch are buckshot spoon, forage minnow spoon with treble hook or solid hook built in, the new minnow fry spoon Northland jsut came out with and Halis.  With everything but the Hali I use eye balls or minnow heads and maggots on the Hali.  Now if the fish get really negative I use small diamond jigs with maggots.  Beaver Creek and Pishkin I use the spoons mentioned above.  East Fork and Francis I use the diamond jig and maggots.  Hope this helps you.

[wyogator]

Come to think of it, I cannot remember catching a single walleye through the ice without live bait.  One summer, I was trolling for them with a worm harness and bottom bouncer.  When I ran out of worms, I put the largest bottom bouncer on with a Rapala lipless floating minnow on three feet of line.  I caught a few walleyes on it.  I'm not sure if I invented that or if it has been done countless times before.  I still haven't had any luck on Jigging Raps through the ice.  Maybe I need to tip them with minnow heads, instead of maggots.

[Zoo Angler]

Come to think of it, I cannot remember catching a single walleye through the ice without live bait.  One summer, I was trolling for them with a worm harness and bottom bouncer.  When I ran out of worms, I put the largest bottom bouncer on with a Rapala lipless floating minnow on three feet of line.  I caught a few walleyes on it.  I'm not sure if I invented that or if it has been done countless times before. 

It's been done countless times before.  It's a good way to keep from snagging your crank and keep it on the bottom

[Seedtree]

I have only ever had luck for perch on the HALI jig.  With the other jigs do I need to jig them differently?  Is there a secret I don't know or what.  I have never caught a walleye through the ice and rarely while fishing in the summer.  I really like them, but suck at fishing for them.  Is there another couple of jigs that are a must have.  Also, for walleye I've been told when trolling for walleye if I get a bite to drop the pole before setting the hook, is it the same with ice fishing, instead of setting should I drop and then set.  Thanks in advance...

Don't know where you are fishing, but do some research on the forage base for that water.  Then "match the hatch".  Also, if you catch a perch, check out what is in its stomach.  Perch and walleye are related closely and will eat the same stuff.

My experience, where you are fishing and when is more important than what you are using, assuming you are using something the fish in that water body recognize as "food".  In other words, walleye are notorious low light predators (their adaptation to feeding in low light is why they are called wall eyes) and if you don't fish when they are feeding, its going to be tough no matter what you use.  Better to try likely areas in prime feeding periods, than try to fiddle with bait/presentation/location during mid day.

My .02s.
 

[bquick]

I concure with the flasher point.  If you are fishing without one while jigging you are at a disadvantage.  Here are some thoughts as to things to try.

I have found that there are numerous different lures and setups that work well.  I had outstanding success on the verticle rapala jigs called 'jiggin rap'.  Go with the glow colors, perch, and trout.  Also, make sure you search around for the smallest size you can find for perch.  I have plenty in the W3 size but should have bought more of the next size smaller.  With that being said, I absolutely killed the perch (compared to the new norm, not the 15 years ago norm) the last two years on the W3's at Canyon Ferry.  BUT... it has been slow this year.

I have also done very very well this year on the Northland 'slurpies'.  Really liked the action and the production on the rainbow, perch, and glow types.  They are very soft and the eyes and color will start to go as perch wear them out fairly quickly.  But still a good producer.  Hammered the perch this year a couple days on those.  Don't forget that they are great for trout as well!

Don't discount your standard little glow hooks either or check out the panfishing baits as recently the bite has gotten very slow and finicky in the last few days.  I have had to go very small with the tackle since a week ago.  Virtually no split shot and size 10 or 12 hooks with a single design and no frills.  White, green, and blue is still working for me.

Lastly, I just pulled my first two eyes through the ice this year!  Very excited about that.  I used a custom made setup with glass beads and swaraski crystals!  Did well enough on those with perch as well.  I can rig up a couple for you or let you know what you need.

Truth to it all is... try stuff.  Match the hatch as best as you can and then go from there.  Put something through the ice and give it a whirl!  As we say in bird hunting, "Nothing falls if there ain't lead in the air."

[Loudmouth879]

last year was the first time fishing for eyes jigging me and my cousin went about 4 or 5 times and caught around 20 total just had a swedish pimple tipped with a minnow head or tail. The main thing is being in the area they are when they are feeding

[natedogg18]

As far as walleye fishing goes, I believe finding the fish (depth, structure) is more important than what you use.  Live bait is always going to be better though.