- 1). Attach a medium-light to medium-heavy, 24- to 28-inch ice fishing rod to a reel spooled with 2 to 10-pound test ice-fishing line. Choose lighter weight lines for tiny ice fishing jigs when targeting bluegill, perch, crappie and trout. Medium weight lines in the 6- to 10-pound test range are best for working heavier spoons and Jigging Rapalas for walleye. Consider using a heavy fluorocarbon fishing line or a steel leader when fishing for northern pike to prevent the fish from breaking the line with its sharp teeth.
- 2). Tie an ice-fishing jigging lure to the end of the fishing line. Options include spoons such as the Swedish Pimple, lures such as Jigging Rapalas, and jigs such as the Genz Bug. Flashy lures, like spoons, or lures with erratic action, like Rapalas, imitate wounded minnows and other baitfish
- 3). Drop the jigging lure through the ice hole. Allow the bait to fall all the way to the bottom, or to the spot in the water column you want to fish.
- 4). Move the rod tip slightly, in a shaking motion. The jigging lure quivers when you do, but does not move up and down. Fishing the lure in this way can be especially effective when fish are lethargic after a cold front, for example, or when they are heavily pressured.
- 5). Jig the lure erratically by lifting your rod tip and immediately dropping it back toward the ice. Experiment with how hard and how high you lift your rod tip. Fish often hit as the lure falls toward the bottom, so set the hook if you see your line twitch, or if the lure does not fall as far as you think it should. Otherwise, you will feel the fish the next time you jig the lure. In that case, instead of continuing the jigging motion, set the hook with a hard, upward motion of the rod.
- 6). Drop the lure all the way to the bottom every so often. When the lure hits the bottom, it makes noise and sends up a plume of sediment that may provoke a strike from a nearby fish. Allow the lure to sit on the bottom for five seconds before starting to jig it.
- 7). Hook a small minnow -- 2 to 3 inches -- or wax worm onto the jigging lure if you are not getting bites on a non-baited lure.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time