Vertically jigging spoons is my go-to technique for ice fishing walleyes on large flats. I keep two rods rigged at all times—one with a 1/8-ounce jigging spoon and another with a 1/16-ouncer for a backup. If walleyes come in to look at the larger spoon but won’t hit, I can quickly drop the smaller one into the strike zone.


Total Solutions Technique

Instead of searching for fish across an entire flat, I key on subtle depth changes of six to eight inches—always fishing the bottom of the break. When there’s little or no snow, I also look for overhead cover: namely, pressure ridges that collect snow blowing across the ice, creating a little more shade than the surrounding icepack. Baitfish often follow these “shade lines,” attracting hungry walleyes in the process. Another tip when snow is scarce—to reduce fish-spooking shadows, always put your portable on a patch of snow, never on glare ice.

Don’t tie directly to the spoon; a small barrel swivel 8 inches above it will reduce line twists, which can be a big factor when you want to deadstick in front of a sluggish walleye. Attach the spoon to the line with a small round-nosed snap for best action. Drop the spoon six inches off bottom and jig aggressively with snaps and twitches until a fish appears on your sonar, then adjust as necessary, according to how the fish reacts.


Total Solutions Equipment

Berkley’s Lighting Rod Spinning Ice RodLRIS28ML-R is perfect for this tactic. The 28-inch, medium-light graphite rod has just the right action and backbone. Team it up with a Mitchell AV-S500UL Avocet Silver spinning reel, spooled with 4/1 to 6/2 FireLine Crystal Micro Ice line. Finally, tip the jigging spoon with a 2-inch Berkley 2 Inch Power Minnow. The split tail twitches so seductively, even finicky ‘eyes find it hard to resist.
 

Berkley® Lightning Rod® Spinning Ice Rod

Berkley® FireLine Crystal™

Mitchell Avocet Silver: AV-S500UL Spinning Reel

Berkley® 2" Power® Minnow