During the winter in Minnesota, anglers can fish two lines. The typical
strategy for most walleye fishermen is to present a lively minnow on one
line (beneath a float or on a tip-up) while working a jigging spoon on the
other line. When used in conjunction with a good sonar unit (that shows the
fish and the bait), going vertical with a jigging spoon is a killer
technique. In fact, the spoon routinely outperforms live bait on winter
walleyes.
But spoons aren’t just great on frozen water. They’re also deadly during the
fall season, particularly when you find a pack of walleyes stacked up on
some deep structure. When you encounter this situation, vertical spoon
jigging is one of the best ways to pluck ‘eyes from the school.
On this pattern, I like to start with a 3⁄4 to 1-ounce spoon on 12-pound
braided line. A St. Croix 7-foot spinning or baitcasting graphite rod with a
medium action is my preferred stick. The rod gives you the backbone to
“snap” the spoon, yet is also soft enough to absorb the shock of the hookset
when using no-stretch line. But best of all, this rod/line combination
provides you with incredible sensitivity in deep water. You can feel the
bottom type (rock, sand, muck), know if you’ve picked up some debris, and
detect even the slightest pick-up. Usually, walleyes hit jigging spoons with
pretty fierce aggression. But sometimes they nip the spoon so delicately
that you want all the sensitivity you can get.
As for your choice of spoons for walleyes, there are hundreds of brands,
colors, sizes and shapes. If you’re already a spooner, you probably have a
healthy collection of options and your go-to favorites. If you’re new to the
game, I’ll share my opinions. First and foremost, only use spoons with
high-quality hooks, and keep them sharp. Walleyes (and all fish) like to hit
the bait when it’s free-falling on slack line. When the fish eats it, you
want those sharp points to find mouth tissue even before you set the hook.
Also, when vertical jigging, your spoon spends a lot of time thumping into
the sand and rocks on the bottom, which can dull your points. So keep a
sharpener in your box and use it routinely.
The next important factor is color. Different lakes, rivers and water
clarities call for different colors. And walleyes in a particular fishery
will often share a common preference for color. Chartreuse, pink, orange,
black, blue, silver, gold, copper, craw⦠these are all popular colors for
walleye baits in general, so they should be represented in your spoon
arsenal as well. Many manufacturers, like Lindy for example, offer their
spoons with glow-in-the-dark paint. I believe that helps in stained water
and in low-light conditions. It certainly gives me more confidence, and if
you fish with confidence you WILL catch more walleyes.
Shape is another vital element to jigging spoon fishing. To demonstrate why,
let me first explain the presentation that I most often use for walleyes.
First, drop the bait to the bottom (paying attention for a bite on that
initial drop). Reel your line so the rod is parallel to the water when the
spoon is just off the bottom. This way, you can control the depth of the
“drop” after each upward “snap.” Some guys let the bait fall to the bottom
after ever snap. I prefer to “snap” the bait briskly up about two feet —
then let it free-fall down — and stop it just a couple inches off the
bottom where I’ll “dead stick” the bait for a few seconds before the next
snap up. Most bites come on the drop or when the spoon is hanging there
doing nothing.
In between several snap-and-drop movements, I’ll occasionally let the spoon
crash into the bottom. That sound against the rocks, and those little plumes
that rise when you’re in sand or silt, seem to incite a strike when nothing
else will work. Don’t be afraid to mix things up with some occasional
flutters, 5-foot “snaps” and other change-ups either. Like with all fishing,
experiment and you’ll improve your skills and know-how.
Now, back to shape. Most jigging spoons are torpedo or elongated-teardrop
shaped. It’s a great shape for a rapid vertical “snap” and a fast fluttering
drop. Sometimes the walleyes seem to prefer a more erratic snap and a lazier
drop. Here, spoons with chiseled ends or blade baits like the Zip Lure
impart the desired action.
Here’s another jigging spoon-related topic that I’ve heard anglers argue
about: and that’s whether to tip the treble hook with bait. Some think
dorsal-hooking a live minnow is the ticket. Others prefer just a minnow
head. A handful will use a piece of crawler or a waxworm. And then there’s
the guys who believe the spoon works best without any live bait (or portion
thereof) at all. Me? I think they’re all right. I start with a bare spoon in
a proven color and it usually does the trick. If it doesn’t produce, I’ll
try other colors, then finally experiment with a minnow head or live minnow.
One of the greatest feelings in the world is setting the hook on a big
walleye that’s right beneath you. But sometimes in the fall, when you find
walleyes scattered on a contour break, it’s important to cover a lot of
water fast. Vertical jigging isn’t the answer here, but that doesn’t mean
that your jigging spoon isn’t still a great bait. It is!
For this application, position your boat on the deep side of the break and
cast your spoon up into shallower water. A cast/retrieve that is about
45-degrees to the perpendicular slope of the break is a good idea because it
keeps the bait at each depth range for a bit longer than a retrieve straight
down the break.
So, make a long cast and let the bait find bottom. Give it a brisk pop, then
let it flutter down to bottom again. Each pop/flutter will take the spoon
deeper and deeper. Again, be prepared to get bit as the bait is falling. If
it seems like every strike is occurring at a certain depth along the break,
position your boat at that depth and make casts parallel with the contour â
to keep the bait in the strike zone as much as possible.
Ah, fall. The best time for big walleyes. Rigging with live bait is
certainly a successful technique. But for instant, solid hook-ups with
aggressive fish, it’s tough to beat a spoon. Give spoons a try this year and
you’ll put your forks to more use on delicious walleye dinners.
Good Fishing!
Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to
fish and hunt for more than 25 years. Watch the award-winning “Good Fishing”
and “Outdoor Secrets” television shows on Versus (formerly OLN), Fox Sports
Net, WILD TV, WFN and many local networks.By: Babe Winkelman / Babe Winkelman Productions
