Favorite Walleye Ice Fishing Rig

[Gene Wellman]

Fellow Fishers, Have been fishing for walleyes several years either by trolling northern MN lakes or handlining the Detroit River, but never ice fishing. We have all the equipment but never put it all together. My questions are as follows: What is your favorite rod to use-medium light or medium, braided line with a fluorocarbon leader tied or do you use a barrell swivel and do you tie or use a snap or swivel to your lure or jig? What's your favorite lure? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

[drake32]

I like to use a medium rod and tie my line right to the lure. I like a #7 jigging rapala tip with a minnow. Bounce it off the the bottom and you should have fish on the ice in no time.

[dinoday]

Medium rod about 2 ft long,reel with good drag,8 lb.flouro and a snap swivel with a fire-tiger rapala...the snap helps eliminate line twist,since I mostly fish the river.

[WHITE BEAR]

Medium rod,24-30" long spooled with 6 0r 4lb line,barrel swivel,2-3 ft 4lb fluorocarbon leader, lure or jig of choice tied directly to the leader unless it's a blade bait like a cicada then I would use a snap swivel. It takes a little extra time to rig this way but I have had great success with this setup,espeacially on the river.

[BUCKWIZZARD]

Silver and blue rapala # 7-9 with a minnow and a stinger hook, 6lb line and 30 inch med action rod. A shanty and heater!!!

[frozenbeer]

Heavy 28" rod, 10 lb. low vis test and a snap swivel. Spoons, spoons and more spoons. Jigging Rapalas are great for the Saginaw River, but if you're going to hit the Bay and fish for big ones, some sort of flutter spoon tipped with half a walleye minnow will eventually get you a wall hanger. Do-jiggers, crocodiles, cleos, locos, swedish pimples, woblers, etc.

[walleyeman2006]

med heavy rod with heavy spring bobber....10lb xl or vanish swivel 3ft leader then snap swivel .......glow gumball jig 3 inch shiner...little cleo..swedish pimple

[Ralph Smith]

Fellow Fishers, Have been fishing for walleyes several years either by trolling northern MN lakes or handlining the Detroit River, but never ice fishing. We have all the equipment but never put it all together. My questions are as follows: What is your favorite rod to use-medium light or medium, braided line with a fluorocarbon leader tied or do you use a barrell swivel and do you tie or use a snap or swivel to your lure or jig? What's your favorite lure? Any help is appreciated. Thanks


First thing you might want to consider when getting some ice rods is size of shanty. I like 3' rods sitting out on ice on bucket or box, but in my shanty (viking 300-same as shappell 3000) they are too long. Nothing worse than getting all set up and find it a pain in a** trying to jig without hitting wall in front of you. Like mentioned, jigging rapalas work good on rivers, and fluttery type spoons on bay. I like jig heads in chartruese or orange, bigger on river, smaller on bay. If the current isn't too strong my favorite would have to be the older style chartruese airplane jigs with the little round wings. They make a nice spiral on way down(be sure to use quality swivel like sampo) and have a good place to tie a stinger hook which imo is manditory for eyes with a whole minnow. I use medium to heavy rods with fireline in the 4 dia. 10lb. or 6ia. 14lb. depending on river or bay(lighter on bay) and usaully 6 to 8lb. leader of maxima. Haven't tried floro yet, but may this year, sounds like the stuff from what I've heard for leader material. I tie all jigs,lures,etc. to leader line, no snaps.