Swimming lures/Do you Tip?

[JJ Mac]

When ice fishing for walleyes and running say a jigging rap, do you have better success tipping it with a minnow head or just plain. I'm considering trying this year without tipping more often. Many of the more experienced jiggers tell me they do just as well leaving the lure plain. One claim is that it is more of a natural presentation for those finicky eyes and you spend less wasted time getting hits from smaller fish and perch. Thoughts????

[hoffie1]

I always put at least the minnow head on a jig. rap. To me it works much better.I have never caught a walleye on a jig.without one.

hoffie

[ESOX]

Small minnows, minnow heads, Mousies, Powerbait maggots, something to give it some smell. Unless the fish are hitting everything I drop in front of them, I feel better if I have something with some odor to it in the water.

[Radar420]

Small minnows, minnow heads, Mousies, Powerbait maggots, something to give it some smell. Unless the fish are hitting everything I drop in front of them, I feel better if I have something with some odor to it in the water.
:yeahthat:

[MUSHY1]

A little scent is always good, but i dont like bait. Its cheatin....... No seriously, for walleye i tip with a whole minnow, and i use a single hook in lieu of the treble in blood red......

Mushy1

[Crooked Dave]

I tip the jigging raps / shads with the smallest minnow head in my bucket. I guess simply for the fact that I have always done it. I also carry a bottle of fish oil with me, of which I spray on occassionaly. I also had some success with a dropper rig on the raps tipped with small (perch) minnow heads. We spoke of the Chubby Darter, and I found that if these were tipped with anything at all, it really disrupted the action. I question the guy tipping with a whole minnow and using a single hook, just doesn't seem like a natural presentation ( If it works...I may have to try it). A skim of ice was confirmed off of Hoppies last week. Hope it isn't too much longer. Tight Lines

[JJ Mac]

Hey Dave. On jigging raps, I have also been using some of the scent juice. I put some in a cup and then periodically dip my lure in it before dropping it back down the hole. It's worked esp. well on Burt too. In the past, I've tipped with a small minnow head as well. I've found that if I tip the single hook on the treble that points straight back on the jig, it effects the swimming action the least. I nearly always replace the treble with a larger one. Last year I caught several fish tipping with a tail instead of a head. It looks more natural, especially when it's swimming.

I asked for opinions about tipping after reading a good article in the In-Fisherman 2005 Guide. The theory is that swimming lures are most effective when you can see it and the reaction of the fish, whether by camera or flasher. If you are fishing blind and just jigging, you are probably better off using a tipped flash type lure like a pimple or do jigger. The arguement probably has good merit.

Thanks for everyone's input.

[Houghton laker]

Hey JJmac what scent did you do the best with....I have always tipped the rearhook of the treble with the smallest head in the bucket....always considered trying some scent but never had!! Any help on which scent to try would help!!.......a few years back you could not beat a jigging Rap on Houghton.....it has gone back(at least for me) to the old favorite....swedish pimple with a minnow head...size7

[JJ Mac]

I have used up what I had, it was about 6 years old. If I remember correctly, it was baitmate in the shad flavor. Gray with flecks of silver.

[WALLEYEvision]

I like to tip my jigging Raps with a small minnow on the treble hook or atleast a minnow head for scent.