Walleye Plastic
By: Ron C. Hustvedt, Jr.
Ice fishing is the most innovative segment of the fishing industry these days with new technologies and tactics being unveiled every time the lakes freeze up. Many are variations of open water themes but not all of them work very the same. Often times it all comes down to how willing anglers are to try them out. Something that’s slowly setting in with ice anglers are softbaits made of plastic or biodegradable materials. The same walleye anglers who have become adept at using tubes, worms, grubs, soft baits and plastics in the open water seasons often leave those baits at home when it’s hardwater season. Venturing into the realm of ice fishing with softbaits means no worries about frozen bait, shiners dying or tipped over minnow buckets. It means no fruitless searches at all the area baitshops for waxworms. It can be well worth the effort making the switch to softbaits, provided anglers do it right. Don’t quit livebait cold turkey—have a reason. The results can be astonishing and many anglers who have made this switch find themselves catching as many, if not more walleye than their fishing partners using livebait. It is a simple matter of being faster at getting your hook back in the water. Ice anglers base a lot of their confidence in what they put on the hook but it’s more in our heads than anything—softbaits do a great job catching walleye through the ice. Perhaps the biggest advantage offered by softbaits is their ease in use and the added versatility to anglers. Always keep your mind open for switching back to livebait but you’ll find that you can do more with softbaits like changing the color or style of the lure instead of just changing minnows or jigging action. This allows you to better dial in the pattern at that moment and get the fish to bite better.
Strong plastic patterns
Approach ice fishing with softbaits the same way you would with livebait. Use your electronics to find the location you want to fish, drill some holes, pinpoint the structure, work the edges and search for fish. That’s where the similarities end, however. You shouldn't fish softbaits like livebait because the natural movement isn’t there. A lot of anglers forget this and get bummed out when they don’t catch fish on softbaits—you have to provide the activity and movement. Some anglers have found their highest success coming in deeper water along transition areas such as those found along the edges of rock reefs and flats in 30 to 40 feet of water. Using softbaits in those walleye cruising grounds where the bottom content changes from boulders to mud or a hard bottom to mud or where all three come together. Plastic lures like a small Northland Slurpie work great. Simply drop it into the ice and free spool your line until it hits the bottom. Thump it a few times, reel up a few inches and hold the lure still. Other downsized lure choices include Northland’s Scud-Bug, Bloodworm, Slug-Bug and Mimic Minnow Fry.
Presentation specifics
The walleye’s coldwater environment throughout the winter means they are seldom in an aggressive mood. A lively minnow presents a natural action, but fish a softbait too aggressively and you create an unnatural presentation. A subtle presentation tends to be the name of the game with softbaits because subtle movements provide the same slow roll offered by livebait. A slow cadence when jigging rather than ripping it up and down also allows walleye to focus on the lure rather than swim away. In stained water scenarios bulk up a buckshot rattle spoon with three waxies or wigglers, bump it off the bottom a few times and then hold it just above the bottom or where you’ve been marking fish on your electronics. When the water is clear use a spike or two on a forage minnow and constantly quiver the bait. It’s almost like that really heavy coffee shake—you create a bigger awareness from further around and draw walleye in. As far as color is concerned, the top colors tend to be white, pink, chartreuse and red. Color combinations with some contrast such as pink and white or red and chartreuse can be especially effective.
Softbait makeover
The ability to modify and manipulate their design is one of the best aspects of softbaits. Feel free to alter it to change its size, vibration and action; three key ingredients to successful ice fishing. Adjustments include: cutting a v-notch in the tail for a bit more movement; shortening up the front end to reduce bulkiness; cutting off part of the tail for a more subtle movement; slicing a lure in half to reduce bulk and give it more movement; or making notches for attractant to hold onto better.
More versatility
With all the choices on the market today, anglers can all feel free to mix and match ice fishing methods as they choose. Some anglers thread a wiggler on the shaft of a hook and tip it with a minnow head or real-life waxworm. This can make a huge difference when walleye are biting soft or nipping the head off without a hookset. Rather than having to reel up and put another minnow head on, keep the lure in the zone to entice a follow-up strike. Does one thing work in every situation? Not at all. That doesn’t mean you can’t enhance your presentation and experiment—It’s amazing what you learn when you experiment and softbaits are just another tool anglers can use to catch more fish. When you consider all the innovations of the last decade, who knows what awaits us in the future? It’s time for us to experiment with softbaits more than ever before in the past. Experimentation is the name of the game and in a sport where new innovations come and go, the success of softbaits for walleye in open water says they are here to stay. As lure manufacturers continue to innovate and improve ice fishing softbaits, those anglers willing to experiment and try new presentations will prevail. If anglers don’t try, they’ll never know. Some anglers might have a mental block and their confidence isn’t there but have an open mind—it’s all about becoming a more versatile angler.
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