The other day I was in a large sporting goods store. As I always do, I wandered down the fishing lure aisles to see if there was anything new. There usually is something new on the market. As I rounded a corner, I ran into a wall – of ice fishing jigs. 

The display of tiny lures ran from the floor to as high as I could reach and many feet to the right and left. Fishing with jigs, small teardrop rigs and jigging spoons are handy because you can carry all you’ll ever need in a single small tackle box.

Using artificials makes you more mobile. If you decide you’ve given one spot long enough, grab your rod, tackle box, auger, and leave. Not as much gear when compared to live bait fishing. Also, use clear monofilament line that is as light as you care to use. A good guide is 6-8 lb. test for walleye and northern, 2-4 lb. test for panfish.

If northerns and walleyes are your prey, you might want to use a jigging Rapala. This minnow- shaped jig is called a “side planing” lure because when you lower it, it swings way out to the side. This action allows you to cover a large area under the ice. This lure is usually just as effective, if not more, than live bait. The way to use it is to lower it down to the bottom and reel it up a few feet. Lift the lure quickly, and it will swing out in a wide arc. Let it settle for a few seconds and give it another lift. The fish will often hit it just as it is settling. If you get no action at one depth, lift it a few feet and keep on trying until you find the depth the fish are at.

Jigging spoons, like the Swedish Pimple are old stand bys. These lures have little action when you lift them upwards, but when you lower them they tumble with a fish attracting action. They work well alone, but you can tip them with a piece of cut minnow.

Airplane jigs are heavy lures with wings molded onto their sides, which makes the lure swing wider than even the jigging Rapala. These lures are well known among lake trout fanciers. A favorite trick of theirs is to tip the hooks with pieces of smelt or sucker meat.

Ice-flies and teardrops are mostly used by panfishermen. Teardrops get their name from the shape of their body, although many are round or disk-shaped. They are simply a painted lead body molded around a fine wire#8 to #12hook. Ice flies have a small lead body dressed with a little hair, rubber, or feathers. This dressing adds flash and gives the lure more motion when you jig it. Tear drops and ice flies catch plenty of fish by themselves, but it helps to add a tiny minnow or wax worm.

Using these artificial lures for ice fishing is not only more convenient  than conventional live bait fishing, but it is more exciting because you feel the strike, rather than just see a flag trip or the bobber sink. It turns ice fishing into a fishing system rather than just a hit-or-miss situation.

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