IDO TV – MN Opener near Leech Lake, MN

This is the final episode for broadcast season #8. Video Details: Season 8 – Episode 25. Open Water Fishing. James Holst & Ben Brettingen fish near Leech Lake following the walleye opener in Minnesota. The guys encounter some very tough conditions – cold front, high winds, falling temps yet manage to put some fantastic fish in the boat using a combination of Rippin Raps and jigs tipped with shiners. This episode is the final episode of broadcast season #8. Thanks everyone for taking the time to tune in to our show on Fox Sports North or here online. We greatly appreciate your support!

To watch Season 8 – Episode 25, click on the video player above OR use this direct link >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4U2IjguTU8

Another great show guys. Fishing those rippin raps sure looks like fun.

I’ve fished rippin’ raps and ratl’ traps for walleyes and pumped them on the retrieve. However, I’ve never fished them off the bottom. Do you follow them on the fall or let them free fall?

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I’ve fished rippin’ raps and ratl’ traps for walleyes and pumped them on the retrieve. However, I’ve never fished them off the bottom. Do you follow them on the fall or let them free fall?

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I follow the bait back down to the bottom on a semi-slack line. I don’t want to slow the fall of the bait but I also don’t want to let a bunch of slack in the line keep me from feeling the hits.

James will have a much broader experience but I’ve found letting the bait free fall is important. I’ll follow a few inches behind the bait so any abrupt change ie a hit, will be detectable. Trying to get the bait to vibrate with the least amount of vertical motion is important. You don’t want that bait to be way off the bottom, trying to keep it in the strike zone as often as possible. I don’t find it to be a problem missing bites because on the lift, you pump the bait hard enough that often times it sets itself. Plus when walleyes hit a Rippin’ Rap, they HIT the Rippin’ Rap. It’s no nightcrawler hit that’s for sure.

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James will have a much broader experience but I’ve found letting the bait free fall is important. I’ll follow a few inches behind the bait so any abrupt change ie a hit, will be detectable. Trying to get the bait to vibrate with the least amount of vertical motion is important. You don’t want that bait to be way off the bottom, trying to keep it in the strike zone as often as possible. I don’t find it to be a problem missing bites because on the lift, you pump the bait hard enough that often times it sets itself. Plus when walleyes hit a Rippin’ Rap, they HIT the Rippin’ Rap. It’s no nightcrawler hit that’s for sure.

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Great insight guys, looking forward to getting back to my roots and fishing that style of bait in the coming weeks!

Quick question, wondering if you guys were pausing it on bottom at all. At times it seems like the fish prefer pinning it on bottom and a short pause here or there increases bites. Ben, you mentioned that some were “there” on the next rod lift, but were most of these fish hitting the bait on the fall or chasing the lift.

Thanks!

Joel

I had a few fish pin it to the bottom but most of them were taking it at the top of the jig stroke or shortly there after making the strikes very, very sharp.

I have had periods when the fish wanted a 2 – 4 count between lifts most noticeably early in the AM on our Oconto shoot. But that’s been the exception rather than the rule this spring.

The biggest thing I’ve been paying attention to is speed and distance covered with the jig stroke. On the Oconto / Peshtigo shoot the fish wanted faster and longer jig strokes. I think that brought the bait further off the bottom which gave the fish more time to react and line up the bait while it was on the rise or shortly thereafter.

Back here in MN the fish have wanted shorter, slower more subtle lifts of the baits. I think the more aggressive jig strokes with the higher lift was too aggressive turning the fish off in most instances.

I had the majority of the fish pin it to the bottom or right before it hit the bottom. I don’t know if I had a fish hit it on the lift, just when it would hit the peak of the stroke but not immediately on the lift.

When I was fishing the RR down the break, I would really try to hit the bait subtly so it would hover down more parallel to the break rather than perpendicular to it. I had quite a few more fish hit it on the down fall when I would work it less aggressively.

Great, thanks for the pointers! As you said, this is exactly like snap jigging really. I’m really excited to fish the rippin raps in this manner. Cover lots of water and find aggressive fish! Great show, IDO is one of the best in helping people improve their skill set!!!

Were you using all rattling rippin raps or did you try both with and without? If so was there a preference?

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Were you using all rattling rippin raps or did you try both with and without? If so was there a preference?

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All Rippin Raps have an internal rattle. We didn’t try other non-rattling lipless crankbaits but I would be shocked if they wouldn’t work to some degree.

Bass Pro exclusively had rippin raps without a rattle last year but upon checking… they no longer do. It was even featured in this In-Fisherman article: http://www.in-fisherman.com/2013/05/14/lipless-cranks-and-bladebaits-for-walleyes/ so I don’t look like a complete dummy

I’m guessing they didn’t take off because I can’t find them anywhere for purchase currently. Wish I would have grabbed some last year . It seems like having both would be valuable at times if the fish are moody. Anyway… thanks for the reply!

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Bass Pro exclusively had rippin raps without a rattle last year but upon checking… they no longer do. It was even featured in this In-Fisherman article: http://www.in-fisherman.com/2013/05/14/lipless-cranks-and-bladebaits-for-walleyes/ so I don’t look like a complete dummy

I’m guessing they didn’t take off because I can’t find them anywhere for purchase currently. Wish I would have grabbed some last year . It seems like having both would be valuable at times if the fish are moody. Anyway… thanks for the reply!

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You’re definitely no dummy, sir.

Straight from the article… “and Rapala offers a 1/2-ounce Rippin’ Rap in a silent version exclusively through Bass Pro Shops.”

I had no idea. Consider yourself well ahead of the curve.

Okay, I’ll ask. What lake were you guys on? Was it Kabekona?

belletaine wrote:

Okay, I’ll ask. What lake were you guys on? Was it Kabekona?

He said north and west in the broadcast. My guess when I first saw the episode was Lake Bemidji

Would this method be worth trying any time during open water or is it more of a cold water choice? Also James when I asked earlier this season about trolling pepin you told me to pray for rain to help with the bite ,did I over do it should I stop praying?