Doing a few more lure modifications (bladed treble, feathered treble, etc) and got me wondering why I don’t use more ice lures fishing open water. Bigger lures like kastmasters, buckshots, pk spoons, big dinner bells, etc. Currently only using jigging rapalas and rippin raps in this way. Guessing I’m behind the times. What am I missing?
A lot of ice lures are made to fish completely vertical and are finesse presentations. In those open water scenarios then yes they would work. Most prefer more aggressive presentations come open water.
As rippin has alluded to, there are a lot of lures, like those you’ve mentioned, that can be super good in open water. Walleyes and crappies, suspended over deep water, will respond favorably to vertical presentations of ice tackle in open water.
Stop and think about it….the fish live in a liquid environment and other than water temp have no way to determine a difference between under ice or open water.
I look forward to trying more of this during open water season this year.
For walleyes in open water I always pack my ice fishing jigging spoons in the boat. I use more jigging spoons for open water than I ever fish plain jigs (jig & minnow) in the winter.
For open water there are plenty of occasions that vertical jig fishing is the appropriate presentation. In this situation the jigging spoons allow a different action that you can’t get with a typical jig. For the specific day or hour let the fish tell you which action they prefer.
Heck, you might even see me on the Mississippi vertical rip jigging a heavy Kastmaster. Fish on!
I put some fusion feather trebles on a 1/2 ounce kastmaster, 3/8 ounce PK Spoon, and a large Do Jigger (biggest I’ve seen…not sure on size) last night. Look pretty good and are going in the open water tackle box.
I like a windy day with 1 to 1 1/2 foot waves. Just drift and catch them. All types.
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