Bladebaits & More

As far as tackle goes, use a rod-reel-line combo, the same to slightly heavier than your usual jigging sticks, depending on species and lure size. Remember, blades require a bit more force on the lift and tend on the average to trigger bigger fish.

An injected foam swim bait like the Salmo Chubby Darter isn’t technically a bladebait, but it does vibrate and swim when lifted, sort of a unique cross between a blade style and jigging minnow-type lure. It’s a winner for walleyes, perch, and pike, which logically begs the question, “What about jigging rattlebaits like Bill Lewis Rat–L–Traps, Cordell Spots or Ambush Lures, which are great for both casting-retrieving (most popular) and deep vertical jigging (less used) presentations?” We don’t really know; few folks ply them through the ice, and admittedly they’re quite loud. They obviously have ice fishing potential for larger gamefish, since they work in deep, cold open water in fall. Something to play with this winter.

Rattling Options

Significantly downscaled from the commotion of bladebaits, yet a bit louder than traditional lure types, are rattling lures, or lures with add-on rattles. Basically tiny BBs that bounce around in an internal or attachable chamber, rattles shake and quake when you move the lure. OK, so it’s more of a clickety-click than a vibe. But hey, it’s something different amidst the norm, something that might get their attention.

Rattling jigging spoons like Jig-A-Whopper’s Knocker Minnow, Northland’s Buck-Shot Rattler, Lindy-Little Joe’s Rattl’r Spoon, and Bass-N-Baits’ Rattle Snakie Spoon feature rattle chambers molded into the body of the spoon. Select models correctly sized for your target species, and start clickin’ and tickin’.

Some jigheads come with internally molded rattle chambers: Apex Rattle Jig, Wazp Rattlin’ Stinger. Others come prerigged with rattle chambers that attach over the shaft of the jig via a plastic sleeve; Northland’s Buck-Shot Rattle Jig is perhaps the most notable prerigged example. If you prefer to rig jigs to rattle yourself, Northland Buck-Shot Rattle Jig Rings come in single- and double-chamber versions that slip onto nearly any standard jighead, adding an enhanced sound component to your presentation.

Want to add rattles to a spoon, or even a plain hook? Northland Buck-Shot Rattle Hook Rings slip onto the shaft of a treble or single hook, or even onto the line ahead of the lure. Given their easy adaptability, they can be added to nearly any vertical jigging lure, expanding your attracting options.

For years, numerous ice jigging spoons have featured tiny red flicker blades attached to the split ring, adding a spot of color and a hint of sound. Nowadays, rattling options are louder and flashier. Even teeny spinner blades like Northland’s Thumper Spin can be slipped over a jig hook to add flash and vibration. Just be sure they’re properly positioned to avoid tangling your lure and line on the long drop into deep water.

And so it goes. Do you run silent, run deep beneath the ice pack? Or do you shout out your arrival by bouncing echoes off the ceiling? Ice fishermen have always tended toward the former, but in recent years have explored the latter in greater numbers and at increased decibel levels. If you’re not afraid to shake ‘em up, wake ‘em up, use sound to your advantage. At least they’ll know you’re there. And given the choice between an earache and a toothache, they just might select the latter.