Using Go Devils..

[Kylersk]

How do you attach them to the line? Direct tie? Or something else? Also, what do you use for bait? (for crappies or walleyes.)

[Deitz Dittrich]

Kyler- The Go Devils by Scenic Tackle have a split right attached to the lure. I tie directly to that split ring! They are one of my go to lures for both walleye and crappie. The largest walleye on the Video we shot on LOW was caught on the 1/4 oz Yellow and Orange Go Devil with just a shiner head. I have fished it with a whole minnow, but I feel that may hinder its action. I think the lure really shines when you only have a minnow head on for the bait! For crappies I often just use wax worms and the go devil!

[Kylersk]

1/4 ounce eh? Figures, I bought 1/16 and 1/8.

Thanks for the reply!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Actually to be honest the 1/8'th are my fave, hands down... This was just a day when the 1/4's seemed to be working best.

Also, another tip, I love to use the 1/8 to bring the crappies in.. even when they are in a negative mood.. then drop down the smaller 1/16 to catch them... I think you can bring fish from further away with the larger bait(The Angel Eye works great too if you dont have any of them yet)...

[Kodiak]

isn't a JB's varmint the same is a Scenic tackle go devil??? they look the same and have glow paint also from what i can tell. I picked me up some JB's in glow red, blue, and perch...didnt have the time to wait for shipping on the go devils.

[note from admin: No they are not the same]

[IceHawk]

As stated just tie directly to the ring. I favor the 1/8oz Go-devils for walleyes and the 1/16oz for crappies and negative walleyes. My preference for tipping the jigs depends on the species and moods the fish I'm targeting are in.I use larger minnow heads for active fish and smaller crappie minnow heads and grubs for negative fish.

[Captain B.R.K]

For those reading this post---THESE are a stand by of the Pro-staffers on the site. I don't know how many times I have heard this.....feels like a re-run of Goonies!!!

Take a look at them here Scenic Tackle

I have my order in for a full card!!

[Snag]

Kylersk:

I like the 1/8 in perch. I use it for walleyes and crappies. Thornes Bros. sells them individually. For walleyes, I just hook a fathead through the mouth. Add a crappie minnow or a couple of waxies for the crappies. It's just big enough to keep most, but not all sunnies off.

[computerboy]

Deitz and other seasoned ice anglers....

How do you actually fish these (pound em, lift and drop, etc)? I just recently got into ice fishing and don't use jigging spoons much because I don't have confidence in them yet. I have an assortment of angel eyes, buckshots, pimples, etc but I rarely reach for them. I know I'm missing out on a lot, but I just don't have much faith in my abilities with jigging spoons and swimming baits.

Any tips for a rookie?

Thanks in advance,

cb

[Matt Johnson]

A jigging spoon is one of the most versatile presentations in ice fishing in my opinion. You can target just about any species with a jigging spoon and they can be used to mimic a wide variety of forage. Jigging spoons are phenomenal on walleyes, pike, bass, perch, catfish, crappies, trout... the list goes on and on.

The Go Devil by Scenic Tackle is one of the options of a versatile jigging spoon. Whether you're targeting panfish or perch with 1/16oz, walleyes or catfish with the 1/8oz, or pike and walleyes with the 1/4oz, they all can incorporate various different actions.

I prefer the 1/8oz if I'm looking for an "all-around" jigging spoon, aka, most versatile jigging spoon. The 1/8oz allows me to effectively target crappies and perch all the way to walleyes and catfish. The specie spectrum is huge with this spoon.

The colors available are also something to take into consideration. Me personally, I prefer either glow red, glow blue, or perch. All three of these colors will work on walleyes and perch, while I tend to focus more on the red and blue glow when I target catfish and crappies.

I like to tip these spoons with a minnow head or maggots, depending on what I'm after. If I'm chasing crappies I'll use maggots or a minnow head. When I'm after walleyes I generally stick to just a minnow head. And when I'm targeting cats, I'll hook a couple pieces of minnow on the treble.

With a jigging spoon you want to use a few different jigging techniques...

First, I like the standard lift-fall approach. This is your basic 1 foot snap followed by an instant descend to where it started at. Then thats followed by a moment of pause. Throughout the sequence I'll also add some shakes and jiggles when the spoon returns to its normal position.

Next, I like the drop-lift approach. This is your bottom feeding/hiding minnow. What you want to do is begin with the spoon about a foot off bottom and let the spoon drop and smack the bottom. Then snap back to the original position (about a foot off bottom). This imitates a minnow that is feeding on the bottom, or a minnow that is diving into the mud to escape a predator. You will see a lot of walleyes grab that spoon as it hits bottom, very cool.

And the last technique I like to use is the fleeing minnow. This is when I'll work a standard lift-fall technique but when a fish appears I'll slowly work the spoon up and away from the fish as I continue to shake the spoon. This will trigger those negative fish into biting and can also pull them bottom hugging fish up too.

There are several other techniques for jigging spoons but those are a few of the basics ones that usually get the job done. Every technique can be manipulated and altered any way you want. You will also want to change your technique when a fish closes in but doesn't strike. If you are aggressively jigging the spoon and a fish shows up but doesn't hit, you might want to slow things down. DON'T stop jigging though, thats always a no-no. Keep the spoon moving but just slow the motions down. Also don't be afraid to come up with your own technique, something off-the-wall. You never know, you might have the magic touch

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Dry_Fly]

Great response Matt I always enjoy reading your articles and response to the post here. Keep them coming.

Thank's Dry Fly

[perca]

For Deitz and Matt: Have you ever used the larger jigs for bringing bluegills and sunnies in closer when fishing cloudy or stained water or does the larger jig just scare them off?

[Matt Johnson]

perca,

Sure, larger jigs will attract those gills in from a distance. What I'll do sometimes is use a dropper rig which consists on a jigging spoon with the treble removed, then I add a 3-4 inch piece of flourocarbon, then I'll tie on a tiny jig and maggot. The jigging spoon draws in the fish and the dropper rig seals the deal.

Another thing that works is to deadstick a minnow in a nearby hole. The minnow will attract fish but they won't eat it (some will). This will also keep those fish around for a while longer too.

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[fiskyknut]

The Perch and the gold GD's in the 1/8 size are a favorite of mine for LOTW Perch and Wally's. I use them on a deadstick, take off the splitrings/hook and run a dropper to a #6 Kahle. Works so good I nicknamed it the 'weapon'!

fiskyknut

[Deitz Dittrich]

Perca-as stated by mat, I too will use a lager spoon to help attract fishin.. I have yet to find a lure that is too big or will scare them off... A few years ago, I actually used a musky decoy for brining in perch!... Give it a try.. just be ready with that other rod witha smaller presentation once you get fish in!

[The Chemist]

I have all of my rods that I use for jigging spoons with a small snap tied on. No swivel. Makes for easy changes and also I remove my spoons when I'm done so they don't hook on anything.