walleye dead sticking questions...

[CALVINIST]

I was fishing for walleyes this morning, when I got a flurry of bites on a dead stick, but could only ice two eyes. Being new to ice fishing for walleyes, not so sure I am doing things right.

My question is, when dead sticking, and you detect a bite, how long do you let the walleye take it before setting the hook? I was using small shiners on a #4 hook, then switched up to #2.

Also, has anyone ever used a small treble hook dead sticking for walleyes before? Maybe this would increase my hook up percentage.

[captainstevo]

Dead sticking is deadly for walleyes, You are doing the complete opposite of what I try to do. if i am having trouble landing fish or with picky fish I go smaller and more. I start with #6 and sometimes drop to #8. I generally make a twin hook setup with a single hook in the lip of a shiner and a small treble hook in the back, basically a quickstrike. I use florocarbon and rig a number of leaders before I go out, great for when you watching tv. anyway, remember it is the little things that can make a difference between getting lucky and being consistent. keep an eye on the little things.

What area of the state do you fish in? I am up north generally between the bemidji and red lake regions.

[Kyle Sandberg]

If your setting the hook on the fish or else the fish is coming off half way up the hole your gonna need to let them take it longer.

The fish will grad the minnow and start running. Usually they'll stop and readjust the bait in its mouth. When it starts running the second time is when you should set the hook. I know its hard to wait that long but thats the best chance of getting a good hookset in them.

Hope this helps and good luck.

[masterpuppet]

Very good ? I have not deadsticked for a few years as I have used mostly rattle wheel. I would like to get no knowledge on this as well thank you

[Borch]

When deadsticking I generally fish with a spoon or jig to anchor the minnow. You want to hook the minnor behind the dorsal fin from back to front so that the minnow struggles against the weight of the lure.

As far as how long to give the bait goes I almost never open the bail and feed the fish line. I pick up the rod and give the fish the rod tip for a few seconds and set the hook. I don't miss many with this set up.

Just a heads up on the quick strike rig. If you have more than one hook, (a treble hook counts as three hooks) you will need to have a lure of some type to be legal. A jig or spoon would be a lure.

I like to use a Todays Tackle Rod Rocker II for a tip down set up with my dead sticks.

Good Luck!

[blueroof]

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how long do you let the walleye take it before setting the hook? I was using small shiners on a #4

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Calv, set the hook asap, you only have a wee bit of distance before thet will hit DRAG. I would use a smaller hook too. My favorite eye deadstick tackle is a #10 diamond jig - shows up great on the flasher. Lb

[Boar]

I'v picked up the Mr. Jigger at cabelas, awsome for dead sticking. The rod gently balances in the cradle wire an the slightest touch can cause it to rock gently up an down. The only bad thing is, is that when u pick up to set the hook you have to pick up the wire cradle along with it. But it dose detect the slightest bite. Boar

[Walterwontfalter]

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The fish will grad the minnow and start running. Usually they'll stop and readjust the bait in its mouth. When it starts running the second time is when you should set the hook. I know its hard to wait that long but thats the best chance of getting a good hookset in them.

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I second this. This is how i was taught when I was a kid. I don't miss many, unless they are tiny perch messing with it. The bigger perch do the same.

[captainstevo]

I am also going to have to agree with the theory that the fish takea second run when the bait is secure, but this is only from my personal experience. as far as making a treble or multi hook setup into a lure I either use a couple of beads above it or a very small spinner from my summer lindy gear. this is less distracting to the fish and serves the purpose. I would recomend not using a spoon or jig since that is what your second rod is for. I go with the jig or spoon on my active jigging rod and go light and subtle on my dead stick.

Anyway there are a ton of ways to go about this and i would try everything until you find something that suits your fishing style the best

[Shack]

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You want to hook the minnor behind the dorsal fin from back to front so that the minnow struggles against the weight of the lure.

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Very close, but I like to hook threw the anal area on up. This area keeps minnow alive longer and really gets them to want to swim away.

When I dead stick, I set drag light (not to light), and watch to see how hard the strike is on the tip of rod. If they snap the rod when hitting, a more aggressive hook set could be used. If they gently slide tip down, a very light hook set should occur.

Most times when the drag is set just right and the rod tip starts to pull down, I feed the fish some tip (just enough to slacken line), slowly pull up on rod tip (until I feel load from fish) and start reeling. Most times when dead sticking for crappies, a sure fire “giver the onion” type hook set will most likely cause you to loose the fish. Just feel fish’s load and reel up has worked for me. Its turns out to be different strokes for different folks. So get out and see what works for you.

Now, on the walleye taking a second run with your bait and lure, I think there is a little truth to that. 9 times out of 10, when fishing Mill Laces, I can tell a perch bite from a walleye bite when using bobbers. A perch will take bobber down and slowly keep going down ice with it. A walleye will pop bait and take bobber down hole 3-6” and stay their for 10-30 seconds and then go further down with bait. I think your chances of landing that walleye are a 100% better if you wait until after bobber starts to move again. I feel the fish is munching on the bait, or like you guys said above “readjusting bait in mouth”. I would look for traits like this when dead sticking for walleyes. It should help.

Dead sticking or bobber, not much difference for walleyes I have found “yet”. I like the dead stick option, first off because I have more successes with it and second because it puts you “one on one” with the fish. A bobber can get stuck on ice, hinder hook set, ice up and then get stuck on line (lost a few fish to that scenario) and stop your line when reeling up.

I hope it works out and lets us know what worked.

Good luck!

[hanson]

Calvinist-

When you say 'Deadsticking', are you referring to fishing with a jig & minnow under a bobber? Or eliminating the bobber and using your rod tip as your bite indicator? (which is true deadsticking).

My experience with walleyes taking bobbers down is if that bobber is moving down the hole, set the dang hook hard. There is no reason to let them take the bobber down any further than 1' unless you want to deep hook the fish.

Obviously while fishing a jig & minnow under the ice, other fish than your targeted species will be playing with it as well. Perch can be pesky, and even small walleyes can be pesky too. The bobber that pops down the hole 4", sits there, and then results in a missed fish is usually a small fish that pecked it hard and then left. A bobber that shoots down the hole in the blink of an eye is usually a perch. Most of the time they drop it and you end up missing the hookset. But those slowly sinking bobbers are the ones that shouldn't be missed.

Another point to consider when fishing bobbers is resistance from the bobber itself. The Ice Buster Bobber is going to provide the least amount of resistance of any bobber on the market. You need to adjust the bobber (add extra split shot to your line or trim the bobber down) so it sticks out of the water about an 1/8". When the fish takes it, it just slides on down. A guy really needs to leave all his summer bobbers at home.

[sjburnt]

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[CALVINIST]

Lot's of great insight here, so thanks everyone!

So would a treble hook, a bead, and a tiny blade be considered a lure?

Hanson,

I mean true dead sticking. I don't normally lik to fuss with floats on ice. This year I bought a Jason Mitchell Meat Stick and love it. I had this set up with 4lb p-line, a couple split shots, a glow bead and a plain hook.

[captainstevo]

I do one bead and the smallest spinner that I can find above my setup. This trick was shown to me by a C.O. that I have fished with so I am assuming it is legal, I have never had a problem with it and I have shown it to a couple of different C.O.s

[CALVINIST]

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I do one bead and the smallest spinner that I can find above my setup. This trick was shown to me by a C.O. that I have fished with so I am assuming it is legal, I have never had a problem with it and I have shown it to a couple of different C.O.s

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Thanks Captainstevo, BTW, I live in the west metro area, just minutes from lake Minnetonka, which is a great metro fishery for walleyes, among other fishes.

[hanson]

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Hanson, I mean true dead sticking. I don't normally lik to fuss with floats on ice. This year I bought a Jason Mitchell Meat Stick and love it. I had this set up with 4lb p-line, a couple split shots, a glow bead and a plain hook.

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I really prefer a treble hook in these situations on a light jigging spoon. I then will hook my minnow through the back, behind the dorsal, on one of the hooks on the treble. A lively minnow will struggle like crazy against that spoon.

Your rod should be in some sort of holder and then you have 2 options there as well, a holder that holds your rod solid or a holder that will allow your rod to tip or pivot when the fish pulls down. Since you are using a rod designed for this presentation, I would go with a fixed holder, the rod will/should set the hook.

Sometimes the best thing to do is when you see the rod tip starting to bend down, grab the rod and set the hook. Other times you don't have a choice as a fish will hit your bait so fast, you look over and your rod tip is thumping up and down with a fish on the end of the line. In that case, crank him in.

Reason I prefer a treble hook on a jigging spoon is they are much "stickier" when a fish hits. You are really hoping the fish hooks himself when he takes your bait.

I will admit, this technique is a bit tricky to dial in. Aggressive biting fish will definitely help to learn it effectively. When the eyes are being picky, I'll oftentimes just go back to an Ice Buster Bobber where there is much less resistance for the fish to feel.

One way I really like to fish the deadstick is when I'm outside hole hopping and I need a way to tell if a fish is biting my other rod which might be 25' away from me. If my rod is in a holder on a 5 gallon bucket, I can watch that rod tip from aways away. When the fish hits, he'll usually hook himself and I can run over and reel him in.

[CALVINIST]

Hanson,

What would you consider a light jigging spoon? Or, what do you find effective?

[CALVINIST]

Hanson,

What would you consider a light jigging spoon? Or, what do you find effective?

[Deitz Dittrich]

I would consider a light jigging spoon to be..

1/8 oz Go Devil

Jigging Demon

1/8 oz Sweedish pimple.

Smaller Gem-N-Eye...

these are my go to for deadsticking.