Genz on Spoons
By Ted Takasaki and Scott Richardson
Fish slow down in cold water and a slow approach is often needed to catch them in the dead of winter.
But, it’s a different story at first ice or just before ice out, according to Dave Genz, who has long been considered the father of modern ice fishing. Walleyes are still hungry early on when water is relatively warm and filled with oxygen, and they get excited as spawning time nears. Fast tactics like ice spoons are the ticket.
“At early ice, they’re still feeding up. They slow down in January and February. But they become more aggressive again as the water warms near spring,” said Genz, a member of the Lindy Fishing Tackle pro team and organizer of the Ice Team. “Spoons seem to be much more effective then.”
Active walleyes are drawn to a spoon’s flash in clear water. Some spoons like Lindy’s new Rattl’n Flyer Spoon add sound to their attraction, a big factor in the “golden hours” before sunrise and just after sunset when walleyes are on the move, he said. Sound also helps predators locate a bait in dark or dirty water or at night.
Genz believes the addition of sound to the spoon’s bag of tricks is as big a breakthrough as the introduction of Techni-Glo colors was just a few years ago.
“The golden hours in the evening for walleyes are excellent,” Genz said. “Walleyes are feeding, and spoons work the best. You work them, they are flashy, they rattle, and they’ll attract fish from a distance.”
Unlike other spoons, Flyers, offer another unique feature. Instead of simply falling straight down the hole, they glide away from it and sometimes land as much as three feet to the side. That fact allows ice anglers to “cast” in different directions and cover more water.
 Once a spoon is on the bottom, Genz makes sure he drags it back beneath him rather than lifting it immediately. The dragging action may release morsels of food from the bottom into the water and call walleyes to dinner.
“Things that live in the bottom are what walleyes feed on a lot of times. Take your time. Stir up the bottom,” Genz said.
The same theme is at work when he makes certain he hits the bottom to stir up the silt as he snap-jigs the spoon.
Genz uses low-stretch mono down to about 30 feet. He switches to super-braid lines to improve feel when fishing deeper. He doesn’t use a snap and ties directly to the line. This setup forces him to check his knots for frays more frequently and retie more often. The extra care translates to fewer lost fish due to break-offs.
He also shuns barrel swivels which some anglers use in-line to avoid twist. He doesn’t bother when he’s using Flyers. They flutter rather than spin, he said.
Forget minnows early and late in the winter. Three or four colored maggots or wax worms on each hook are enough to bring on a strike and they’re easier to carry. Minnow heads are a good alternative. Most anglers drag minnows hooked up through the lower jaw and up through the head in open water. Do the opposite when the water is hard. Put the hook through the hard portion of the head and then out the mouth. They’ll stay on better that way when you are snapping a spoon up and down or shaking it.
“If you want to use a rattle bait, you have to aggressively shake it. If you go slow, there’s no advantage,” Genz said. “Make sure you’re consciously rattling the rattle. Take it out before you go fishing and shake it so you’re aware of what it takes (to create the noise.)”
But, like all fishing, spoon fishing through the ice isn’t all about the lure. Location is still the key. Genz has a favorite place to target anytime during the winter. It’s a spot others often overlook it. He focuses on the sharpest shoreline break into the deepest part of a lake. Walleyes don’t have to move as far to feed, a perfect situation for a fish that wants to eat without working hard to do it. Conserving energy means survival to a fish, especially during the cold months.
Finding the right spot on the break is critical. What you’re looking for most of the time is the area between the harder surface on the steep break and the soft-bottom muck. The transition area has a consistency that’s just right for burrowing insects, Genz said. Walleyes will be there, too.
GPS paired with mapping chips cut down the work. “You know how deep the water is before you drill,” Genz said.
Still, several holes are needed. Place them in a zig-zag pattern on the break, and use your electronics, including a sonar and an underwater camera like the Aqua-Vu, to pinpoint walleyes.
He centers in on mid-lake reefs when fishing bigger water. Stay mobile. A portable ice-fishing shanty like the Genz-designed Fish Trap or the Clam can help.
Flashers with color screens reveal when fish move closer to the bait. You can actually watch and see how they respond to the jigging action you’re using. Adjust until you find the one that works best at any given time. Expect that factor to change from day to day, even hour by hour.
The Rattl’n Flyer Spoon is available in three sizes- the inch-long 1/8-ounce, the 1¼ inch 3/16-ounce and the ¼-ounce which is 1 3/8 inches long. Colors include the Techni-Glo red, rainbow, perch, firetiger, gold shiner and silver shiner. All sizes and colors feature Bleeding Bait round-bend treble hooks, a flashy holographic finish with a life-like scale pattern, and Techni-Glo eyes.
There are times Genz will switch to the Genz Worm, which he designed. He’ll add up to a dozen Eurolarvae to bulk it up. “It’s a deadly way to catch walleyes all season,” he said.
He’ll switch to a smaller Frostee spoon when he’s trying to catch crappies, perch or bluegills through the ice. Without rattles, he’ll pound the bait to get the treble to shake and give off sound.
Genz and the Ice Team sponsor a lineup of ice-fishing tournaments. The Ice Team’s web site has more tips and tricks for fishing the hard water. Visit www.iceteam.com.
Try fishing faster in early and late winter. Fish are aggressive, so you should be, too. Spoons are the way. |
