Best Ice Fishing Jigs For Mille Lacs

In our Mille Lacs Top Five Walleye Jigs article, we go in-depth into which jigs work best on Mille Lacs specifically for walleyes. This article focuses on providing a basic overview of the “must-have” ice fishing jigs for Lake Mille Lacs. We help you find which ice fishing jig will work best for you while ice fishing Lake Mille Lacs for walleyes and perch. Whether you are in a Mille Lacs rented ice fishing house or a portable ice house, your jig will be the factor that gets walleyes to bit or not during your trip.

Jigging Spoons

One of the most popular lures for walleyes, this chunk of painted metal (or lead) with its single hook molded into it, or it could have a split ring with a treble hook attached, is one of the deadliest options for catching walleyes on Mille Lacs available. The Northland Fishing Tackle Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon is a jigging spoon with a rattle chamber built into it. The rattle that they give off attracts walleyes to strike, and it helps them find the bait, especially in stained water. In clear water, they come from further away when they hear the rattle. The treble hook with a maggot on two of the hooks or a minnow or minnow head is often used to attract the fish. You can also dangle maggots on a single hook.

Horizontal jig

Swimming lures are horizontal jigs with a shank that runs perpendicular to the line. Examples of horizontal jigs are The Minnow, Pumpkinseed, Custom Jig’s Ratso, and Ratfinkee. Swimming lures come in different sizes and have other actions. The spiral as they hit the water which attracts the fish. When they are jigged, the back end bounces up and down, and the head stays still. Horizontal jigs sit parallel to the fish’s body and make it easy for them to inhale the bait. It also puts them in a better hook-set position.

Floaters or Bobbers

A properly balanced float can act as a strike indicator. It also gives you a second line in the water so that you can focus on your jigging. The Ice Buster Bobber is a foam slip bobber that can be cut down to whatever weight you prefer and fine-tuned just the way you want it. It is essentially the bobber that can be pulled down quickly into the water, allowing little resistance, so when the fish come by to grab the bait, they won’t feel anything.

Airplane jig

The airplane jig has wings that give it a flying action that attracts the fish and strikes them. The wings also allow the jig to swim as it falls in little half circles. Adding the maggots or the minnow head is also used with this lure.

Vertical jigs

In a vertical jig, the shank of the hook is parallel to the line. Spoons like JR’s Tackle Flasher Spoons, Scenic Tackle Angel Eye, or the Phelps Glow Spoon are examples of vertical jigs. Depending on the spoon, it will either drop like a rock or flutter. Vertical jigs also come in all kinds of colors, sizes, and shapes. Two very productive vertical jigs are The Custom Jig’s Shrimpo and the Speckled Grub. These lures can also be used with any live bait, and their plastic finesse body can be matched and mixed with different sizes and colors.