Winter is here and I can

Winter is here and I can't wait to get out on the ice and play with all of the new toys we have at our disposal, as well as a few old favorites. Every year we get products sent to us to try, and sometimes we come across some real winners, like Slip Jigs. My first time out with them was for Perch and at first glance I didn't think this lure looked like much. However, after just a few hours of hauling in Perch it proved to be a winner. I had to make a slight adjustment to the hook size that I used with the jig. I changed to a very small treble that the Perch could get in their mouth. Once I did this I simply put a few maggots on the hook, dropped it down, and started nailing them one right after another.

There are a couple of key elements here that made this jig so successful. First off it weighs around 3/8 of an ounce so when it hits bottom it makes a substantial thud. This kicks up a puff of sediment on the bottom that the Perch in to investigate. Once they are close enough they see and smell the maggots, which they can't resist. The second key to success was capitalizing on they way they feed. Perch will swim up to their prey, and in one quick motion, open their jaws very wide and gulp in a mouthful of water. The strategy is that hopefully a meal will get sucked in. It was easy for the Perch to suck in a small, maggot covered, treble on the end of a Slip Jig, and once they closed their mouths on it, they were doomed to a quick trip to the Surface.

Have a look at these clips of hungry Perch going for the Slip Jig.

Check-out this clip of a Pike taking the Slip-Jig.

Burbot love it too

Center punching is a great presentation

The Slip Jig has also proved to be a hot lure for Pike, Lake Trout, Walleye and Burbot. For the Pike I would take the treble off and center punch the hook through the belly of a smelt, sardine, or anchovy. Slip Jig's design makes it easy to reattach the hook to the jig and then let it suspend just off the bottom. With the hook punched through the center of the bait, it sits perfectly horizontal in the water for a natural presentation. For Walleye, Lake Trout and Burbot I use minnows and do the exact same thing. I also bump the jig on the bottom from time to time, stirring up sediment, and hoping to catch the attention of a willing fish.

So no matter what your after through the ice, with the appropriate sized hook and the right bait, the Slip Jig will catch anything that swims in the water.
	-*Alex Kreis, Host, Fishing Alberta*