Happy New Year
Everyone!
January 2017
Ice Fishing And Trolling Gear
For Hard Water Lake Trout
By John Littlefield
As I stare out my window and see
the first major snowfall of the year, I
cannot help but get antsy to scratch
the hard water itch. Although
winter has been slow to arrive,
news of safe ice conditions in the
ice belt bring hope and reassurance.
In preparation for the ice season, I
want to share a deadly technique
that I stumbled upon just a couple
of years ago, while fishing for lake
trout in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
on the great Gitche Gumee.
On a cold day in January, I set foot
across a scenic bay on Lake Superior
where wolf tracks outnumbered
human footprints as we traveled
across the ice. Virgin white pine
towered above the horizon, and
northern white-cedar skirted the
shoreline. The quarry was lake
trout, and although the bite was slow
the scenery more than made up for
it. After a couple hours of fishing,
drilling holes, fishing again, drilling
more holes, and getting zero bites, I
dropped down an experimental rig
consisting of a small dodger tied a
short length above a tube jig. The
first bite came shortly thereafter
and yielded a healthy 4-pounder.
Before long I had iced 4 beautiful
lean lake trout, 4-5 pounders, in a
short amount of time.
Flash Lite® Trolls, Double D™
Dodgers, or Sling Blades™ are
all effective tools when ice fishing.
Photo courtesy of John Littlefield.
The dodger and tube rig, as it has
been dubbed, was created as a simple
means for getting a lightweight tube
jig- a classic lake trout staple- to
the bottom in deep water and strong
Great Lakes currents. The same
could’ve been accomplished using
a number of simpler methods, but
the dodger added the appeal of flash
to the offering. By adding a 4.4”
Mack’s Double D™ or small Sling
Blade™ dodger 24” above a ¼ oz
tube jig, I am able to feel bottom
in 100 feet of water. I have since
used this rig successfully in many
locations both on the ice and in
open water.
to making it fish effectively. My
favorite rod for the task is a 38”
heavy action spinning rod with a
fast action tip. The heavy action is
essential for aggressively jigging
the beefy rig in waters of 100 feet or
more. It is also necessary for making
good hook sets at these depths. The
fast action tip is equally important,
as bite detection becomes slightly
more difficult in deep water.
I prefer 8-12lb super lines for
most jigging applications, most
of the time 10lb braid. From the
braid, I tie a 4-6-foot section of 1015lb monofilament using back-toback uni knots. This adds stealth
and serves as a shock absorber for
aggressive bites in the stretch-free
setup. Next comes a Mack’s Double
D dodger or Sling Blade tied directly
to the mono leader. Sling Blades
will also work. Below the dodger
is a 24” leader of high quality 10lb
fluorocarbon tied directly to a tube
jig. It is extremely important that
the fluorocarbon is of a lesser break
strength than the monofilament. If
you break off, it is much easier to
replace only the tube jig than the
entire outfit. Use heavier lines as
necessary for targeting larger fish.
Rigging Up
Pay special attention to your tube
Properly rigging the dodger and jigs, as not all tube jigs are created
tube is both simple and critical equally. Many tube jigs designed
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for bass fishing have the line tie
angled in a forward direction.
These work great for pitching and
casting, but are not well-suited
for vertical jigging. For vertical
jigging applications, use jigs with
the line tie positioned directly atop
the head, or at a 90-degree angle
to the hook shank. This gives the
tube a more erratic and slow gliding
action on the fall, and allows it to
hang naturally horizontal on the
pause. Experiment with different
jig weights, but I find that a ¼ oz
head gives the right amount of feel
and action most of the time.
The classic white tube works
wonders on lake trout anywhere
they swim. Tubes in the 3.5-4”
range work very well for trout of
all sizes, but do not be afraid to go
larger. Lastly, I like to add a stinger
hook to the jig. Stinger hooks are
nothing more than #8 treble hooks
tied on short pieces of monofilament
that trail freely behind the tube jig.
My stingers are tied with a slip knot
that allows them to be easily slipped
on and off the jig hook.
2-3’ that sends the Double D darting
upward and off the side. Then, allow
just a little bit of slack when the rig
falls toward bottom. By allowing
a little bit of slack, the dodger will
turn on its side and flutter toward
the bottom, giving the tube below a
very slow and erratic fall that lakers
cannot resist.
On large bodies of water
especially, you can benefit greatly
from spreading out to cover more
water. This affords the opportunity
The last element to fishing the for multiple anglers to fish dodger
dodger and tube is the pause. rigs and attract more fish from
ALWAYS finish the jig stroke with greater distances. Setting a strategic
a pause at the bottom. Due to its grid of anglers with Double D’s and
lighter weight, the tube jig needs tube jigs is a great way to put a lot
a little more time to settle than the of fish on the ice quickly.
dodger. It should also be noted that
The dodger and tube rig is not
this pause is what triggers threespecific
to the strategy outlined
quarters of the bites most days.
above.
It was discovered by
experimentation and affords plenty
of room for more. Experiment with
different sizes of Mack’s Double
D’s, Sling Blades, jig types, jig
sizes, and so on to suit your needs
and help you catch more fish. This
winter, bust out your trolling gear
and try something new. You just
might add a new favorite to your
winter lake trout arsenal.
How to Fish It
Fishing the dodger and tube rig is
slightly less intuitive than fishing
most other jigs. First, always let the
rig down to the bottom on a taught
line. This will reduce the tendency
of the dodger to flutter off to the
side and reduce your feel and bite
detection. Once to the bottom, you
must feel for the dodger to lift off the
bottom first and then very carefully
for the tube jig to lift off the bottom.
At this point, I like to reel my rod
tip down to the water level so that
I know exactly where my tube jig
is just resting on the bottom. Then,
I raise the rig up 1-2 more feet and
begin jigging.
The dodger and tube rig is a
different animal from most other
vertical fishing techniques. The
upward stroke is very sudden rip of
same shack or boat as other anglers.
On waters with current, such as
the Great Lakes, the tendency of
a dodger and tube to “wander” is
greatly amplified.
Gary’s Fishing Corner
The author with a nice Lake Trout
on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Fish generally bite the dodger and
tube in one of two ways. The first
is while the rig is falling. These
can be, in all seriousness, the most
aggressive bites you’ll ever feel on
a jigging rod. The second way that
lake trout tend to bite the jig is on
the pause. Let the rig settle, then
watch your rod tip for the gentle
tick of a laker inhaling your tube.
New Year’s Resolution
By
Gary Miralles
Final Thoughts
Vertically jigged Mack’s Double
D dodgers and Sling Blades cover
2016 was an excellent year, and
a very wide radius from your ice
there
were a lot of changes in my
hole, especially in deep water. For
life
and
career. So I am really
this reason, never jig a dodger over
deep water while fishing in the looking forward to the New Year.
Continued on Page 3
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2017 looks exciting and of course, I
have several resolutions to divulge.
I have to admit the year often comes
and goes without resolve. This year,
I promise will be different.
Stan’s Space
It’s Often The Color That
Counts
By Hall-of-Fame Angler
Stan Fagerstrom
Part 2
1. This year I promise to eat
The title for this “Stan’s Corner”
better.
column tells it like it is. It’s often
2. Get more exercise.
the color of the lure you’ve got out
there at the end of your line that
3. Spend my money more wisely. determines whether or not you’re
4. Try not to let things stress me going to catch fish.
out.
I quoted Mack’s Lure executive
5. Spend more time with my Bobby Loomis in this regard in
my previous column, “All fish eat
family. something at one time or another,”
Now after spending much time Bobby said. “If they don’t, they’ll
plotting to meet my goals, I think I die.” Bobby also had some
have figured out how I can do it:
additional and highly meaningful
thoughts to share.
1. DIET
My resolutions are as follows:
“This means,” he said, “that
even large kokanee eat something
other than plankton at one point or
another. This may be smaller fish.
2. EXERCISE
They don’t get a lot bigger than
• Use my Kayak more often everybody else in the pool on just a
fishing so I get more exercise. plankton diet.”
• I’ll fish more often catch and
eat more fish. 3. MONEY
• Only buy fishing gear. 4. STRESS
• Spend more time on the water
fishing alone; relaxing.
Another one of the things Bobby
had to say really got my attention.
He maintains each fishery seems
to have certain colors that will
darn near always attract fish. I’ve
certainly found that to be true in the
decades I’ve done so much fishing
for largemouth bass.
Spend much time fishing for
walleyes and the importance of
having the right right color will
soon becomes apparent. These
beauties came out of the Columbia
River.
• Plan my fishing trip to
areas where my family can
accompany me. Excellent!! I love it when a plan
comes together.
www.MacksLure.com
“If a fish sees something swimming
by that looks ‘natural’ to it, it’s much
more likely to bite. Size and scent
also play an important role here.
Creating those natural colors in
natural looking baits is often going
to depend on water depth, water
temps, and water clarity. The baits
you killed them on yesterday might
not be as productive today because
there’s been a change in the feeding
depths, water temps, clarity, etc.”
What Bobby is saying, means
changes in both lure color and lure
sizes may be necessary to start
putting those bigger fish in the
boat. Bobby will also remind you
of something else you’ve seen me
mention in these columns before.
5. FAMILY
HAPPY NEW YEAR! “Stan,” Bobby says,” “One of the
very first considerations is that you
learn the importance of ‘Matching
the Hatch.’ This means you’ll need
to know what the forage base is in
the body of water you are fishing
and this may change at different
times of the year.
That lure you see pinned to the mug
of this nice trout kept its promise.
That figures because the lure is a
Mack’s Lure Promise Keeper®.
That lure couldn’t have kept its
promise unless it was a color this
fish wanted.
Bass fishermen who have fished
as much as I have over the past half
century must surely have discovered
that color plays an extremely
important role where largemouths
are concerned. I lived smack on the
shore of Southwest Washington’s
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Silver Lake for more than 30 years.
Silver Lake has long been one of
Western Washington State’s most
productive spots for largemouth.
Will Tibbels
14 Pound Walleye
By Captain Pete Rosko
During the three decades I lived
right on its shore, my bass boat was
in the water about 60-feet from my
front door year around. Be assured
I became well acquainted with
many of the largemouth the lake
contained.
February, 2013...the Sonic
BaitFish™ received the “Best
Spoon Award” by Outdoor Canada. A month later, eleven year old Will
Tibbels caught a 14 lb walleye
through the ice. It was reported
as the second largest walleye ever
The management team at Mack’s
Lure keeps an exacting eye on the
caught by sport fishing in Lake
color of the gear it makes for some
Erie. The lure Will used was a 1/3
of the nation’s most popular sports
oz silver Sonic BaitFish with the
fish. Here’s a double handfull of
line/snap attached to the top of the
what I’m talking about.
back. On that eventful day, Will
was fishing with his dad, Capt
No doubt about it, color can and John Tibbels of Tibbels Marina. does play an extremely important They were jigging in about 32 feet
role in our angling endeavors. In my of water off Rattlesnake Island in
next column we’ll take a look at the Lake Erie’s western basin. Other
experiences of some other anglers Sonic BaitFish produced good-size
walleyes that day but the 14 pounder
who share that sentiment.
was special.
Since then, Will never had a
chance to ice-jig again as Lake
Erie never froze over because of its
warmer winter weather. However,
as this article is being written, that’s
all about to change because of the
severe Arctic air masses blasting the
Upper Midwest and Ohio Valley.
Mack’s Lure
Smile Blades®
From a personal standpoint, I
have not fished the Sonic BaitFish
through the ice. However, I have
fished it in every other conceivable
way including casting, jigging and
trolling. Will’s silver finish, and
blue-silver, have been particularly
effective in Washington State
for Beardslee (rainbow) trout in
Lake Crescent and coho & pink
salmon in salt water using these
three techniques that were equally
effective. Note: Glow-white and
glow-chartreuse were primary color
preferences for chinook salmon
and glow-orange for kokanee. In
the Gulf of Mexico, there has not
been any Sonic BaitFish finish that
has performed poorly. Standout
examples have been silver and
blue-silver for mackerel and snook;
firetiger for mangrove snapper;
glow-chartreuse for all other
snapper and grouper. The unique feature of the Sonic
BaitFish is that the line/snap can be
attached three different ways…to
the traditional nose, the tail and to
the top of its back. Please remember
the top-of-the-back attachment is
exclusively for vertical jigging. The nose, or tail, attachment can
be effectively used whether casting,
jigging or trolling. There is no other
lure that is so versatile because of
these multiple attachments and
different actions.
As we bring 2016 to a close, I
hope this season provided you with
good health and enjoyment on the
water. Thank you for subscribing
to the Mack Attack and even better
fishing in the New Year. Pete
Mack’s Lure
Sonic BaitFish™
Arctic angler Will Tibbels holding
his 14lb walleye he caught on Lake
Page 4
HOT DEAL OF
THE MONTH
Pip’s Box™ or
Pip’s Leader Caddy™
Question of the Month
Have a question? We’d love to answer
it! Contact us at [email protected] if you have a question you
would like to see featured!
Q: What lures does Mack’s Lure
Stuck inside because of the
cold? Now is the time to prepare
for the new fishing season. Get
those leaders tied and store them
in a Pips Box™ or Pips Leader
Caddy™. Enter code 100PRG
and receive 10% off.
Enter code:
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have that can be used for Ice
Fishing?
A: Great question! There are
many lures that can be used for ice
fishing. The Sonic BaitFish™ is an
extremely versatile jigging spoon
that can be used to effectively catch
fish through the ice. It emulates
a dying bait fish on the fall and
provides vibration on the rise. Glow
White is preferred, but the choice is
ultimately up to you. In addition,
use a Mack’s Lure Glo Hook™
attached to the tail about one inch
from the tail of the attachment
point. The Glo Hook will keep its
Photo of the Month
glow for approximately 30 minutes;
tip with a maggot for bait. Other
lures to use are the Cripplure™,
and Humdinger™. These lures also
present a dying bait fish on the fall,
and give a vibration or “hum” on the
rise. One way to rig to ice fishing is
using the Mack’s Lure Double D™
Dodger or Sling Blade™, and a
Glo Hook. Rigging is quite simple. Coming from your main line, attach
the dodger or sling blade backwards
from its normal application. The
reason of putting the dodger
backwards is that it provides the
Glo Hook with more action on the
rise and fall. From the dodger, use
a 14-16” leader to a Glo Hook in the
color of your choosing. In between
the dodger and the hook, attach
a couple of split shot weights to
help keep the presentation vertical. Slowly jig up 4-6”, then drop, and
repeat until your rod starts dancing!
Video of the Month
You guessed it, more ice fishing! Check out this Video, which
shows Mack’s Lure Pro Staffer
Mike Hall and Luke Ellifritz ice
fishing on the famous Flaming
Gorge Reservoir. If you have video’s to share,
we’d love to see them!! Send
your video links to: MacksLure@
It’s cold outside and since we have been talking about ice fishing,
check out this photo by Mack’s Lure Pro Staffer Mike Hall. The
Sonic BaitFish is shown under a black light, showing the vibrant UV
colors!
Send your photo’s to [email protected] for consideration to be
included in a future Mack Attack edition or on Facebook.
See more pictures by clicking here: Mack’s Photo Gallery
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