By Mike Frisch

It’s no secret that jigging spoons are top ice-time walleye producers. Often, however, I fish what I call my “do nothing rig” in a hole adjacent to where I am jigging

A simple minnow under a bobber makes up my do-nothing line. On days when the fish are active, most of my fish come while jigging. Some days, however, the do-nothing rig produces better.

On this line, I typically hook a minnow lightly near the dorsal fin utilizing a plain hook fished a foot or so below a split shot weight. Fish attracting color is added to the rig by using a colored Hot-Spot Split Shot. I like either glow or chartreuse colored shot.

Some days I adjust the rig by substituting a small round jig head for the hook and weight. It seems like the action of the bait struggling against the weight of the jig sometimes leads to more bites.

As with the split shot, the color of the jig adds attraction. This is especially important during the low light periods when walleyes are often most active. In fact, a red or chartreuse Super-Glo Jig tipped with a lively minnow is one of my favorite presentations when fishing early mornings or evenings.

I use a Glo-Buster Lurelight to periodically “glow” my weights and jigs for added attraction after dark.

Substituting a jig for a plain hook can mean more bites on the do-nothing rig. Another adjustment to this rig that has been successful is the use of two minnows instead of one. Two medium-sized fathead minnows struggling against each other on the same hook can be very productive at times. In fact, one of the bigger walleyes I’ve seen come through the ice fell for this presentation.

To be honest, I’m not sure when this refinement works best, but have seen it work often enough to make it something I usually try during the course of a fishing trip.

Winter walleye fishing trips can be made even more successful by adding the do-nothing rig to traditional jigging techniques. As always, good luck on the water and ice!

Mike Frisch is the owner/operator of Fishin’ With Frisch Pro Guide Service and Fishin' Schools. He can be reached at (218) 731-8141 for information regarding a guide trip of Fishin' School presentation.