RATTLE UP MORE WALLEYES 
By Bob Jensen

There are lots of different thoughts when it comes to rattles in lures. Some anglers think that rattles are a big help in some situations, other anglers feel that rattles don't make any difference in your fish catch. In the past couple of years, it has become apparent to many anglers that rattles will help fool more fish in many situations. Walleyes can be very susceptible to a rattling bait much of the time.

I believe that rattling baits will help in many situations. That belief was reinforced on a fishing trip to a Midwest river recently. We were fishing for walleye and sauger in an area where there were lots of boats. No one was catching much. My boat partner and I were using traditional jigs. After a while of no action, I decided to try a new jig that I had received a few days earlier. It was called a Rattlin' Fire-Ball. As the name implies, this jig rattles. The jig was in the water maybe five minutes when I felt a take. The hook was set and a couple of minutes later a walleye in the eight pound range was netted. I started really liking this jig. In the next half-hour or so I took several more walleyes and sauger, while the boats around us took nothing. My partner, kind of a stubborn guy, refused to try one of the rattling jigs. He wanted to see if they really make a difference. After I caught a few more fish and he caught none, he admitted that the rattles seemed to help.

Rattles seem to be very helpful when the water is stained. The fish can't see as far, so the noise created by the rattles help the fish find the bait.

However, even in clear water rattles can help, especially when the fish are active. It seems like fish will come from a greater distance to hit a rattling bait. It's kind of like the rattling gets their attention. Many ice-anglers report seeing fish come in to look at a rattling bait, then hit it, while at the same time they ignore a bait that looks identical but doesn't make any noise. The Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon is a good example of a spoon used for ice-fishing that rattles.

There are lots of other things to consider when selecting a bait. Color and size are also very important considerations. Whether or not you're tipping the bait with some form of live bait or attractant will have a bearing on productivity. How the bait is being worked, sharp twitches or more subtle ones, can be influential. But rattles definitely can, in many situations, have an influence on how many fish you catch. Sometimes a quiet bait will be better; sometimes a rattling one will be more productive. It is to the angler's advantage to have a rattling bait in the tackle box on those days when the walleyes want a bait that makes some noise.