Drop speed and action, two of the most important characteristics of jigging spoons, are primarily determined by shape and weight. Flatter, wider spoons, like the Hopkins or Acme Kastmaster, provide a sliding, darting descent. Narrower lures with a distinct bend, like the Bay de Noc Swedish Pimple, sink a bit quicker, vibrating more than wobbling. Spoons like the Bait Rigs Deep Willospoon are nearly oval in shape but quite heavy, combining a quick drop with a flutter. Slender, minnow-shaped spoons, like the Luhr Jensen Crippled Herring, tend to drop quickly with less side-to-side action.
“I use spoons ranging from 1/8 to 1 1?2 ounces, depending on whether I'm fishing deep or shallow, in current, or in snaggy cover. As a rule, I use heavier spoons in deeper water and lighter spoons in the shallows and in snaggy cover, like weeds. Admittedly, I use Hopkins spoons almost exclusively,” Christensen says, “and I'm not sponsored by them or anything like that -- I just believe in that particular spoon. It has the right fall rate, creates lots of flash, and simply does everything I want it to do. Believing in the baits you use is a critical factor in success. You must have the utmost confidence that the bait catches fish. For me, it's the Hopkins.”
Keep an eye on your electronics to locate walleyes holding on the edge of structure. Drop a spoon to the bottom, engage the reel, taking up slack until the line is tight and the spoon is just off bottom. Beginning with your rod tip pointed down at an angle (about 8 o'clock) toward the water, lift your forearm slightly while modestly snapping your wrist upward to about 11 o'clock (aggressive lift-drops of perhaps 12 to 18 inches).
“When I'm vertically jigging spoons, I like to keep the bait within a foot of the bottom and on the bottom,” Christensen explains. “One advantage of dropping the spoon to the bottom is that you're always in contact with the bottom, even if you working down a step break. And although walleyes strike the bait on the fall or when the spoon is darting up, 90 percent of the fish I catch inhale the bait right on bottom. I always let the bait sit on bottom for 2 to 4 seconds. Sounds odd that a walleye would even be able to suck the heavy bait off bottom, but they do. The key is giving the fish enough time to come over and suck the spoon off the bottom.
“Visualizing a walleye right behind your bait, tracking its every move, gives you the patience to work the bait correctly and the wherewithal to set the hook when a walleye eventually strikes. Simply cast out the bait and let it fall to bottom. Snap the bait up, let it free fall, watching your line for any ticks or possibly the line stopping prematurely. Then let it sit on bottom for 2 to 4 seconds before snapping it again. More times then not, I never feel the strike when a fish sucks it off bottom, but because I'm snapping the bait up with such force, I almost always get the hooks into the fish.”
When targeting suspended walleyes, watch for baitfish to move through on sonar and raise your bait near or above the depth where you marked the fish. Predator fish generally cruise near or below schools of baitfish, and although you may only mark baitfish, there's a good chance predators are lurking nearby. Lower your lure near the depth where you marked the baitfish or fish and work the bait to create vibration and flash. Pausing the bait frequently (10 to 60 seconds) allows fish to move in and take the bait.
