# Favorite Erie Baits for Ice Walleye



## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

While we are waiting......some Erie bait discussion. 

I've only been ice fishing a couple years and I'm slowly building my bait selection. Based on what I have seen, heard and caught on and talking with friends, pimples in green and blue size 6 and 7 seen to be consistant producers as well as jiggin raps and rattle snakies (although I have caught squat on them) seem to be the bait of choice all my catching has been on the pimples. I want to expand my selection a little bit figured I would fire up a thread on what works at large for Erie fish. 

What size, color and brand of baits work well for you guys?


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## General (Oct 28, 2009)

I always used a 6 Swedish Pimple. Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple, and the dimpled silver have all worked. I then put a medium Shiner on each hook


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## hawgjam (Jan 29, 2007)

*Easy* #1 --- #6 Swedish Pimple bright nickel
#2 --- #6 Swedish Pimple nickel with green prism tape
$3 --- #6 Swedish Pimple dimpled nickel 
#4 --- #6 Swedish Pimple blue crushed ice
#5 ---#6 Swedish Pimple in purple crushed ice

Tip all hooks with a medium shiner and drop into the zone.

If they don't hit on this selection, it's going to be a long day.


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## rustyhook36 (Dec 20, 2005)

Hammered silver #7 swedish pimple has caught more fish for me than any other lure. If the current is bad I will switch to a #8 or #9 so I can keep it on the Vexilar.


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## revpilot (Feb 10, 2009)

The last two years. I havent even broke out a pimple or rap. The little cleo has been so hot.  Gold, green/yellow, purple/black,yellow orange tipped with a shiner


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## moke (Feb 25, 2008)

I kill them on Krock spoons. That lime green color is great. I do well on pimples also. I do my walleye fishing at the Bay.


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## Double J (Jan 7, 2009)

bread and butter for me is #6 pimple blue/gold,watermelon/gold.#5 rap firetiger has iced a ton of eyes for me.lastly, a lure you dont hear much about is a chubby darter..good when the current isnt strong as they are light but have a big profile and irresistable action to the walleyes.


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## EYELANDER75 (Nov 13, 2009)

1/4 oz little cleo hammered nickle green always produces for me when i couldnt buy a bite !!!!


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## Got One (May 26, 2006)

3/4 oz. perch buckshot spoon!!!!!


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## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

Rappy size 5 sometimes 7 or 3, fitetiger., blue chrome, parrot or clown. Buckshots 1/4-3/4 oz. Rainbow trout, clown black chrome, green. Pimple size 6-7 chartreuse, blue, purple or green. Prettymuch in that order for favorites. Sometimes cleos, slender spoons, vibee., or regular round head jig and twister with a minnow and stinger for finicky fish.


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## FISHIN 2 (Jun 22, 2005)

I like 2 rods rigged up, one with a #5 jiggin rapala, usually firetiger or perch color loaded with a minnow on each hook, treble-3 minnows, on the other rod a vibe in blue/ chrome, or a chartreuse color, yellow or green, also with a minnow or two. If I'm jiggin one and get a looker, I'll pull that bait quick and drop the other one and usually, BAM, the switch gets em every time. Also, if they hit once and your not sure if ya lost the minnow, drop the other one and they're on !!!


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

I can't say I have any particular favorites cause they all work well on any given day. I will agree with the others that the Little Cleo's tend to catch a few when the bite is tough. Either 1/3oz or 1/4oz. I tend to catch my larger fish on them too. Gold/perch color has been my best color.


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## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

Like Snook said any given day there might be a hot lure/color. It even seems like some years there is a hot combo. I use all of the lures mentioned above but one that has not been mentioned and I have caught alot of fish on is the Cicada in blue/chrome or green/ chrome.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

Good stuff guys thanks for the input a couple mentioned I don't have. I have a bunch of Cleo's and a copper one was on fire for a friend one day last year. 

Salmon Chubby Darter and the Nils Master jiggin shad/ Rapala Jiggin Shad are a couple I want to pick up. I read the Lindy Darter doesn't have nearly the action that the Salmo has as it's just dead weight bait. 

http://moonshinelures.com/shiver_minnow.html defintely going to grab a few of these.


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## EE (Apr 13, 2004)

Kgone and General (first couple posts), 
I see a few posts about size 6 'blue' and various colors, are these in prism, crushed ice, etc.? or are there solid colors that I'm not finding?
another question..... I'm finding pimples in 1/2 oz,3/4 oz, etc. how do these equate to size 6 and 7?


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

EE said:


> Kgone and General (first couple posts),
> I see a few posts about size 6 'blue' and various colors, are these in prism, crushed ice, etc.? or are there solid colors that I'm not finding?
> another question..... I'm finding pimples in 1/2 oz,3/4 oz, etc. how do these equate to size 6 and 7?


5- 1 7/8 inches 1/3 oz 
6- 2 1/4 inches 1/2 oz. 
7- 2 3/4 inches 3/4 oz 

Here are the color charts.
http://swedishpimple.com/HTML/swedishpimple/ice/index.html 
http://swedishpimple.com/HTML/swedishpimple/index.html 

I would assume blue prism its the most common pimple, along with green prism. Hammered Nickel Blue was on fire for this one guy, seemed like it was the only bait they wanted the one day and he was the only guy who had it!


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## hearttxp (Dec 21, 2004)

Jigging Raps !! Usually Gold/black Or Blue/silver ! Think it might be time to check my supply ??


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## rutnut245 (Jan 18, 2009)

I've had success with all of the ones mentioned,for a while I was hooked on loco's.Another one I've caught quite a few on is a 1/4 oz.helicopter jig,the ones by Northland I think with the propeller on them with a big minnow.I would twist the propeller in each direction a little more so it would really spin when you jig.It slows them down alot on the drop and the fish just suck it in.On little Bay DeNoc everyone fishes jigging raps naked and they jig them very hard 6-10' off the bottom with great success.When I hung a minnow from every hook they looked at me like I just stepped off a space ship.I didn't see anyone using pimples and they're made right in Gladstone.I've seen a lot of different techniques in different areas of the country.


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## EE (Apr 13, 2004)

K gonefishin said:


> 5- 1 7/8 inches 1/3 oz
> 6- 2 1/4 inches 1/2 oz.
> 7- 2 3/4 inches 3/4 oz
> 
> ...


thank you.


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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

#5 Clown jigging shad rap worked good on a couple trips. I had one fish hit it sitting still while I fought another fish. Worth adding. It really sucks Rapala changes patterns so much. The jigging raps w/ scale and gill details worked really well. Especially the blue, black, and orange patterns. It's nice they've increased the treble size.


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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

Here's the blue:http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Rapala_Jigging_Rap_Ice_Jig/descpage-RJR.html The black was a similar metallic gold pattern. The orange is painted, but same pattern.


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## capt S (Sep 5, 2007)

i wouldn't even think of going on erie without a 1/2 and 3/4oz vingla in silver or gold. and some perch colored buckshot spoons. good luck


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## Double J (Jan 7, 2009)

tomb said:


> #5 Clown jigging shad rap worked good on a couple trips. I had one fish hit it sitting still while I fought another fish. Worth adding. It really sucks Rapala changes patterns so much. The jigging raps w/ scale and gill details worked really well. Especially the blue, black, and orange patterns. It's nice they've increased the treble size.


first thing i do is change the hooks on my jiggin raps to bigger hooks....glad to hear about the change.


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## Double J (Jan 7, 2009)

Not to get off topic here but wanted to add a few things that may help guys catch a few more eyes this winter.I use fireline on all my reels and tie on an 18 inch leader of fluorocarbon.fireline helps with the hook sets,be sure your reels have a good drag,you'll need it when they show up @ your hole the first time.My most productive S. pimples are #6's that I bought in plain gold and added my own color combo's to them.


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## rutnut245 (Jan 18, 2009)

I don't know if this has happened to any of you guys but I've lost fish at the hole because the front hook would catch on the bottom of the hole.I always clip that hook off.


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## Double J (Jan 7, 2009)

rutnut245 said:


> I don't know if this has happened to any of you guys but I've lost fish at the hole because the front hook would catch on the bottom of the hole.I always clip that hook off.


yep,seen it happen.I bend it closed with needle nose for that same reason.dont see any benefit to the front hook.


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## toomuchwork (Jan 21, 2009)

I always make sure to have a couple of Williams Wobblers -silver & silver/gold have worked well in the past the only drawback is they aren't good if you have a strong current.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

I have caught fish on Erie on about everything that was mentioned here. It is all about what you have confidence in! Lately i have been using little Cleo's. Last year i got into them with an 5/8 oz and 3/4 oz when others were using 1/4oz. I made a believer out of several charter captains on the lake with these lures. they said they were too big.

It just depends on the conditions. I have over 1k in lures that i carry on the ice with me. Some get used a ton but some not at all. But I feel i catch more fish when I am confidant with what i have down the hole.

I also jig with one rod and dead stick the other! if i miss the first time i grab the other rod and twitch it. I have caught many fish this way!


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

We used to put a treble on the top split ring of the pimples and put small minnows on the top hook as well as the bottom. Anyone do that anymore?


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## wallydog (Jun 10, 2005)

Cicada's and Blade baits, sonars and such have put alot of eye's on the ice also for me when pimple's would not produce. I alway's try some cleo's but they have not been as productive for me as they were 20 plus years ago.
when things really get slow a jigging Rap is always a good seek and destroy bait.....don't be afraid of being aggressive on the jigging strokes when they have lock jaw....never hurts to vary your offering. Some of my go to baits 








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## freakofnature13 (Jul 2, 2008)

Double J said:


> yep,seen it happen.I bend it closed with needle nose for that same reason.dont see any benefit to the front hook.


Will cutting the front hook on the raps affect any weight and or balance issues with the rap? or is it just best to bend towards body.. also heard of guys putting bigger trebles on bottom of raps. what size trebles seem to be the go to? 8s 6s?


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## HOCKEY (Jan 27, 2008)

one not metion here thats work great for us is lindy rattl'n
flyer spoon tip with minnows, next would be buckshot. perch,
silver blue, red purple. works great crane creek and west.


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## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

freakofnature13 said:


> Will cutting the front hook on the raps affect any weight and or balance issues with the rap? or is it just best to bend towards body.. also heard of guys putting bigger trebles on bottom of raps. what size trebles seem to be the go to? 8s 6s?


I leave the end hooks on. Just be aware that You need to be careful with your timing getting them started up the hole.

On the smaller rappys I leave stock hooks. On size 7 or 9 I replace with size 6 reg triple grip.


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## B Thomas (Jan 21, 2005)

Papascott said:


> I leave the end hooks on. Just be aware that You need to be careful with your timing getting them started up the hole.
> 
> On the smaller rappys I leave stock hooks. On size 7 or 9 I replace with size 6 reg triple grip.




I thought your fav was BUCKSHOTS!!!


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## freakofnature13 (Jul 2, 2008)

thanks papascott


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