This post is very self serving….but…. I do so seldom ring my own bell.
I suggest you try Bait Rigs Panfish Willospoons for perch.
I got a call last night from a person who was a waiter that years ago in some resturant, somewhere, I was the recipiant of his good service and I had sent him some of my Willospoons. His call to me was to ask where he could buy them, as he had out fished all those in his group using them last year on their trip. I am guessing this was last ice season. I told him to go on Walleye Central and look for Bait Rigs Tackle. They are sold at Cabela’s (but they do not have all the newer colors). Best to buy from the factory at 1-800-236-RIG1 (or contact Joe Puccio / Bait Rigs Tackle at 813-B Stewart Drive, Madison, WI 53713). I hear this often from those who used the Willospoon, that they do better than anyone elce not using the lure.
I am doing a tv show in December with two brothers Frank and Art Hogate, here in Owatonna, with the subject to be of ice-fishing with these Panfish Willospoons. These two do Lake of the Woods for perch and kick b— using the Willospoons almost exclusively (they love the glow-in-the-dark ones). Why? The Walleye Willospoon (larger) and Panfish Willospoon (two sizes of smaller) is a unique kind of ultra light flutter-spoon made with a single hook. Perch are attracted by the flash (and color) on the extreme slow fall and wobble/flutter on the lift of the spoon as well when you work the lure. They attack it as if it is a leech! Which it memics as it falls. Perch key on the hook that pivots underneath the spoon at rest, as the live bait you attach dangles inticingly. Poping and hopping the jig stick makes this spoon dance and swim/flutter as if it was a living thing… instead of a lure. The big plus is that you will not be “cleaned-off” by bait steelers 10 to 1 over a plain jig and Willospoons EVERY TIME work better than even a plain hook/split-shot and the same live bait. None of those deep throat swallows resulting in having to dig for the hook with a Willospoon compaired to a plain hook. It is nearly impossible to swipe the waxie or piece of crawler from the pivoting hook that so eaisly gets sucked into the mouth of the fish as he bites at it. Made from the pak with super sharp Mustad AccuPoint hooks (on newer styles) a Willospoon and live bait combo is a fish catching machine. There is no equal.
Down-side…. A very slow fall takes a long time to get deep and requires a wait in deeper water. I never mind the wait as I would rather take the time and get a fish each trip down as have to come back up empty handed from a bait-steeler and have to re-bait and go down again. Perch, sunfish, crappies, walleyes, all are nuts for thi Ring….Ring….Ring…. oops… , gotta go. Someone just rang my bell!
Hawger
