There are winters when we can go out and RAZR a bunch of holes and jig Buck-Shot Rattle Spoons, Puppets or Rippin’ Shads with great success. But some winters, we must be prepared to deadstick.

A deadstick is a live bait rod set at the level of the fish. You don’t want to jig or bother the rod. Just let it sit there while the minnow does the work. Use a dorsal-hooked minnow on a red Gamakatsu, octopus-style hook and split shot, or a Northland Forage Spoon jig. Keep lines spread out to a legal distance to maximize your coverage of the spot.

This doesn’t mean there’s time to sit with your feet up on a bucket, listening to the game! When hyper deadsticking, put out the max legal number of lines at the distance, keeping tabs on which ones are getting bit. Then, move the cold deadsticks that are farthest away from the active zones to the hot area, adjusting position to maintain legal distance. If the bite is slow, continue to rearrange perimeter lines. If holes are hot and stay hot, switch to jigging Buck-Shot Rattle Spoons.

Hyper deadsticking is always best with a group of anglers because you can cover more water on basin flats. We use an Otter Vortex Pro Monster hub shelter as the warming center of our operation. If there are only 2 to 4 anglers, we use Otter Pro X-Over flip-style houses.

Pro Tip: In some states, anglers can use three lines through the ice. In other states, it’s 10 lines. In Minnesota, we are allowed two lines per person. Know before you go!

The hardware

In many places, anglers use tip-ups with a flag on top of the frame and a spool shaft of line in the water. When the fish sets off the basic tip-up, anglers bring in the hand-over-hand and lay the line on the ice. When hunting the basin, this is a lot of line piling on the ice. Too much line leads to tangles…and a hassle!

I use the I Fish Pro tip-up. It has a flag, a trigger, and you can use a rod and reel for better line management. Plus, you get to fight a fish on an ice rod! When the walleye bites, it sets off the trigger and the flag pops up. Spool a little bit of line off and grab the rod. Set the hook by reeling and sweeping.

I love the St. Croix Custom Ice Dead Eye rod for this application. I use 5- to 6-pound Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon because it’s super clear, doesn’t spook walleyes and holds up when a walleye thrashes at the bottom of the ice hole. I use many different colors of Gamakatsu hooks with a split shot; also Forage jigs (single hook), Eye-Ball spoons or Bro Bug spoons. Trebles on smaller spoons don’t scare the fish.

Drop-shot rigs work if you are there to set the hook, but walleyes will spit them out when they feel the sinker dragging on the bottom. I save drop-shot deadsticking for catching jumbo perch.

For bigger walleyes, keep 3 to 4 rainbow or shiner minnows in a little bit of water inside a RAZR bait puck. I bump up to a 38-inch St. Croix Custom Ice Eye Raiser rod which has more length and is slightly heavier to handle bigger bait. I bump up to 7- to 8-pound Sunline Sniper as well. I use Seviin spinning reels on ice rods; they’re bullet-proof!

I wear Fish Monkey Stealth Dry-Tec Mitts with finger slits and an AFTCO Reaper Technical hoodie with flip-up face mask. This leaves no excuse not to check deadsticks and maintain lively minnows on hooks all day.

Pro Tip: In extreme cold conditions, pick up a portable, battery-operated minnow bubbler. Place the hose and bubbler stone in the ice hole to keep it from freezing over, with no heat or flame needed.

Looking for some new fishing techniques to try this season? You’ll find plenty of suggestions in every issue of MidWest Outdoors. Subscribe on our website.