Jig Ice Fishing – Tips from Ruthless Fishing and Happy Angler!
“We’ve found a lake with promising intel – big perch swim beneath the ice, accompanied by zander. We drill holes in front of a small island point and start scanning for larger sonar echoes using a portable fish finder. A line appears under my jig on the Lowrance unit, and at the first twitch, a thick line rises directly toward the bait.
A little twitch, a lift, and a hookset. The rod tip bends down as I try to lift the fish up through the line. Finally, the fish flops on the ice – the season’s record catch is in hand. I keep coming back to this moment every time I think about which lure to start jigging with in a new hole.” –Juha Salonen
Compared to balanced jigging, jig ice fishing is a more affordable way to chase perch, zander, pike, or even trout. You can rig lively soft plastics onto jig heads specifically designed for ice fishing or use standard jig heads. The key difference is the swimming action – ice jig heads act like diving lips, giving the jig a sideways glide motion under water.
“Many anglers want to try jigging but often get confused by jig head weights, jig sizes, and hook sizes. That’s why we wrote this guide on getting started with jig ice fishing. It’s an easy, hassle-free fishing method, and anyone can pick up the basics during their first day on the ice,” says Joonas Väntti from Ruthless Fishing.
A good jigging rod should be slightly stiffer at the tip – you’ll find excellent options in the Happy Angler ice rod selection, including models from Delfin, Jasu, and Patriot.
What kind of jig can you use for ice fishing?
In principle, almost any soft plastic can be used, but jigs designed specifically for ice jigging usually have a slimmer profile and more sensitive swimming action. Jig size influences the size of the fish you can attract – larger vertical jigs work excellently for targeting big pike and zander during the winter.
“At Ruthless Fishing, we’ve developed the Orka Small Fish jig model specifically for jig ice fishing, along with our custom Ruthless Ice Jig Heads. This combo lets your jig swim like a balanced lure,” explains Väntti.
Choose the right hook size and jig head based on the jig and depth
It’s crucial to match your jig with a properly sized jig head and hook. The right combo helps you gauge sink time and target depth more precisely. Here are Ruthless Fishing’s Joonas’ quick-reference guidelines:
• Hook size #4: Orka Small Fish 3 cm
• Hook size #2: Orka Small Fish 5 cm
• Hook size #1: Orka Small Fish 5 cm & 7 cm
• Hook size 1/0: Orka Small Fish 7 cm
• Hook size 2/0: Orka Small Fish 7 cm & 10 cm
• Hook size 3/0: Orka Small Fish 10 cm
Which jig head weight to choose for a specific fishing depth?
• Ice Jig Head 5 g: 3–5 cm jigs / fishing depth: 0.5–2 meters
• Ice Jig Head 7 g: 5–7 cm jigs / fishing depth: 2–5 meters
• Ice Jig Head 10 g: 6–10 cm jigs / fishing depth: 5–9 meters
• Ice Jig Head 15 g: 7–15 cm jigs / fishing depth: 5–20 meters
With these tips, it's easy to select suitable jigs and jig heads for your ice fishing setup – even if you're using a different brand.
Jigging Technique for Ice Fishing
Jigging works similarly to balanced lure fishing. Start by dropping the jig into midwater – this is easiest if you're using a sonar. In clear water, fish can spot the jig from afar, which can cause bottom marks on the sonar to “come alive.” Ideally, fish react like in the opening story – rising and striking the jig aggressively.
If no fish appear, make a few attracting twitches and wait briefly, then drop the jig slightly deeper. Repeat until you reach the bottom. If a fish just watches the jig, try a slight shake and lift – that often triggers a bite. If there’s still no action, change jig color, size, or lure type and repeat the process. Eventually, you'll find the right hole, color, and jig size – and the rest is history.
Tight lines!
Text and photos: Joonas Väntti & Juha Salonen, fishing blogger
Most Popular Jig Heads and Ice Jig Heads
