Top 15 Best Ice Fishing Lures Reviewed
If you’re seeking the finest ice fishing lures, you’ve come to the right place!
Under the ice, a diverse range of species awaits, including walleye, smallmouth bass, perch, crappie, and lake trout. To successfully target them all, relying on just one lure is not enough. Factors such as the activity level of fish and water clarity come into play, making the selection of ice fishing lures a challenging task.
Fortunately, with 20 years of fishing experience and countless days spent on the ice each winter, I have compiled a list of the 15 best ice fishing lures that have consistently proven effective in my fishing endeavors.
Among these 15 lures, there is one standout performer that can entice any fish—the Acme Kastmaster. While it may take longer compared to a lure specifically designed for a particular species, the Acme Kastmaster has the versatility to eventually entice bites from various fish.
However, if you’re seeking alternatives, fear not! You have 14 other exceptional fishing lures of various types to choose from, ensuring a wide range of options for your ice fishing adventures.
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Acme Kastmaster
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QUICK OVERVIEW
Top 15 Best Ice Fishing Lures
🏆 OUR EDITOR’S Pick
- Durable Aluminum Body
- Versatile Sling Mounts
- Inline Bolt System
1. Acme Kastmaster
Let’s kick off our list with the highly versatile Acme Kastmaster, widely regarded as the most versatile lure worldwide.
Crafted from solid brass, this lure boasts exceptional durability, remaining resilient even after repeated exposure to saltwater. Its design emits an eye-catching flash, while the streamlined body enables long and precise casts.
Experienced anglers are well aware that the Acme Kastmaster is a reliable choice for targeting any fish species worldwide. It has found a place in the tackle boxes of walleye, perch, and trout anglers alike, thanks to its universal effectiveness.
Moreover, the utility of the Acme Kastmaster extends beyond ice fishing. If you’re keen on surf fishing, its remarkable distance casting capabilities are an invaluable asset.
With its versatility, durability, and impressive casting abilities, the Acme Kastmaster stands as a go-to lure for anglers pursuing various fish species, whether on ice or in other fishing environments.
2. Northland Tackle Buckshot Tackle Spoon
Now, let’s introduce our top choice for the best ice fishing spoon – the Northland Tackle Buckshot.
While not as versatile as the Acme Kastmaster, the Northland Tackle Buckshot reigns supreme in the realm of ice fishing. This spoon has established a long-standing presence and has likely enticed more fish through the ice than any other bait.
The Northland Tackle Buckshot’s lifelike minnow head and the enticing rattle it produces prove irresistible to most fish species. Although we determined the Acme Kastmaster as the superior overall lure, when it comes specifically to ice fishing, the Northland Tackle Buckshot outshines all other spoons.
When you’re seeking the optimal spoon for your ice fishing adventures, the Northland Tackle Buckshot stands as an unparalleled choice, luring fish with its lifelike appearance and irresistible rattle.
3. Clam Leech Flutter Spoon
Moving on to our next spoon, the Clam Leech Flutter Spoon presents a unique approach to ice fishing lures.
Flutter spoons differ from conventional spoons in that they are lighter and descend at a slower rate. When you release your line and allow it to go slack, the flutter spoon, as its name suggests, gracefully flutters down to the bottom, creating an enticing display of flash and vibration.
In clear water conditions, the Clam Leech Flutter Spoon stands out as one of my personal favorites for ice fishing. While it lacks the intense shaking and rattling of other lures, its visual appeal compensates for this. Fish can sense and spot this lure from a considerable distance. I highly recommend using it when targeting larger fish, as I’ve experienced greater success in this regard. In fact, it’s highly likely that you’ll reel in a trophy-sized fish with this exceptional lure.
The Clam Leech Flutter Spoon brings a unique and effective approach to ice fishing, with its captivating fluttering action and the ability to attract trophy-sized fish, particularly in clear water conditions.
4. VMC Rattle Spoon
At number 4, we have the VMC Rattle Spoon, which stands in stark contrast to the Clam Leech Flutter Spoon. This lure heavily relies on its rattle feature to attract fish.
The VMC Rattle Spoon boasts an exceptional resonance chamber constructed from brass, along with multiple beads. This combination produces a distinct and powerful rattle, making it stand out among other rattle spoons in terms of sound and vibration.
Additionally, this lure offers a range of options to suit your preferences, including glowing variations and holographic finishes. The availability of such choices allows you to customize your approach based on the fishing conditions and the preferences of the targeted fish species.
5. Custom Jigs & Spins Slender Spoon
Taking the spotlight next is the Custom Jigs Spender Spoon.
The first thing that catches your attention with this spoon is its distinctive slender shape. The thin and beveled design creates ample action and flutter as it descends through the water column. This captivating motion ensures that fish won’t overlook the Spins Slender Spoon and entices them to strike.
Additionally, the Custom Jigs Spender Spoon offers a diverse selection of holographic prism and glow accents. This wide range of options allows you to tailor your presentation to attract fish effectively in any given scenario.
When it comes to finding a spoon with exceptional action for ice fishing, the Custom Jigs Spender Spoon stands out as a top choice. Its slender design delivers remarkable movement, making it a highly effective lure to entice fish beneath the ice.
6. Lindy Quiver Spoon
The Lindy Quiver Spoon, shiny and lightweight, proves to be an irresistible temptation for walleyes, crappies, perch, and various other gamefish.
The spoon’s lightweight construction allows it to descend slowly through the water column, providing fish with an extended opportunity to notice and engage with it. Additionally, the plated back of the spoon generates abundant flash, ensuring that it remains highly visible to fish. With the Lindy Quiver Spoon in action, anglers can simply sit back, wait patiently, and let this enticing lure attract bites.
The combination of the slow fall rate and the spoon’s captivating flash make the Lindy Quiver Spoon an exceptional choice for enticing a wide range of gamefish, including walleyes, crappies, perch, and more.
7. Northland Tackle Bro Bug
The next ice fishing spoon, specifically designed for deep waters.
This lure features a slender and tapered profile that facilitates a rapid sink rate in the water column. Its efficient design allows for quick and effortless deployment to the desired depth. Once positioned, the spoon’s flash or the eye-catching bulging eyes will serve as key triggering factors for strikes, depending on the specific variation you choose.
With this spoon, you’ll save valuable time compared to slower sinking lures. By reducing the waiting time for the lure to reach the desired depth, you can maximize your fishing time and spend less time in anticipation.
The fast sink rate and attention-grabbing attributes of this deep-water ice fishing spoon provide an efficient and effective approach to angling in such environments, allowing you to optimize your fishing experience.
8. Clam Dave Genz Drop-Kick
The Clam Dave Genz Drop-Kick, our top pick for ice fishing jigs.
One of the reasons we selected this jig as the best for sonar units is its large, flat surface area. A quick look at the picture reveals that it has a larger profile compared to other jigs. This attribute makes it highly visible and easier to track on sonar units, enhancing your ability to locate fish beneath the ice.
Additionally, the bright colors and generous hook gap of the Drop-Kick jig are features specifically designed to attract more fish. The vibrant colors serve as visual triggers, while the larger hook gap increases the likelihood of successful hook sets.
With its prominent visibility on sonar units and fish-attracting qualities such as bright colors and an ample hook gap, the Clam Dave Genz Drop-Kick jig stands as a top choice for ice fishing, offering an excellent combination of functionality and effectiveness.
9. Rapala Jigging Rap
The Rapala Jigging Rap has achieved widespread recognition and popularity among ice anglers for good reason.
Whether you’re targeting crappie, pike, perch, lake trout, or walleye, they all share a common affinity for minnows. This shared preference makes the Rapala Jigging Rap a favorite among ice fishermen.
Beyond its lifelike minnow head and body design, the Jigging Rap, true to Rapala’s reputation, exhibits an irresistible action. This blend of lifelikeness and dynamic movement provides the perfect combination that anglers rely on during the winter months.
Given the Jigging Rap’s ability to mimic minnows effectively, it becomes an essential addition to your tackle box for successful ice fishing outings.
Please note that the Rapala Jigging Rap should not be confused with the Rapala Jigging Shad Rap. The Jigging Shad Rap has a slower fall rate and is not specifically designed for ice fishing applications.
10. Bay De Noc Swedish Pimple
The next ice fishing lure we have is the Bay De Noc Swedish Pimple, which is all about flash.
Words alone cannot fully capture its visual appeal, so here is a picture of the Swedish Pimple for you to see its brilliance firsthand.
Crafted from solid brass, this lure shines brilliantly, even when submerged underwater. Flash has long been recognized as a successful fish attractant, making the Swedish Pimple a reliable choice to get the job done.
The Swedish Pimple’s remarkable flash, owed to its solid brass construction, ensures that it stands out and grabs the attention of fish beneath the ice.
11. HT Enterprises Marmooska Jig
The HT Enterprises Marmooska Jig, an excellent choice for deep-water ice fishing.
With a body crafted from tungsten, this jig possesses a substantial weight that allows it to sink rapidly in the water column. The added heft also provides anglers with precise control over their presentation.
If you’re seeking maximum control over your ice fishing presentation, the HT Enterprises Marmooska Jig is the lure of choice. Its tungsten construction grants it both a swift descent and the ability to fine-tune your fishing technique with accuracy.
12. Nils Master Hali Sukkula
The highly acclaimed Nils Master Hali Sukkula, widely regarded as the ultimate perch bait.
Perch, known for their aggressive nature, exhibit cannibalistic tendencies. While this behavior may not be favorable from a human perspective, it opens up opportunities for effective bait selection. The Nils Master Hali Sukkula is designed to mimic perch, enticing other perch in the process.
To an adult perch, a small perch presents a more substantial meal compared to other available food sources. As a result, it is rare for a jumbo perch to resist the allure of the Hali Sukkula.
The Nils Master Hali Sukkula’s ability to replicate the appearance and behavior of perch makes it an irresistible temptation for its own species. As a result, it has gained a well-deserved reputation as the ultimate perch bait, ensuring exceptional success in targeting these aggressive and cannibalistic fish.
13. Salmo Chubby Darter
The Salmo Chubby Darter is renowned for its incredible lifelikeness, making it an undeniable standout among ice fishing lures.
Jokes aside, the realistic design of the Salmo Chubby Darter is evident at first glance. Its unique shape enables a slow swimming action that effectively lures fish into striking. This lure has earned legendary status in the ice fishing community, becoming a staple choice for anglers across the Ice Belt due to its remarkable effectiveness in targeting a variety of species, including walleye, perch, bass, crappie, and pike.
The Salmo Chubby Darter’s lifelike appearance and enticing swimming action make it a go-to lure for ice anglers seeking reliable and consistent success. Its versatility in attracting multiple fish species solidifies its reputation as an indispensable tool in the tackle boxes of ice fishing enthusiasts.
14. Live Target Golden Shiner
Belonging to the lipless lures family, the Live Target Golden Shiner stands out with its exceptional vibration capabilities.
While the internal components of this lure remain a mystery, one thing is certain: it is incredibly loud. The rattling sound it produces can even be heard from above the water’s surface, ensuring that nearby fish will take notice. Once you have their attention, the realistic design of the Live Target Golden Shiner will work its magic.
The combination of intense vibration and a lifelike appearance makes the Live Target Golden Shiner a powerful tool for attracting fish. Its ability to generate significant noise and the realistic design work in harmony to entice strikes from nearby fish.
15. Eagle Claw Glow Ice Kit
Concluding our list is the Eagle Claw Glow Ice Kit, regarded as the top ice fishing kit available.
This comprehensive ice fishing kit includes 16 glow ice jigs, a line clipper, and a charger specifically designed for the glowing ice jigs. While it may not encompass every essential item for ice fishing, it offers substantial value for its price point. The Eagle Claw Glow Ice Kit presents an excellent option for those seeking a well-rounded ice fishing kit.
If you’re in the market for an ice fishing kit, the Eagle Claw Glow Ice Kit is a choice that delivers significant value and covers several crucial components required for ice fishing.
Tips And Tricks For Catching More Fish In The Ice
Here are some tips to help you catch more fish.
Switch Up The Direction
You’ll probably instinctively jig your jig vertically if you are an ice fisherman. Why not try using a horizontally jigged jig instead?
In all my years of ice-fishing, I have found that crappie and perch prefer horizontal jigging. If vertical jigs aren’t working, try horizontal jigs.
Use Different Sizes
You may want to try lures in a smaller size when the action is slow.
The action of smaller lures is more realistic, while the larger lures are more attractive if you have larger fish.
Either use smaller lures or bigger ones. My size 10 lures stopped working after a few hours on the ice. Then I switch over to my smaller size 6 lures. After a few months, I will switch to my size 6 lures.
Give Artificial Baits A Shot
You may want to try lures in a smaller size when the action is slow.
The action of smaller lures is more realistic, while the larger lures are more attractive if you have larger fish.
Either use smaller lures or bigger ones. My size 10 lures stop working after a few hours on the ice. Then I switch over to my smaller size 6 lures. After a few months, I will switch to my size 6 lures.
Try Chumming
Fishes below the ice will not be expecting this because ice fishing is not something they do often. Mix a few worms or minnows. Replace the bait on your hook by this. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your line will feel tugged.
Let The Rod Rest
You can sometimes catch more fish with a jigging pole by putting your rod down. Your bait will be completely still. Put your rod down, even if it seems like you could hold it in place. You can’t possibly be more still than the ground.
Change To Superline
The more line that you release, it becomes harder to detect bites. Even with a sensitive rod tip, it becomes difficult to detect light bites once you reach 20 feet. You may not be able set the hook quickly enough if the panfish bites.
Even the thinnest monofilament will not be enough to combat this. Superline is the better choice. Superline is the only fishing line that transmits information and does not stretch.
Final Verdict
We’ve already covered the lures and tips you need to catch more fish. By now, you’ll be ready to face the freezing temperatures.
If you can’t decide, I recommend the Acme Kastmaster. You can catch any type of fish with this lure.
You can’t just go ice-fishing with lures. You’ll also need other gear, such as a rod and a reel. The best ice-fishing reels are listed below (we still haven’t covered the rods).