One secret he shared was to downsize your lures. "Use something on the smaller side when the fish aren't biting good," he said. "During midmorning when things slow down, I'll go to a real small Swedish Pimple and use just the head of a minnow. The walleyes aren't very aggressive then, but often I can coax a few fish to bite by going to a smaller lure." Luenberger stressed that one thing he does is use the tiny plastic flicker attractor that comes with the Swedish Pimple spoon. "That little flicker gives the lure just a little subtle action," he said. "Sometimes that's all you want at midday."

The action provided by spoons lends itself well to the vertical aspect of ice-fishing. Photo by Mike Gnatkowski.

Spoons have been the undoing of many a winter walleye. One reason is their flashing action is very visible in the clear waters of winter, and like a beacon they can draw walleyes from afar. Adding a rattle to the spoon only increases their power of attraction. Spoons also lend themselves very well to the vertical presentation necessitated by ice-fishing. Most baits that catch walleyes during the open-water months just aren't practical in the winter. Spoons shine when worked vertically in the water column. Lastly, spoons have a triggering mechanism that convinces winter walleyes that the shiny piece of metal fluttering and dancing in front of them is something good to eat. Spoons are the total package for winter walleyes -- they attract, trigger and produce bites.

Anders Nyberg owns Bay De Noc Lure Company in Gladstone, Michigan. The company manufactures two of the most productive walleye spoons in the world -- the Swedish Pimple and the Do Jigger. "The Swedish Pimple is based on a lure that has been widely used in Sweden for over 100 years," said Nyberg. Fashioned from solid, forged brass and unlike other spoons, the Swedish Pimple has three sides that cause the lure to flip and flutter seductively downward. "The Swedish Pimple is more of a drop and jiggle lure, whereas the Do Jigger has a vertical fluttering action and it's much lighter," said Nyberg.

Swedish Pimples are available in six lustrous metallic finishes, eight prism colors, white pearl and three fluorescent colors. Nyberg said the most productive Swedish Pimple colors for walleyes are chartreuse, pearl and some of the new crushed-ice colors. Do Jiggers are available in metallic and painted finishes highlighted with a variety of tape colors. A gold/orange Do Jigger is responsible for icing my biggest walleye.

Don Luenberger spends more days on the ice chasing walleyes than anyone I know. He's forgotten more about ice-fishing for walleyes than most anglers will learn in a lifetime. His name is a fixture in the top 10 in the local winter walleye tournament, and last year he won the contest with a 13 1/2-pound brute. He has some enlightening insights on spoon choice for winter 'eyes.

"I probably have 150 lures that I take on the ice at any given time and the majority of them will never see the water," shared Luenberger. "Anyone, and just about any lure, will catch walleyes when they're aggressive and actively feeding. Last year, there was a group of guys fishing near me and they were hammering the fish on a No. 7 Jigging Rapala. That's a big hunk of lead! I couldn't buy a fish. But that's a rarity." Usually it's Luenberger who's pounding the fish when others are scratching their heads.