It’s called the “one-two punch” when ice fishing. Jigging one line and deadsticking the other. The jigging line attracts walleyes. If they are active, there is a good chance they will eat whatever is being jigged. When walleyes are in more of a neutral mood, the deadstick can be the hottest stick in the fish house. But, success with a deadstick isn’t just about hanging a live minnow under a bobber. By really paying attention to the details, the deadstick will turn into the hot stick.
Traditional Deadstick
The most common setup is a bobber set up with a plain hook or ice jig with a live minnow hooked just under the dorsal fin set at about a foot off of the bottom. This setup catches a lot of walleyes. When the fish are not reacting positively to this presentation, mix it up.
Raise It Up
Have you ever noticed when you inadvertently set your minnow a few feet off of the bottom, that many times walleyes will rise up to take a look?

Walleyes are used to feeding up or sliding up in the water column to catch minnows. It can be very effective, almost triggering, to have your live minnow on your deadstick set higher up in the water column vs. six inches to a foot off the bottom, which is a normal starting spot for many anglers.
Color
Color absolutely makes a difference. The colors that attract walleyes can change from hour to hour based on forage, snow cover, color or clarity of the water, cloud cover and the angle of the sun. When fishing with others, try different colors until you figure out what the walleyes want that day. Small details such as the color of your hook can also make a big difference.
In stained water, gold, glow and bright colors are good bets. In clear water, silver and more natural colors are a great starting point.
Deadstick Lures
In addition to a plain hook with a minnow, there are many effective ice jigs excellent for deadsticking. Very simply, a plain jig head with a minnow works well, but there are many options.

Deadstick lures have propellers, small spinners, UV glow paint, glitter, rattles, single hook, treble hooks, etc. Again, experiment until you discover the preference that day or for that particular body of water.
Change the Bait
Walleyes can be extremely particular. One day they prefer fatheads, the next day it has to be emerald shiners, on other days, a good rainbow will do the trick. It is very helpful to have at least a couple of options.
Live Bait or Dead Bait?
I learned an interesting nuance during a tough walleye bite a few years ago. A buddy was using a glow hook with a shiner and catching most of the walleyes. To my surprise, he was intentionally using the dead shiners instead of the live ones. For whatever reason, the walleyes and saugers wanted dead bait that day. Just another example of how paying attention and changing things up even just a tiny bit can make a big difference.
Minnows aren’t always the ticket. One cold winter day on the ice when the walleyes were not very cooperative, my fishing partner added a wax worm to a small spoon. Boom! Immediate success. There are times when walleyes and saugers are feeding on, and prefer, critters in the mud. That was one of those times.
Size Does Matter
Some days, walleyes prefer a large jig. Its action is different, it displaces more water, makes more noise, the minnow cannot roam as freely, and larger lures allow you to bang the bottom, often attracting fish from a distance and turning them on.
Some days, walleyes want small. Maybe it’s their mood or what they are feeding on. Regardless, it’s about us as anglers noticing, and then tweaking our offerings to what the fish want.
Size also matters when considering bait. Some days the walleyes prefer a large minnow. On other days, especially when in a neutral mood, they prefer a very small minnow. There have been many times when the tiniest minnow in the bucket is the most desired minnow.

Vary Hooking the Minnow
The most common way to hook a minnow is just under the dorsal fin. A slight trick for that is to clip off half of the tail of the minnow, which changes the vibration of its swimming action. The minnow will also work harder to swim, often enticing that picky walleye to bite.
Some anglers will hook the minnow through the mouth to give it a different look and action. Others hook the minnow back by the tail, but on the bottom or underbelly of the minnow. This causes it to sit upside down, forcing it to work hard to upright itself, which can trigger a bite.
Remove the Bobber
A number of years ago on Lake of the Woods, a very experienced ice angler taught me an important lesson. Instead of using a bobber on his deadstick line, he used a rod with a flexible tip and simply set his rod on a bucket.
The walleye bites were so subtle, they would pull down his rod tip just the slightest bit. He would pick the rod up slowly, feel some weight, and set the hook.
When the walleyes are biting super light, the bobber isn’t as sensitive as a flexible rod tip. He out-fished two of us in the house that day with his deadstick alone. Since then, I place my deadstick on a 5-gallon pail or on the floor next to me where I can see the tip move ever so slightly, or even stop moving, when a walleye simply touches the bait.
Electronics Are Vital
Knowing where walleyes are in the water column and how they are reacting is vitally important. If fish are coming through but ignoring your offering, it is time to change things up. Without electronics, it would be very difficult to know if the fish are not reacting, or if the fish are even there.
The deadstick does not receive the attention that the jigging line does. It is often set and left alone. Paying attention to details and trying a variety of presentations will increase the number of walleyes and saugers pulled topside. It may not be as sexy as the jigging line, but on any given day, the deadstick can definitely be just as productive.
