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Ripping blades, as it is commonly called, is a technique most fishermen know about but never use.  This unique style of lure and presentation has the ability to take fish when all other techniques fail.  Many a day on the water has been saved by this simple, but effective, bait.  To use this lure effectively, you must first understand blade basics.

 1. Equipment - When using blades, you need a 6 1/2 to 7 foot medium-heavy rod  with a lot of sensitivity.  The length of the rod is very important.  A long rod lets  you take up a great deal of line quickly, which is needed for good hook sets.   Sensitivity is also important as a lot of strikes will come as the lure falls back.   When jigging blades, I encourage the use of the no-stretch super lines.  The  no-stretch lines have a great deal more sensitivity, and the thin diameter cuts the  water effectively without sacrificing strength.  I prefer to use a basic casting reel  with a flipping switch.  The flipping switch enables me to let out line quickly to  keep constant bottom contact, yet you don’t need two hands to lock the spool.

 2. Rigging - The rigging of a blade is very simple, but if not done correctly, will  quickly turn your line into a twisted mess.  To alleviate line twist, add a barrel  swivel about 2 feet above your bait.  I will also add a few glass beads above the  swivel to add sound to my presentation.  When completed, the set up looks like a  Carolina rig without the sinker.

 3. Choosing a Bait - There are a lot of blades on the market, Zounders, Zonars,  Cicadas, etc.  All have a place in the tackle box.  Each one of these baits puts out a  little different vibration.  The fish will tell you which one they want on that  particular day.  Weight and color are two other choices to take into consideration.   A good rule of thumb when choosing color is while fishing in dirty water, stick  with the fluorescent colors such as chartreuse, pink and orange.  In clear water, I  will fish a lot of chrome and natural colors such as blue, gray and silver.  The  weight of a lure is simple.  Use a heavy enough blade to keep constant bottom  contact and still stay vertical.  In other words, don’t use a 1/4 ounce in 30 foot of  water in heavy current.

 4. Presentation - Ripping a blade is as simple as 1-2-3.  Number one, let the line  out until you feel the bait come in contact with the bottom.  Number two, rip the  bait with a sharp upward snap of the wrist.  You will instantly know if you are  ripping fast enough as the bait will send out strong vibrations easily felt.  If you  don’t feel these vibrations, one of two things have happened.  You aren’t ripping  fast enough or the bait has fouled.  Number three, follow the bait back down on a  tight line.  If you don’t, you will not be able to detect the strike as the lure falls  back down to the bottom.

Ripping blades is a presentation that most people use on aggressive fish.  The technique works equally effective on fish that are sluggish or in a neutral state.  The bait works on a reaction strike.  It imitates a fleeing bait fish that walleye can’t resist.

The next time the bite goes cold, try a blade.  I think you will be surprised how effective they really are.

See ya’ on the water,

Daniel Vinovich