Many anglers will often overlook “size” as a critical presentation characteristic when it comes to ice fishing and choosing baits like a spoon.

Anglers often like to tinker with different plastic tippings or bait colors, but in some situations that might be a big waste of time and energy.

As Tony Roach states in the video above, there are many times when fish are keying in on a specific size of forage. Certain bodies of water can carry different sized forage from year to year based on the success of different year classes of perch, cisco or shiners in the lake. If the walleyes in your lake are primarily feeding on smaller shiners, they might completely turn their nose to larger sized spoons, and vice versa with bigger ciscoes and smaller spoons.

Let’s take the Northland Buckshot Rattle spoon as an example. This ice fishing spoon comes in six different sizes from 1/16th oz up to a 3/4 oz. Often times a simple switch from a 1/8oz to a 1/4 oz can make all the difference.

Next time you’re on the ice and the walleyes aren’t biting, try upsizing or downsizing your bait. That little change might make a huge difference.

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss the often overlooked factor of spoon size when it comes to ice fishing. While many anglers focus on different colors, the size of the spoon can actually make the biggest difference in attracting fish. Tony Roach, an experienced angler, will explain why spoon size matters and how he organizes his spoons in his tackle box. So, next time you’re out on the ice, instead of automatically reaching for a different color, consider changing your spoon size to increase your chances of success.

The Importance of Spoon Size

Tony Roach emphasizes that fish often key in on the size of the spoon. This is particularly true when certain year classes of fish, such as younger perch, Cisco’s, or shiners, are present in the water. These fish may be specifically targeting a certain size of prey, and by matching that size with your spoon, you can significantly increase your chances of attracting them.

Roach has proven time and time again that up sizing or downsizing the spoon can make a big difference in catching fish. By experimenting with different spoon sizes, he has found that he can consistently put more fish on the ice. This is a valuable lesson for ice anglers who may be quick to change colors but overlook the importance of spoon size.

Organizing Spoons by Size

To make it easier to switch between spoon sizes, Roach organizes his spoons in his tackle box. Instead of organizing them by color, he arranges them by size. This allows him to quickly grab the right size spoon when he needs to make a change. By having his spoons organized in this way, Roach can easily test different sizes and see which one is most effective on any given day.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when it comes to ice fishing, spoon size is often overlooked but can make a significant difference in attracting fish. Tony Roach’s experience has shown that fish often key in on the size of the spoon, especially when targeting specific year classes of prey. By up sizing or downsizing the spoon, anglers can increase their chances of success on the ice. So, next time you’re out ice fishing, don’t just focus on changing colors, consider changing your spoon size as well. It may just be the key to putting more fish on the ice.