Bokoplav

Bokoplav is a lure hung at an angle. It's the same position as an ice jig, but on a lure with its own sideways travel: here the angle comes from an offset loop, not from the shape of the body itself.

The name, first

“Bokoplav” is also the name of a live scud — the same amphipod (mormysh) the ice jig gets its name from. This is about the artificial lure, not the animal. From there the mix-up carries on inside the lures too: in different places the name covers both the angled lure with a moulded-in hook and any lure that swings sideways.

What the tilt gives you

The pull is applied off-centre from the centre of gravity, not above it — so the lift doesn't send the lure straight up but pushes it out sideways. From there it doesn't snap back sharply the way a jigging minnow with a tail fin does: it glides back toward the hole for a long stretch.

How it's built

The body is flat or faceted, the hook is more often moulded into the tail, less often hung on a ring. The loop sits in the upper part, offset from centre — that's exactly what sets the angle. Which end sits lower varies by model; what's common is that the body hangs tilted rather than level. There's no tail fin — the water turns it.

How it differs from a jigging minnow

A jigging minnow swings sideways and comes back in an arc, covering a short distance to do it. Bokoplav travels farther and takes longer to come back. That's why a jigging minnow checks the water around the hole fast, while bokoplav covers it less often but over more ground.

How it differs from a jigging spoon

A jigging spoon already kicks off to the side on the drop, purely from the shape of the blade. On bokoplav it's the lift that does the sideways work: it has time to pick up speed and carry the body farther than free fall ever would.

What to check on a new one

Two things, and both are visible before it ever touches water: what angle the lure hangs at when you hold the line by the end, and whether the hook moves freely if it's on a ring. A loop knocked out of line turns bokoplav into a heavy spoon that goes nowhere — and you can only catch that before the lure goes down the hole: once it's in the water, you can't check the angle anymore.

Why a bead on the shank

A loose bead or a piece of tubing on the moulded-in hook works the same way as on a bare ice jigging: it gives a visible target and slows the lure's tail slightly as it falls. On the long glide this shows up more than it does on the short arc of a jigging minnow.

Who it's for

Mostly zander in deep water — fish that don't sit right under the hole; perch turns up alongside it too. The price is a longer cycle and fewer lifts in the same amount of time. There's another price too: in shallow water the lure has time to swing out under the ice, off to the side of the hole, and catches on its edge on the way back.