baits

What is the best bait for panfish during the ice in shallow weeds and deeper water?

4mm and plastics

I keep going back to home made jigs and wax worms.

4mm and plastics, 1/16 pinhead minnow some times with spikes and some times with nothing.

For crappies:
-Only plastics or bugs
-Or plastics bugs or minnows
Sometimes on some lakes: Only minnows.

Rat tails

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This is a tough answer as the baits change from the beginning to middle and then end of the year. Heck the bait of choice changes based on the weather. Overall I would say a 4-5mm tungsten and waxie is bait of choice during the hardwater season.

Lay it out dinkpatrol. How does it change as the season goes on? What about weather?

I’d say hard to beat a 4MM Tungsten jig or even a 3MM when the bite is tough. I prefer a larva over a wax worm, they last much longer on the hook. Although on Crappies somedays tipped with a plastic will out fish live bait. Depends on the aggressiveness of the fish

Randy Wieland wrote:

Rat tails

MEH…..the ole teardrop and waxie or plastic still works plenty fine….no need for that fancy tungsten crap!!!

if they dont wanna bite on what i offer….ta heck with them!!!!!!!

4mm and plastic or a pinhead w nothing on it catches almost all of my panfish these days. Shallow or deep, doesn’t matter, they just work.