Ice Fishing Plastics

Who uses plastics for ice fishing? I have to admit, I rarely use plastics. I have used jigs with plastic as part of the jig, like a shrimpo and had very good luck, especially for finiky perch.

The reason I bring this up is my Tournament travel partner Rick Nascack uses plastics all the time. I have to admit they are deadly on the bigger fish. I was suprised at the size and numbers he got on his plastics. I have long been a bait guy but I have to say these new plastics are impressive and I am a believer.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say the outfish live bait, but under certain conditions they do produce larger fish. I know I will be experimenting more this year on those finiky slabs and gills.

I fish 2-3″ tubes for eye’s and I’ve been getting into some Pike action on 4-5″ grubs during early ice, but I am still experimenting with them. I think they have there time and place just like every other tactic we use to put more fish on the ice

Last year at the end of the season we were getting some BIG sunfish and Crappies up in Duluth on plastics. I will definately be trying them out more this year.

I use a fair amount of plastics through the ice for Panfish. Mostly Shrimpo’s, Ratso’s and some Mini Mites.

Sometimes, I take the legs off my Bass tubes and try them. That an inexpensive way to fish for Panfish.

I don’t do a ton of panfishing but last year my buddy turned me on to plastics and I doubt I will ever buy live bait again (tip ups not included). There are so many options in style and color and glow to try on a slower day. We almost always found one that worked better than others on a given day.

I guess I was weaned on the 2″ and 3″ white twisters years ago and as they grew in popularity they expanded the colors and styles and you know how it goes you just can’t stop buying a good thing.. When I started Ice fishing, system tackle was pretty much it, what I mean is., it was the Ice Team way and Dave Genz was and still is the man. At that time the coped was probably my favorite vertical gill jig and the flat my favorite horizonal. Well with that information and knowledge and my partner Mike nudging it along we purchased a couple of colors of the CJ&S (Custom Jigs & Spins) Finesse plastic tails, large tails for aggressive big gills and small tails when the bite is negative. I recommend the glow, chartreuse and black those indeed will produce. Found a perfect mustad gold hook for it with the right weight over at Stamina and that was all it took. If you can get a local guy to make the heads for you look for a no collar jig head and if the lead is loosely attached to the head the better cause you can get a little ticking noise going as you pound it up and down the water column. Key is to get a good jigging motion going so that the plastic tail vibrates and the plastic does not spin. I don’t fish gills near as much as I used to because I have been on a solid core perch kick the last couple of years. What’s nice about plastics is there are times when you dont need to even tip em with a spike they can be that effective.
It’s been an continues to be a must have in your panfish arsenal and the crappies love em too.

I’m going to try the Berkley Gulp 1″ mini-earthworm Red Wiggler this year on Mille lacs. They match the bloodworms the Perch feed on..

Berkley makes another product I have had success with the power honey worms. Crappies I fished at night with a Jammin jig glow ant or the JB glitter glo ant love them things charged up with my Power flash. I T-Bone the red one on a vertical ant style jig and they go crazy, the honey worms are pretty tough on the hook too. Can normally catch 7-10 crappies with one before you need to re bait. Plus all that scent dispertion in the water has to be a plus
We don’t see the red blood worms much around here it seems most lakes here have two a grayish and a whitish looking worm. Yet the red plastics have definitely worked on crappies and perch, go figure…

System Tackle is some of the best tackle I have ever used, I don’t think you can get it anymore. The walleye flyer is the bomb, I’ve caught more big eyes through the ice with a glow walleye flyer. Just my .02

Hookem69 – Lindy bought System many years ago, but Lindy still offers the flyers along with most of the tackle they produced. http://www.lindyfishingtackle.com/tackleshop/customer/home.php?cat=508.com

Thanks for the info, my wife is going to hate, this now that I can get more perch/glow flyers.

hookem – I am not really a big walleye guy through the ice. I catch a ton in the fall and I’m walleye worn out by first ice. I do have quite a few fliers I could send you. Doc took care of me when I was looking for more Copeds and I will send you what I have, you can email me…

I p.m’d you dude. Flyers left Saturday in a small brown box…