Your favorite Panfish Baits?

[The Urban Fisherman]

If this weather keeps up i'll be ice fishing by christmas! It's only my third season hitting hte ice, and I'm still relatively new to chasing panfish on the hard stuff.

 

So my question is what are your top baits for pannies? I mostly target perch, mainly on deep weed flats in 18 to 25 fow. So far Ive had mixed success with small buckshot spoons, and jigs tipped with minnows. What are your go to baits? For perch, bluegill and crappie?

 

Man I just can't stop thinking about it! haha

 

Cheers,

Ryan

[Curtis]

I haven't used them alot myself but i have seen friends have excellent luck with dropper spoon rigs, take the hook of your buck shot and add about 2-4" of line on the snap ring, then tie on a small hook and add a minnow or even just a minnow head, perch eyes work amazing to but im not sure if thats legal..

 

I have a lot of good luck with baits tipped with shrimp for crappies too. If the fish aren't bitting try dead sticking with something as simple as a small salted crappie tube you will be suprised how many bites you get.

 

The biggest must have for panfish in my opinon is a good rod, something really lite with 2-6lb test

[FisherMike]

i like to use microtubes tipped with a little piece of worm. i had a lot of success with it for crappies last ice season.

[misfish]

Teardrop jigs,and maggots.

 

I

[Ron]

Rapala jiggin raps, forage fry jig heads - bare naked

[gone_fishin]

for perch and crappie, you cant beat the old live minnow!!!

[Joeytier]

perch eyes work amazing to but im not sure if thats legal..

If you catch a perch to keep, I don't see what's wrong with using the eyes.

[Handlebarz]

check this site out they have alot of good stuff you can get at a local store or order from them I have not placed a order there but do like the following

 

http://www.customjigsandspins.com/icefishi...ewproducts.html

 

Diamond Jig

'Gill Pill

VERTIGLOW JIGS

Frisbee Jig

all in different colors let the fish tell you what they want

 

I also like to take the north land jigging spoons or other thin light spoon take the hook off add a little bit of gold chain (I got it from dollarama in the craft section) maybe 2" or so then a small hook tip it with a spike or gulp crappie bit and your good as gold. If I get around to getting my ice gear out this weekend I will post some pics but I must clean out the musky gear first from the boat the season is over as the river has frozen and the boat launches are the same here now.

[DANIMAL]

If you catch a perch to keep, I don't see what's wrong with using the eyes.

 

 

I was told by a CO that as long as you keep the fish for consumption you can use the eyes or any other part of it not fit for comsumption.

 

As for panfish baits I usually use a small jig tipped with magots or minnows.

Edited December 13, 2009 by DANIMAL

[ohhenrygsr]

Good ol emeral shiner and a micro tube rod in various colors. Pink, White, Canada Flag ....

[bassfanatic25]

My two most productive panfish lures through the ice are the Buckshot Rattle Spoon by Northland and my very favourite the Jigging Rap in firetiger colour. Tip both of them with Berkley Powerbait Maggots. Won't go on the ice without them. Good Luck!!

Edited December 13, 2009 by Patrick Larmour

[Handlebarz]

here are two swedish pimples that I have done last year or the one before I dont know where my others are only these two in the ice box Oh well time to make a couple more

 

[danbouck]

Go out of St. Williams with some minnows. You can't go wrong.

[The Urban Fisherman]

All good stuff guys - I know my wife isn't going to like this thread as I'm sure I'll be buying a bunch of this stuff.... aside from a few tubs of micro gulp baits, and micro power tubes, I don't have much of anything. My one and only spoon needs a new hook so I'll probably try putting a dropper on it instead.... thanks for the pics Mr. Eh.

 

Here's something I've always wondered.... where do you get live maggots?!?

 

And if I decided I wanted to salt and freeze some minnows, what the best way of going by doing that? I always have some die off on me and would rather salt and freeze them than waste them....

 

Cheers,

Ryan

[Handlebarz]

One other thing I will be using this year is the quick snaps like this but smaller ones I have here

 

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...&hasJS=true

 

As for maggots any tackle store will have them I like the small spikes in stead of the bigger ones some days it pays to have colored ones.

[dwc67]

I also like to take the north land jigging spoons or other thin light spoon take the hook off add a little bit of gold chain (I got it from dollarama in the craft section) maybe 2"

 

 

thanks the hali droppers are a bit light and short with bigger spoons, i will try these

 

 

perch

hali jig thumpin bottom

frostee jig

wht tube with red tail

jiggn rap

 

gill

blk timanti jig with sml red plastic

silver timanti jig with sml red plastic

both with a dropshot #14 hook with 2 maggots(real or plastic) 7 inches over the hook

 

 

google maki plastics

[crappieperchhunter]

my very favourite the Jigging Rap in firetiger colour. Tip both of them with Berkley Powerbait Maggots. Won't go on the ice without them. Good Luck!!

 

 

I'll second the jigging rap. Size #2...the smallest they have or #3. Firetiger or perch pattern..Tip with power maggots...Neon Pink works best on Simcoe for me. Or even better if you can get them...tip with real maggots. Always the first thing down the hole for me when I'm targeting perch.

 

My 2nd choice would be a Simcoe Bug...I make my own...but I am not sure how they work outside of Simcoe/Couch for perch. However I made smaller ones last winter and the smelt really liked them in the spot that Bigugli took me to last winter.

 

Good luck with the perching. I'm waiting patiently :wallbash: for my traditional first ice trip to Couch for a feed of perch.

[Leecher]

Ryan,

 

Here's my goto bait for pannies..... had lots of success last hard water season

Micro jig tipped with Gulp fish fry in white

 

 

Jacques

Edited December 13, 2009 by Leechman

[MuskiesnLakers]

Like a lot have mentioned, small jigging spoons have worked well for my. Also tipping with minnow halves is great, and those Gulp alive maggots in the little jars work really well. Make sure the lid is on properly if you're going to put them in your pockets, though!!!

[The Urban Fisherman]

Ryan,

 

Here's my goto bait for pannies..... had lots of success last hard water season

Micro jig tipped with Gulp fish fry in white

 

 

Jacques

 

Jaques I've looked all over and can't find those fish fry! Where'd you get them?

 

Cheers,

Ryan

[Handlebarz]

Ryan I know that BPS has them in Ohio I use them alot with the other gulp stuff some times I will just use the tail or the body mix it up always works great when the bite slows down you can even bie regluar gulp down just remember that if it has metal flake in it IT IS METAL and hurts like anything when it gets stuck between a couple teeth.

[Leecher]

Jaques I've looked all over and can't find those fish fry! Where'd you get them?

Cheers,

Ryan

 

I got them at Walmart or Canadian Tire..... If you can't find any, let me know and I'll buy one and ship it to you....

I'm a 100% sure once you try them, that it'll produce

Jacques

[Ramble]

Thought I would share some of mine, in the hopes of maybe learning something new from you guys.

 

Most of my perching gets done on Quinte, with relatively, low pressured fish. But I've had the same sort of stuff work on Simcoe and another small lake I go to occasionally.

 

Colours

 

Chartreuse and lime green are the 2 most productive colours I find. If you incorporate that with glow or silver and you’re set. Orange is a close second and gold is almost as good as the silver…almost.

 

Lures

 

Most people use small baits when targeting perch. I have found bigger is better, especially for the jumbos, although I usually start smaller at the beginning. One of my favourite “big” lures it the large buckshot rattle-spoon. The treble is too big for most perch, so I switch it out for one off a Forage Minnow. A little bigger split ring helps them “suck it in” but I don’t think it’s essential at all. I’ll tip it with a minnow head, or a tail. I prefer heads generally.

 

 

Same hook strategy for other lures like the do-jigger, sidewinder and pimple have all seen action and landed fish.

 

When they are being “finicky” I have found scaling up the lure size some days will out fish some of the fineness stuff. Which begs the question are they finicky at all? But that’s a different debate.

 

When they get finicky, the traditional small pan fish gear like this little jig with a small minnow head can be dynamite. I haven’t had a whole lot of luck with maggots or other artificial products. I find the perch in chasing more often then not want meat.

 

 

Set Line

 

Those little jigs at the bottom of a set line rig have also iced fish on slow days. I use the head/jig rig as mentioned above then 5-8 inches above it I’ll stick a lively minnow on the line. I have had more success with fake maggots on this set up, then just jigging them.

 

For the upper hooks on a set line I have tied marabou and a little crystal flash on a hook. I’ve tried it in orange, pink and chartreuse. The chartreuse out fishes the other colours I’ve tired. The perch love it. I’ve also seen some positive results from crappie and brookies on it.

 

 

The other set up I like on a set line utilizes a floating jig head. I’ll stick two or three split shot on the line about 3 inches up the line from a floating jig head. Then 5-8 inches above the split shot, a single hook with marabou. It’s good if they are active and you need to get the line down fast, you can just add more weight. I’ve tried the weight, the floating jig, followed by the single hooks, but the floating head at the ends works better. Again, chartreuse or orange for the floating head.

 

 

Rod Addition

 

Probably the most important improvement I have ever come across is one of the most simple. Add some small gauge wire on to the rod tip.

 

 

It’s A LOT more sensitive than even my ultra light rod and it registers anything that’s going on at the other end. It just bends when you fight the fish and has never caused a tangle yet. It also knocks the water off the line before the guides and I found that I ice up less frequently and when I do its easier to fix.

 

The weight of pretty much any lure bends it to some degree. This allows you to see if a fish picks up the bait but doesn’t pull. It’s also pretty useful on the setlines because you can see the minnows flopping around. This applies to more then just perch. Often you will see the minnows get more frantic before a fish hits. It also lets you know when to jiggle the line and wake them up or if you get robbed and didn’t see the hit.

 

You can go buy specific wire, but the 2nd last string (B string) on an acoustic guitar is pretty much perfect. Wrap it on with some Kevlar string with your bobbin if you’re a fly tier or some 4 or 6lb line works in a pinch. I suppose thread would work as well. Cover in epoxy and go fishing. A little paint is nice and a bead over the spot where you twisted the wire to make the loop will bring the ladies running.

 

Anyway those are some of the tricks I’ve picked up over the last few years.

Edited December 14, 2009 by Ramble On

[The Urban Fisherman]

I got them at Walmart or Canadian Tire..... If you can't find any, let me know and I'll buy one and ship it to you....

I'm a 100% sure once you try them, that it'll produce

Jacques

 

This is the only gulp fish fry I can find around here Jacques.... the ones you have look more like mini split tail minnows, and the ones I found look like a piece of worm with a little tail! haha

 

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...__SearchResults

 

When I saw your report last year I was like "I gotta get me some of those" and haven't managed to find any.. have to admit though, I only checked BPS and CT.

 

Thought I would share some of mine, in the hopes of maybe learning something new from you guys.

 

Most of my perching gets done on Quinte, with relatively, low pressured fish. But I've had the same sort of stuff work on Simcoe and another small lake I go to occasionally.

 

Colours

 

Chartreuse and lime green are the 2 most productive colours I find. If you incorporate that with glow or silver and you’re set. Orange is a close second and gold is almost as good as the silver…almost.

 

Lures

 

Most people use small baits when targeting perch. I have found bigger is better, especially for the jumbos, although I usually start smaller at the beginning. One of my favourite “big” lures it the large buckshot rattle-spoon. The treble is too big for most perch, so I switch it out for one off a Forage Minnow. A little bigger split ring helps them “suck it in” but I don’t think it’s essential at all. I’ll tip it with a minnow head, or a tail. I prefer heads generally.

 

 

Same hook strategy for other lures like the do-jigger, sidewinder and pimple have all seen action and landed fish.

 

When they are being “finicky” I have found scaling up the lure size some days will out fish some of the fineness stuff. Which begs the question are they finicky at all? But that’s a different debate.

 

When they get finicky, the traditional small pan fish gear like this little jig with a small minnow head can be dynamite. I haven’t had a whole lot of luck with maggots or other artificial products. I find the perch in chasing more often then not want meat.

 

 

Set Line

 

Those little jigs at the bottom of a set line rig have also iced fish on slow days. I use the head/jig rig as mentioned above then 5-8 inches above it I’ll stick a lively minnow on the line. I have had more success with fake maggots on this set up, then just jigging them.

 

For the upper hooks on a set line I have tied marabou and a little crystal flash on a hook. I’ve tried it in orange, pink and chartreuse. The chartreuse out fishes the other colours I’ve tired. The perch love it. I’ve also seen some positive results from crappie and brookies on it.

 

 

The other set up I like on a set line utilizes a floating jig head. I’ll stick two or three split shot on the line about 3 inches up the line from a floating jig head. Then 5-8 inches above the split shot, a single hook with marabou. It’s good if they are active and you need to get the line down fast, you can just add more weight. I’ve tried the weight, the floating jig, followed by the single hooks, but the floating head at the ends works better. Again, chartreuse or orange for the floating head.

 

 

Rod Addition

 

Probably the most important improvement I have ever come across is one of the most simple. Add some small gauge wire on to the rod tip.

 

 

It’s A LOT more sensitive than even my ultra light rod and it registers anything that’s going on at the other end. It just bends when you fight the fish and has never caused a tangle yet. It also knocks the water off the line before the guides and I found that I ice up less frequently and when I do its easier to fix.

 

The weight of pretty much any lure bends it to some degree. This allows you to see if a fish picks up the bait but doesn’t pull. It’s also pretty useful on the setlines because you can see the minnows flopping around. This applies to more then just perch. Often you will see the minnows get more frantic before a fish hits. It also lets you know when to jiggle the line and wake them up or if you get robbed and didn’t see the hit.

 

You can go buy specific wire, but the 2nd last string (B string) on an acoustic guitar is pretty much perfect. Wrap it on with some Kevlar string with your bobbin if you’re a fly tier or some 4 or 6lb line works in a pinch. I suppose thread would work as well. Cover in epoxy and go fishing. A little paint is nice and a bead over the spot where you twisted the wire to make the loop will bring the ladies running.

 

Anyway those are some of the tricks I’ve picked up over the last few years.

 

Awesome post Ramble... I have to go over it again, but It's a good help dude. I'm sure a few of us will take some tips from you and I hope you might have picked up on a thing or two from this thread.

 

cheers,

Ryan

[duber]

You can buy waxworms,mealworms and sometimes spikes at pet stores.