Jigs and Live bait, or Artificial???

[_point_5]

Hey, I've done my share of jigging for eyes over the years. A question that seems to always pop into my mind is, live bait or artificial? I've used both, but seem to always revert to live bait, typically minnows. How about it, is there anyone who uses artificial exclusively and swears by it? Would you share to the viewers what you use as well? For me, my confidence just seems to evaporate when I use artificial, maybe I'm not giving it enough of a chance, or using the wrong bait or not fishing it properly... any help? I appreciate any comments, Thanks and Good luck!

[ac777]

I havent fished the rainy yet, but overall I like to use live bait when jigging, or bobber, but when trolling I like to use artificial. JMO

[BronzeBrother]

Those Berkley Gulp minnows seem to do a good number on the fish...

[Muskies]

Good morning again point 5,

When it comes to comparing soft artificals vs live bait, most of the time live bait will catch more fish. Fish seem to hold it longer. Artifical baits work fine when there is no live bait options avalible. I've had luck with 5" swim baits but prefer hard baits from Salmo or Rapala casting or trolling when using artifical baits.

[Chad Peterson]

Those Berkley Gulp minnows seem to do a good number on the fish...

Live bait is good at times, but I would say that the Gulp 2" power minnows will catch more fish IMO. I work these baits mainly for crappies and sunfish which they work great.

Early spring fishing is really the only time I use live bait.

Sniffer

[tacklejunkie]

Frozen shiners

[_point_5]

Great Feedback, this is awesome! It's good to talk it up and share what works. Thanks

[Fish Tales]

When fishing the rivers in the early spring be it Rainy or Mississippi. In my experiences the early morning when it is realy cold live bait works much better dont know why but just what has happened to me. I will try plastics while others in my boat or boats around me will be using live bait and doing much better. I will be casting or jigging plastics.

[Tim_Anderson]

This comes from roughly ten years of fishing the river. I usually have three or four guys in the boat trying different things so that we can figure out what works and what doesn't based on the day, the river conditions, and walleye attitude.

Live bait usually works better for me at the beginning of the season, when the water is colder - the fish are less aggressive/more finicky. This includes mornings, and when the water temps are low thirties up to about 37 degrees. At this time, a fireball jig with a stinger hook and a nice meaty rainbow is hard to beat. Whether holding it vertical, or working it away from the boat almost dragging it, moving it really slowly seems to be key.

As the season progresses (river conditions permitting), water temps come up, walleyes move up and pack into the river and get more aggressive, and we transition more to plastics. Lower profile Ringworms and twister tails work great, especially in the afternoons when the water temps hit 38 degrees to 40 or more... When this is the case, you can rack up more numbers (IMO) than with dinging around with minnows for obvious reasons. Big fish love em too. We spend more of our time fishing horizontally - that is, casting the perimeter of the boat, until we locate a school of big fish. Then we work them over. When the water is warmer and the fish are more aggressive, you can work a plastic much faster and catch many more fish, as long as you know that your bait is in the bottom foot of the water column. This is the key and it takes a lot of practice. I found that it really took a commitment to put aside the live bait, but once I did, and at the right time, I had much success and found confidence in using the plastics for walleye.

Headed up later in the week and hoping the conditions hold. Ultimately we need the dam to keep it's yap shut and a slow/sustained melt.

Good luck ya'all!

[fishdale]

Those Berkley Gulp minnows seem to do a good number on the fish...

The top one (3 or 4 inch) in the above picture is what I use most of the time on the river. I would use minnows more but to far to drive in the oposite dirrection to get minnows. I use crawlers also especially in the spring when I can find them on my driveway.

The benefit with gulp is you do not catch as many roughfish with them and unless you breakoff you never have to rebait.

The benefit with crawlers/minnows is that they catch everything so if action is slow you will still be catching something. This could also be considered a CON.

With all that said I mainly use gulp as it is a lot more convient for me then optaining minnows. Also in the long run it is much cheaper IMO.

[Ed Carlson]

The Trigger X has been good for me on rivers. Depending on the mood of the fish, I may use the Paddle Tail Minnow, the Minnow, or the Grubs.

I may run them on a flasher type jig, or a stand-up wedge head jig depending on if they want to feed up or down. If they are in shallow I will use a basic ball type jig and try for jigs with longer shanks and good bait holding characteristics.

VMC's Pro Series Dominator Smoochin' Minnow jigs are very good, so are all the Northland products.

VMC's Pro Series Dominator Smoochin' Minnow

Northland Tackle Thumper Jigs

My color choices are preaty basic on jig heads, white/pink, black/yellow, and yellow/orange. I do like combo patterns especially when they have a luminescence built into them.

At ice out I do use a lot of fresh live bait as well. Large lively Fathead minnows on basic ball jigs worked slowly in the warming shallows does a number on pre-spawn eyes.

[bassbuster1]

I too use plastics,I like trigger x,also baby flukes.When the eye's are fussy i go to the smaller stuff,flaptails and small grubbs.

BB1

[Milkdud]

Emerald Shiner GULP works great!