Pan fish plastics

[blue gill hunter]

I am going to try and fish more plastics vs live bait this year. I tried out the little atom nuggies and wedgies last weekend and they seem to work well. I've also had some pretty good luck with clams polli plastics. My go to plastics are always Bros bloodworm or custom jigs and spins ratso in red and motor oil. Are there any new or go to plastics out there that are worth trying?

[eyeguy 54]

i am playing with the impulse nymph. so far I like them. rick g is the man with plastics.

[Guest]

I have fell in love with the Maki Plastic over the past year. Such cool and unique baits. My faves by far are the Jamei, Polli and the Minnow. Love the fact that they are hand poured. Alot of action with very little effort.

[clayton08]

I have one box full of Maki one full of Northland and one full of everyones. My favorite is the impulse tapeworm with the blood worm a close second. The best thing a guy can do is experiment a lil bit with them all because they all have there days if you have a camera there is room to perfect your jigging as each plastic acts differently.

[Tom Sawyer]

I've been having luck with switching over to a different profile when a hole gets cold. 2 or 3 rods at the ready saves time: having same colored options with a bit different look will work to convert the last sniffers into biters.

Top baits for gills lately have been Impulse Nymph and Bloodworm, Gulp Maggots and Powerbait Wigglers. Crappies have also crushed the Nymph along with the Mini Smelt and Trigger X Nymph, Minnow, Flap Tail Grub, Mustache Worm and Wingding.

All baits custom trimmed depending on what jig I'm using, and fish behavior. Usually less plastic pays big during a tough bite.

[monstermoose78]

I have amazing results with Maki Plastics Mino in white with red flake. I have used all the colors of Minos and white with red flakes has been best. I have started to play around with some of the other Maki plastics Jamei and Polli I have the motor oil color, red, purple, white, yellow.

As Tom said I shorten the plastics depending on the jig I am using it with.

[Tom Sawyer]

As Tom said I shorten the plastics depending on the jig I am using it with.

Sometimes more than just shortening the bait is the ticket. Custom trimming includes lots of options that have tripped many triggers

[th64]

Nuggies are good-just always remember to bring live bait too-even the pros bring and use live bait in the winter especially for 'gills. If you are catching crappies on larva you can probably switch to plastic-but sometimes it has to be an honest to gosh wiggly minnow. In the summer to cover water fast plastic will often out fish real stuff-winter? have not seen it yet for 'gills. Oh, IMHO

[monstermoose78]

Last winter I had many people come over and ask me what I was using for bait, because I was out fishing them. I showed them and had guys tell me plastics do not work for Bluegills or Crappies,  so I showed them it worked. I offered one guy a jig and couple plastics and I know why he was not catching them he a meduim/Heavy action walleye rod and like 10 pound test line. I carry a lot of different plastics with me and always have waxies and euros. I am excited to hit the ice, but I need about 3 more inches of ice around here.

[Tom Sawyer]

A lot of great products out there; I try and use those that not only mimic the forage well, but also smell and taste real too.

Here's a couple that were suckers for Northland Impulse Mayfly and Trigger X Nymphs, yesterday and today. The new for 2015 Berkley Ice formulas, for Powerbait and Gulp  have also been great early ice this year.

No need to bother with live bait.........

[th64]

I had a fisheries biologist tell me that if a fish can tell the difference between real and fake the fish will take the real. If  you think about it you will file that under "duh'.

When I swim a tube in the summer the fish sees a flash of color maybe a silhouette  and i get a strike. No need for real stuff the plastic color is brighter, swims straight, does not fall off on a long cast, I can throw farther than someone fishing with live bait too-None of that is true in the winter, they will stare sniff and reject. Details always matter, 10# line? Big fat ball jig, fat bobber---all bad.

So why do all these pros like plastics? Do live bait vendors endorse pros?-can they afford to?

Bring plastics and bring the real stuff-use both, keep an open mind. Did I get a check for sayin that? Nope

[Tom Sawyer]

On 12/22/2015, 1:59:23, th64 said:

I had a fisheries biologist tell me that if a fish can tell the difference between real and fake the fish will take the real. If  you think about it you will file that under "duh'.

Bring plastics and bring the real stuff-use both, keep an open mind. Did I get a check for sayin that? Nope

Exactly, but with the formulas used in the (plastics) today, fish can't tell the difference. In fact, more times then not, fish actually prefer it over live bait. Proven fact.
Remember you are creating the illusion of a real insect, so granted if your presentation isn't correct, your success with plastics with suffer. Most people over fish the bait. A small incect doesn't jump up and down in the water column 3'' at a time. Another mistake I see is they give the fish time to examine the offering by holding it still. My cadence never stops, neither does live prey, it may slowww down, but it's still moving. It's so funny to watch those that can't catch fish with "fake" bait. They seem almost as if they panic when a fish raises up, and then "choke" and stop all movement. Like they are so surprised to see a positive reaction. Once they learn how to finish what they started, their attitude and eyes start to light up.

Use what ever you want, by all means, and whatever you can catch fish with. No check mark here. But I'd rather "fake" them out, and usually the bigger ones too.

[th64]

TS those small movements can be way more productive than the big moves lots of people make.

With live waxies I sometimes squeeze out the juices so what you are left with is a juicy shredded mass. Those shreds respond very well to tiny movements. Plastics are getting softer all the time so get those details right and you can do very well (not as well as real stuff though) IMHO

[Rick]

Nice thread.

[Tom Sawyer]

Today was all plastic, Again..... 

I was getting my butt kicked by fellow Pro Staffers, eyeguy 54 (Royce), IceHawk (Chris), and Rick G., today all off which were using plastics and various sized tungsten. Thought I'd try and cheat with live bait and every the fish just turned away.

Matching the hatch, and the proper cadence was the only way to put fish topside. Biggest key of success, or in my case less of success, is learning to mimic the illusion of the incest your matching. The greatest teacher out their, if your not as fortunate to have some of the best sticks out there to help you, is time on the water. Hard or soft, learning, Where, When, How, and Why comes with experience. I'm still learning this hard water sport, and I'll be the 1st to say I suck some days. But, the day I'd stop learning something knew out there, would probably be the day I'd hang up this sport we all enjoy.

  

 

 

 

[IceHawk]

Great advise Tom. Definitely a fun day out there for sure we definitely put a few dandies topside.  Have to agree working as a team with a specific plan makes solveing  the puzzle a heck of a lot easier. . At one time the four of us were all on our augers running and gunning and I smiled and thought what a well oiled machine. Effort equals success. Plastics definitely were the key those big pies wanted some sort of insect or creauture looking bait for sure . Remember that little tip i gave you today Cat and mouse keep them interested and then give them the take away treatment.   Tom, Rick G, Royce thanks for a great day looking forward to the next adventure. 

[Borch]

I rarely carry live bait unless I'm going to be sitting in the house fishing with 2 lines.  Then I'll bring some minnows along. I fish a lot of plastics. Over the years I've learned a lot of tricks to get fish to commit during a tough bite. Things like changing colors,  profile, size,(hint, smaller isn't always better) or the way you hook the plastic.  One of my most productive tough bite plastic set up is hooking a noodle or wedgie t-bone or wacky worm style.  The slower fall with a more horizontal offering often works.  I've also added tungsten flies into the mix the past 3 winters.  When plastics don't work these usually do.

Good luck!

[eyeguy 54]

after being bugged by @Tom Sawyer and  @Rick G long enough over a couple years I had to go plastic. lol  glad they bugged me. had a good day again today with wishbones and impulse mayflies but had to custom trim them to get the job done. Found the fish a bit deeper today.  21 fow or so and the better ones were 5 to 7 feet off the bottom. 3mm and white were best today.