What's working for you, panfish baits

[Rick G]

Here are a few pics of some of what I have been using this winter.  Everyone is well aware of how effective plastics can be for panfish... But have you tried the new hard baits? Most of the time, they don't need added bait, you can fish them plain.  I have found great success this winter with the Clam pinhead minnow, both the jointed and non jointed version. For some reason , the crappies and big bluegills love this bait..often preferring it unbaited, this is especially true for the jointed version.. I have been using small spoons with great success for years on panfish... just never found one that needed no bait.

The Kenders K-rip and T-rip are some of the new style of minnow baits, they also fish better unbaited. The T-rip is so tiny, even smaller bluegills can take it, so the big ones definitely have no problem inhaling this bait.. The wonderbread and natural perch have been my go-to colors this winter.  

Next time on the water, give either the T-rip of pinhead a try, you might be surprised how well you do I sure was!

[IceHawk]

Good stuff Rick! 

[eyeguy 54]

Great topic Rick. Here’s a few I am hooked on for gills and crappies. I hate it when I really like something and it gets axed. Grrr. The power bait  3/4 inch wishbone. Kinda week but really works at times. 

[Rick G]

similar choices in baits

[eyeguy 54]

12 minutes ago, Rick G said:

similar choices in baits

I know you want that Spug!  

[Squirrelhawke]

plain silver minnow buckshot

 

it's pulled in 9 out of 10 so far this year

[monstermoose78]

Well said Rick!! I have been a fan of the maki mino I know they get ripped up easy but boy do those fish love them. Otherwise I am us the same plastics and I just got me some of those little pinheads. For a lead jig head I still like the pug bugs, but tungsten has been my go to for the most part. 

[eyeguy 54]

Gotta give a shout out to panfish pursuers plastics. P3.  A rep gave me a few  last winter and really worked great. So I bought way too many this year. It’s called the Spug. Comes in 3 sizes and lottsa colors. Probably 90% of my catch has been on the 3/4 inchers this winter. They make quite a few styles that I will need to try next winter. 

[slipperybob]

Yeah, when I don't use bait, it's always some kind of soft plastics, especially the Northland Mimic Minnow jig or bloodworm jig.  I can't say that I really went to bare lure thing this year.  So I will reply in earnest of what has worked in the past.

First thing is bare spinner blade with a hook.  If you google Hildebrandt Flicker Spinner it's basically the same set up.  The second thing is plain casting spoons or fluttering type.  Daredevle spoons has sometimes been the only thing I got fish to bite on even when baits and baiting didn't work.  I had also by chance had fish bite onto the ACME Sidewinder spoon and the ACME Fjord spoon.  With that other ice jigging spoons has also worked for me.  Lindy Rattl'n Flyer Spoon, Northland Doodlebug spoon, and  Swedish Pimple.  For some reason I have not had fish bite onto a bare Northland Forage Minnow spoon or ACME Kastmaster spoon style while I've used those more than any other lures, but baited.

I have also had my Rapala Jigging Rap and Shad Rap hooked up bare.  Salmo Chubby Darter has caught plenty of fish for me as well.  I have tried the Eurotackle Z-Viber but no luck bare lure.  It needs to be baited for me.

This year I had tried Major Craft Spin Jigpara Micro and it was phenomenal on the first day I used it.  I saw crappie reaction to the lure and it pulled them in from bottom of 20 feet as soon as the lure dropped to 5 feet.  I tried all other lures that day and saw only fish reaction when other lures was like 15 feet deep to the bottom hugging fish.  Switch to the Major Craft Spin Jigpara Micro and saw immediate reaction repeated again.  Whatever it was that day, there was a clear hot lure.