Ice Fishing with plastics?

I am new to the plastics world in fishing all together. Now, I’m looking at doing some pan fishing with plastics via ice. I need all the advice I can get and product info too! Help me guys I’m lost here

I was about to post something like this, but perhaps more along the lines of “plastics for dummies.” I have never caught anything through the ice without live bait, but would love the option of not having to run to the store everytime I just want to catch a couple fish for fun on a metro lake. I got a can of gulp alive yellow wax maggot looking like things thinking this would work, but I have never caught a fish on them, on ice, on open water in the summer, or ever. I have read through the old posts on this topic but people tend to use lots of jargon or abbreviations that don’t even produce google results.

If someone could state a few exact products that would arm one for trying to catch some panfish with artificial lures in terms a moron could understand when standing by the overwheling walls of lures at fleet farm, [censored], or joes, that would be awesome. Thanks!

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when standing by the overwheling walls of lures at fleet farm, [censored], or joes, that would be awesome. Thanks!

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I guess one cannot refer to DicksSportingGoods without being censored! Hopefully no one’s name is Dick.

I have begun to use a lot of plastics in the last few years and the best producing plastic for perch, sunfish, and crappies is the Nuggie both in the micro nuggie and regular nuggie. I think its more of the natural swimming motion these tails have with the added scent. lots of color combos to choose from but the red always seems to catch the most fish. This is the plastic that works best for me.

There’s whole world of plastics out there that are great at icing fish. The nuggies mentioned have been around a while and Custom Jigs does a nice product or two too. There are even some custom plastics makers locally here in the SE corner of the state….hint.

I’ve been using plastics for years, and almost every time out last year plastics outfished bait. Black ratso is my favorite, but I have some new ones I got when I bought out a bait shop that I really love.. and the people I sold/given some to love them also. They are sort of a wedge/finesse plastic cross.

Im a huge fan of the wedgees. Red and glow are hot colors for me. Im also excited to try the new impulse line from Northland. They have a brown and black plastic that is a spitting image of the mayfly larvae and i cannot wait to give it a workout when that time of the season rolls around, as i have cleaned perch that have had hundreds of these things in them.

If your not using plastics you missing out on a huge portion of the bite…

I used bait one time last year and I get out alot!!!! I mainly use jumbo wedgees from little atom baits or the whip. I have every color and every style. I also like the nuggie tail on a moon glow jig. I use the wedgees on a fiskas or gold tungsten horizontal jig. I had a friend who said he used 120 waxies one weekend. Using plastics is alot easier than digging in your bait tin or puck all the time. You just reposition the plastic after you catch a fish. When its too beat up to use anymore put on a new one. I would say you can catch easily 20 fish per tail. Hopefully this helps, Dan

Maybe we’ll see an “On Ice” segment on using plastics.

Purist lures with no bait are an excellent crappie and gill jig. Also Rembrants are very good for crappies and bass. Both come in many colors. Shrimpos and Ratsos are also fish getters.

Start by taking no live bait on the ice with you. Take a red wedge type plastic tail and thread it on a verical jig so the overall presentation is a perfect “L” shape. Keep the plastic as perfectly horizontal as possible. Slowly “shiver” it down the water column with brief pauses. Success will come with practice and patience. Soon you will be free from the tyranny of live bait.

Duke

Thanks for the specific advice, particularly the one above that says EXACTLY what to do. Now does anyone know where I might find some of these near Minneapolis (nuggies, ratso, wedgies, etc.)? I went to Dick’s because I have some giftcards but thier ice fishing section had none of the items above, much less much of anything. Joe’s Sporting Goods is a store I like going to that is somewhat close, and Fleet Farm and Gander are a bit of a drive. Or are these only available, or easist to get online? I’m in the mood to drop $40 or so and get a small variety of items. I want to believe in plastics so bad…

Your gonna have to go to Gander or Fleet Farm. Personally I go to Thorne Bros. They could help you out the most….
They can explain each one.

Don’t be afraid when you pick up some new plastics to fill up a clear jar or something with water and practice jigging to get an idea of what the movement on each plastic is…

The link below is a video with Corey Bechtold who talks specifically about some plastics he uses. And how to rig them.
Click here

Tindall, check your PM’s.

Duke

By the way, sorry for hijacking your thread JJ.

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Maybe we’ll see an “On Ice” segment on using plastics.

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Aaaah!! Maybe you will!! We start Crappie fishing in February and I like to use many different forms of plastics out of the Custom Jigs and Spins line. I use them on Diamond jigs for quick drops. At times they are KILLER!!

on the Thorne Bros They have a good selection. My pb is the pink wedgees from little atom baits.

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Maybe we’ll see an “On Ice” segment on using plastics.

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Aaaah!! Maybe you will!! We start Crappie fishing in February and I like to use many different forms of plastics out of the Custom Jigs and Spins line. I use them on Diamond jigs for quick drops. At times they are KILLER!!

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I’ll vouch for that!

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Thanks for the specific advice, particularly the one above that says EXACTLY what to do. Now does anyone know where I might find some of these near Minneapolis (nuggies, ratso, wedgies, etc.)? I went to Dick’s because I have some giftcards but thier ice fishing section had none of the items above, much less much of anything. Joe’s Sporting Goods is a store I like going to that is somewhat close, and Fleet Farm and Gander are a bit of a drive. Or are these only available, or easist to get online? I’m in the mood to drop $40 or so and get a small variety of items. I want to believe in plastics so bad…

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I have used plastics for many many years. Back to the days when “willow tails” were still around and if I could find them again I would buy them in bulk! Seems to me the the thinner profile tail looks more realistic in the water and has a lot more action than some of the thicker tail plastics out there. I am impressed with Custom Jigs and Spins ratso tail. I buy all 1.5″ tails can you can always cut some plastic off to fit the profile lure you are fishing. Diamond jig with a ratso tail is killer on pannies around here. I have used them on gill pills as well. Also like stated above a rembrant is a great lure for panfish. Having confidence in the bait you are using I think is also a big thing in ice fishing so with plastics you can still tip with euro larve or some kind of bait until bait is not needed. Some days I know they want meat, but the majority of the time you can catch as many or more with just plastics. Check out the ratso line of plastics and give them a try. I don’t think you will be disappointed!!

For the record, and thanks to your advice, here is my first fish through the ice with plastics. It had to be well over 3″.

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It had to be well over 3″.

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The best part is that they will only get bigger!!! Congrats and keep the confidence

If that seemed sarcastic at all I didn’t mean it to. As someone who often fishes city lakes for fun I was super excited to catch stuff on plastic!

Told ya they worked.