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| Old dog learning new trick - - -
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Msg 1 Posted: 10:52 AM 05/16/06 (CST)
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This article although referring to plastics is what I have been standing on my soapbox touting.
Here is an old guy that has changed his way. Most guys I teach come around as he did. He makes the valid point that not all days on all lakes will it produce ,but it does most days on most lakes. Please read,it might strike a cord in you.
Rendering Live Bait Obsolete
BY WALT MATAN
Live bait is like a security blanket...you feel lost and all alone without it. Just as a chain smoker can’t survive without a pack of smokes, an avid ice fisherman won’t tread on the ice without a tin of maggots or waxworms.
There was a time when I never ice fished without live bait. But those times have changed. With the recent advances in plastics I now feel confident traveling on nearly any body of water without bait. In fact, I think anyone can learn to ice fish without bait.
At first, fishing without live bait becomes a weaning process. It's best to take little baby steps.
For toddlers going from the bottle to the glass is difficult; you have to side-step off to the sippy cup. So when you first try plastics you should still add live bait and then once your confidence builds and fish are biting, switch to a no-bait presentation.
I know this sounds crazy, but you can teach an old dog new tricks. Even old man Poppee has learned to fish without live bait after all these years!
Plastic presentations are nothing new to seasoned ice anglers who ply the backwaters of the Mississippi River, Wisconsin River and Wolf River systems. Many anglers still make their own plastics from slivers of Mann’s Jelly Worms or thin slices of balloons, but to most ice fishermen that fish lakes, plastics are still relatively unknown.
While there are a lot of options out there as far as plastic is concerned (mostly from copycat companies trying to capitalize in the new wave), my favorite is the original Custom Jigs & Spins brand Finesse Plastic. Original Finesse Plastic now comes in three different sizes; size 6, 8 and 10. The lures that go along with Original Finesse Plastic are the Shrimpo and the Ratso.
The Ratso imitates a small micro-sized minnow with its horizontal profile and darting action. The Shrimpo imitates the freshwater shrimp or daphnia that panfish feed heavily upon.
The unique feature of these lures and the Original Finesse Plastic is the thin wisp of a tail that moves with the slightest motion of your rod tip. In fact, hold an ice rod in your hand, armed with a Shrimpo or a Ratso and it’s impossible not to make the tail move! This subtle undulating action is the key to the plastic’s effectiveness.
Panfish are sight feeders. If you fish the shallows and can peer down the hole and watch the action (this is best done in a dark black tent, like a Frabill), you will notice that by jigging your rod aggressively, you can attract panfish in and around your lure. If you keep jigging at this same motion, the fish will become spooked or move away. But, if you slow down your motion to a near stop, a fish will move in and suck it in. This is the key presentation to ice fishing with plastics.
The other styles of Finesse Plastic from Custom Jigs & Spins are the Wedgee, the Noodel and the Micro Noodel. These three Finesse Plastics mostly imitate larvae stages of various insects. They can be added instead of bait to any of your favorite jigs to produce instant action and can be rigged a variety of ways. Noodels, Micros and Wedgees can be hooked and allowed to dangle like maggots or waxworms; be threaded on "Ratso style" on horizontal jigs; be set up on vertical jigs "Shrimpo style"; or be hooked "do-nothing" style (hooked through the center and fished on the fall). You can even slice them into smaller pieces for added attraction.
So you see there are many options when fishing with Finesse Plastic. Try mixing colors. Rig up a contrasting jig and Finesse Plastic presentation or try different colors of Finesse Plastic on the same jig. Be careful not to overload the jig, especially for panfish, since too big a presentation will often spook the fish.
The Deadly Attractor
Maybe you don’t believe that Finesse Plastic will out-produce live bait. Often times it will, but sometimes it won’t. There is no foolproof magic that will work every time. But there is one method that never fails. Take a red Wedgee and thread it on you favorite jig. If you are fishing for panfish, use only half and thread it on "Shrimpo style". You can still add your favorite bug like a waxie or spike, but that little tail will really add a little action and color to your jig that panfish can’t resist. Two of my favorite jigs to add the red Wedgee to are a gold size 8 Rocker and chartreuse/green size 10 Demon.
One spoon that I am really excited about once again is the Slender Spoon. Originally designed and distributed by Reef Runner Tackle, the Slender Spoon is an ultra-light ice spoon with an attitude. The Slender spoon can be made more effective by rigging it with a wispy piece of Finesse Plastic like the red Wedgee, which would not effect its action and actually make it fall a little slower.
So you see, when it comes to ice fishing you don’t always need live bait to catch fish. Try some of these techniques I’ve outlined and you will have a lot of success this winter!
Fish on
Crappie Keith
http://www.bucketrack.com/THEJig.html
IF IT'S WET...IT'S CATCH'N FISH
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Msg 2 Posted: 10:26 AM 05/17/06 (CST)
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bump ,good article! Oh,by the by I had to switch to meat & lindy rig them in 25ft of water for the eyes.Nothing on the shad,just like he said.
It pays to have different methods if the tried & true fails. It all comes down to identifing the pattern of their movements.
Fish on
Crappie Keith
http://www.bucketrack.com/THEJig.html
IF IT'S WET...IT'S CATCH'N FISH
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Msg 3 Posted: 10:02 AM 06/22/06 (CST)
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bump,the eyes are comming now fairly steady on the shad.See Round lake report.
http://www.bucketrack.com/THEJig.html
IF IT'S WET...IT'S CATCH'N FISH
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Msg 4 Posted: 02:04 PM 10/18/06 (CST)
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bump
http://www.bucketrack.com/THEJig.html
IF IT'S WET...IT'S CATCH'N FISH
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Msg 7 Posted: 12:03 AM 12/09/06 (CST)
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What dose bump mean????
SEE YOU NEXT TIME GOT TO GO
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Msg 8 Posted: 08:06 AM 12/12/06 (CST)
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"What dose bump mean????"
back to the top ..
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Msg 9 Posted: 11:04 AM 12/12/06 (CST)
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thanks BD
Of all the fish you've seen me post over the last 2 weeks.Not 1 has come on meat.All plastic or hair has done it.
Last saturday,with a hole apiece,my boy & I outfished 20 guys with 2 holes using meat.Do the math 2 holes vs.40
Catch'n Kids Pro Staff
http://www.bucketrack.com/THEJig.html
IF IT'S WET...IT'S CATCH'N FISH
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Msg 10 Posted: 02:45 PM 12/12/06 (CST)
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So why do you say bump
SEE YOU NEXT TIME GOT TO GO
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| Old dog learning new trick - - -
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