ratsos and shrimpos

[fishing addict]

I just bought a few of these to try on the crappies. Does anyone have suggestions on what situations to use these for and how to work them. should they be tipped with bait?
thanks

[RHW]

I have used Ratso's all this winter with fair success. You know what? It was 50/50.
Could catch fish tipping them and catch fish not tipping them. I always start by not putting any meat on the pointy end just to see what happens. I am of the opinion that no, you do not need to tip em. However any untipped jig needs to be finessed and continually worked in slow motion.
Fresh water shrimp are hard to find. Last bunch I purchased was at a bait shop in Faribult. Do panfish like them..........oh yes they do. However they are fragile and you need very small hooks to accomodate them.
About two fish per is what you can expect, then need to put on fresh.

[Matt Johnson]

I don't think I've hit the ice and haven't dropped down a Ratso so far this winter when fishing for crappies and gills. Ratso's are a phenomenal jig for hardwater panfish! I've had success tipping them with maggots, Bio-Bait, or just plain. The action that the plastic finesse tail gives off is very nice and that will trigger a strike quite often alone. Ratso's were great this past weekend on Red Lake for those slabs too! You can get a variety of sizes and colors of Ratso's, and you can also buy the plastic finesse bodies separate too, and then you can mix and match and find colors that out perform others. I like to use a lot more finesse plastics during late ice, the fish are more aggressive and you don't need to mess with re-baiting when an active school is below you, just get the jig back down and hook another fish. Works great!

I like the pink head and white body for late ice during the day. Then I'll switch to glow at dusk and after dark.

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

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First Choice Guide Service

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Iceleaders
Catch-N Tackle and Bio Bait
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Stone Legacy

[fishing addict]

How do you work the shrimpos? And what sizes do you use for panfish?

[Matt Johnson]

You can pound the Shrimpo's, twitch them, swim them, you can do just about anything. Pounding is my preferred method for drawing in fish, and then twitching will trigger the strike. Sometimes all it takes is just a slight twitch to get the finesse plastic going, and then it will seal the deal on its own. I like the Ratso's better then the Shrimpo's, but they both have their time and place. Size 8 works good, or even smaller too.

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

------------------
First Choice Guide Service

[email protected]
Iceleaders
Catch-N Tackle and Bio Bait
MarCum
Stone Legacy

[Matt Breuer]

The Shrimpo is my go to bait for crappies, and the Ratso is my go to bait for gills. The Finesse Plastics can be taken off and switched to look like a minnow, hooked through the side, that's been my best luck for crappies this winter!

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Matthew J. Breuer
Northcountry Guide Service
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Stone Legacy
Ice Leaders

[TG]

i just came out a weekend of great crappie action and THE bait was the shrimpo!!!!
Jig it or stting still, I caught 50 fish with in 24 hours of fishing. My partener was trying another bait and switched to the shrimpo 2 hours into our venture, caught fish right and left.