Plastics?

[Tony Mariotti]

Who uses plastics while targeting pannies through the ice? Anyone have favorites or tips on using them? I've used nuggies for years, and this past open water season have had a lot of success using the northland impulse mayflies, waxies and leeches. I have ordered a kit from Micro Spoons and Jigs as their detail looks amazing! Haven't got them yet, but I am anxious to try them out! Who else uses plastic?

[Finlander]

I use plastics for pannies almost 90% of my fishing time! I use them when my diehard meat (worms & minnows) friends fish with them exclusively and I catch fish while they have their bobber meat poles waiting for a fish to run into their hook!

They can't believe I catch fish on plastic without meat!

I have a favorite plastic, but I keep it a secret!

[Jim Uran]

Used a some Northland Impulse tapeworms last year... Really thought they worked well.. They have expanded their lineup quite a bit this year, I have a feeling they will be my go to plastic throughout the winter unless something else catches my eye.

They have there place, and I have ran into times where meat (spikes, or waxies) just flat outproduced plastics

[Chad Peterson]

Used a some Northland Impulse tapeworms last year... Really thought they worked well.. They have expanded their lineup quite a bit this year, I have a feeling they will be my go to plastic throughout the winter unless something else catches my eye.

They have there place, and I have ran into times where meat (spikes, or waxies) just flat outproduced plastics

+1. They work like a charm!

[pushbutton]

They have there place, and I have ran into times where meat (spikes, or waxies) just flat outproduced plastics

Yep, use plastics, hard baits, and meat. The days when the fish are hitting hard almost anything will work, somedays you actually need the plastic's subtle movement, rattle or vibration from a hard bait to trigger, then again other days near motionless real meat is what works. Sometimes you need various presentations to work over the same school.....bring a little of each, work them different ways, and let the fish tell you what they want. Cameras are a pretty sweet tool for seeing how the fish are reacting to these various presentations. And if you use one in conjunction with the flasher you will even start to see patterns of behavior on it.

[Tony Mariotti]

Awesome info guys! I've started using plastics almost exclusively for panfish. I still like a minnow head for jigging my buckshot spoons, or on a dead stick, but for run and gun gills and crappies I would say I am 99% plastics. For setting up on a bite, I am probably 95% plastics. There are a few days when the "meat" guys have what it takes, but plastics have become a huge part of my panfish success the last few years! I have landed some of my biggest eyes through the ice, while targeting crappies with a small forage minnow tipped with a plastic tail!

[Rick G]

I have been using plastics for winter panfish the last few years with increasing success each year. I am becoming more confident in my presentation the more I experiment with the various plastics. Like Jim U had mentioned, Northland has come along way in the last year in their line of Impulse plastics. I have also had pretty decent success with the Gulp line of baits, the walleye in my profile was caught on a 1/80 oz head and a 1 in. Gulp Alive fish fry.

[Eric_Kruger]

I use artificials 100% of the time open water for panfish. I used to use them 100% of the time through the ice as well but last year I started phasing maggots back in, not because plastics wont work, but because I now have the confidence that if I do run out of bait I can throw plastics on and still get them to bite.

Favorites for me are the Nuggies, weedgees, j&s ice mites, and gulp alive minnows.

[Charlie Mason]

Plastics are like inline spinnerbaits when it comes to muskie and pike fishing, they make great search baits. They are also highly effective when the area you are fishing has little angler pressure. They will work too in a more neutral bite situation, but I like to put a maggie on as well for a little extra scent. When the gills and crappie are tightlipped, nothing beats live bait though in my experience.

[Borch]

I use plastics almost exclusively for panfish. Depending on the bite I may go large like a 2" power minnow or a 1 1/2" power tube. However, I often end up fishing with nuggies, wedgies, micro minnows, tape worms and paddles. I rarely tip them with live bait but sometimes it will up the catch rate. The gulp 1" baits have really worked well too but the jars leak which makes a mess in the fishing coat.

[wbliceman]

I only use plastics for pannies and many other species. I rarely buy live bait any more. I like the Northland products as well as the little atom but a newer company that I really like is J&S plastics.. They move really well and catch fish. All shapes and sizes work its a bait you have to have confidence in though. Once you do you will not go back.

[muc33]

I, like others listed above use plastics almost exclusively for panfish. From micro nuggies and other Little Atom plastics to Custom Jigs and Spins wedgee tails and ratso tails to J and S Custom Jigs ice mites and mite jr's. Those are my favorites and for the most part I go with black, white, red and pink. But I of course have a full spectrum of colors, but the mainstays are usually safe.

[sorenson]

I was tuned on to plastics last season and whereas they will not totally replace naturals in my sled for a while, I did notice that I consistently picked the bigger fish out fo the schools (compared to my fishing partners). I was using wedgies and Gulp products for the most part but have added additional ones for this season. My level of confidence in them has increased exponentially.

S.

[Tod Todd]

I remember 7 yrs ago when I first started using plastic (Maki) and got a bass thru the ice wow what a rush. Using plasitc has become the norm some times going almost all winter with out buying bait.

The advantages are great with plastics you can change color, size, shape and action with out retying.

[MikeRaetz]

I love plastics threw the ice!! I like using Northland Tackle impulse mini smelt and its magic. It's really helped me get the tough biters along with using Lindy's pointed tails.

[WolfpackFishNGuy]

Not intended to steal the thread here but how do you guys store the plastics since they are so small? Just interested in whatever seems to be doing since I have some plastics and trying to consildate/organize them better than what I have done.

[Tony Mariotti]

I just use a jig box, like this Plastic Storage

and then I just keep them in their plastic bags and store them in the tackle box: Keeping them in the bags they came in seems to work the best for me.

[Finlander]

I keep mine in their bags so they don't get dirty or stained! Put a few in a seperate compartment while fishing though! Best to buy them in bulk also!

[Dylan8351]

I fish plastics 75% of the time. The benefits far exceed those from live bait. I find that the fish will bite them almost any time while live bait goes it phases. When the bite is on, plastic is durable and will last through many panfish giving you more time in the water and less time re-baiting. The market for plastics today is almost overwhelming. They come in so many colors, scents, actions, and shapes. It's well work adding to your arsenal!

[hamms-scooter]

Nuggies are a huge part of what makes sniffers into biters. When used with tungsten it's perfect.