Paddletails

[CNY Lee]

Well I just bought my first order of a whole bunch of paddletails, now how do I fish them and what type of jig head should I use?

Lee

[CrappieJohn]

The absolute best jig for fishing these baits is noe with no collar of any kind. Just a ball head. I fish them under a Thill mini-stealth float...#2. Cast out, let the rings settle a bit, give three or four short pops, repeat.

[Down to Earth]

I concur with everything Tom said. I will add that I like using them with a 1/32oz. jig.

Andy

[Lynno62]

Quote:

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The absolute best jig for fishing these baits is noe with no collar of any kind. Just a ball head. I fish them under a Thill mini-stealth float...#2. Cast out, let the rings settle a bit, give three or four short pops, repeat.

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Could you explain a little bit better on this hook, I am not sure what a collar is (except what my dog wears)

were do the rings come from are they on the hook?

Thank You.Lynn

[CrappieJohn]

A collarless jighead is nothing but a ball head....no barb or bump behind it for holding onto plastic. The rings are created in the water when the jig/float hits it.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Lynno- picts tell 1000 words.. here is a jig without a collar...

[Down to Earth]

Lynno62

Collared Jighead

Collarless Jighead

Andy

[BLACKJACK]

Speaking of jig heads, do you guys like the colored jig heads or the plain lead colored heads?

[Dan Thiem]

On that same note.... What about eyes or no eyes on the painted ones?

[Down to Earth]

Dan,

Here is the response I got a few weeks back on the same question.

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=534649&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

I ended up placing an order for both. Can't wait to get them in and in the water.

Andy

[CALVINIST]

What difference does a coller make verses a jig without a collar?

[Dan Thiem]

The purpose of the collar is to hold the plastic on. I think it just splits the plastic and makes it tear off easier.

[Down to Earth]

When using larger plastics collars probably aren't that big of a deal, but when using the smaller panfish size plastics, Dan is right in that the collar tends to split the plastic. I always use the collarless jig when using small plastics. I've never had any problems either with the plastic slipping off. It stays just fine without the collar.

Andy

[delmuts]

dan is right. many/some of the plastics we use are not very big in dia. and using a collar can split the body , i also wonder that the bulge caused by the collar may affect the action of some plastics. there is a place for both styles in ones tackle .

[Guest]

where do you buy these paddletails? THANK_YOU

[CrappieJohn]

LEE....If you click on the address in my signature and mail me, I can give you an address.

[Scenic]

When using smaller plastics you want be able to slide the rubber body up to the jig head without it tearing. By using a jig head without a skirt keeper collar it is much easier to accomplish this by just threading the hook through the body. When you are putting your plastic on the jig you want the body to lay straight so be sure to run the hook back only as far as needed to put the head of the plastic up tight to the jig head but still keep the body of the plastic laying straight.

Scenic Tackle makes the type of jig head you are looking for to use with these plastics in our Ball Head Jig Series. This jig head features an extra sharp, thin gold VMC hook and is available in sizes 1/64th - 1/8th oz. They are also available in many different colors or unpainted.

As for eyes on these jigs, I feel that it matters in that it can give the jig a two color appearance without losing the primary color. For example a chartreuse jig head with an orange eye still gives that jig two colors but the chartreuse is still prominent. Unless special ordered all of our painted jig heads come with painted eyes.

Drop me an email if you have any questions.

[BDR]

When the bite is light as it can be early with this cold water, I have had great success hooking my plastic a little different. I only do this after missing a few fish. It seems to increase my hooking percentage greatly.

[CrappieJohn]

Brian....Your rigging brings up an important aspect of fishing and nature.

Fish that are predators look for things in their prey food that are not right...out of place. Injured or sick food acts different from the healthy food.

Nothing in nature ie perfect. Zebras look alike, but are not of the same stripe pattern. The limper is the one that gets the lion's attention though.

Oftentimes we get caught up in trying to sweat the little things, like the zebra's spots. But the fish do not recognnize this. Toss in the "limp" though, or change how the plastic is presented on the jig (livebait too!) as Brian suggests and bingo!

When I am painting the eyes on my jigs I don't pay any mind to runs or whether they are balanced. Eye on a jig are a focal point for the predator. If the eyes look nuts, they help to draw the hit. When I have a plastic that is getting a bit tattered, I often times turn it askew on the jig and continue to catch fish, sometime with even harder hits. If this trick doesn't do it, put on a fresh plastic and get back to catching.

Again Brian....this is an excellent point to bring up and is another example of how a fisherman can allow some creativity expeand his fishing. Remember....A fisherman is only boundered by his lack of imagination.

[Mr. Pike1]

Crappie Tom, I did some searching local and did not find any of the paddletails. However, while tossing a jig with my daughter tonigh I met "Big" from the HSOforum. He put the plastic to work and got a few nice crappie and panfish. My daughter and I each got a few panfish as well but paddletail seemed to be attracting the larger crappies.

I want to thank "Big" for being so kind as to hook me up 6 paddletails to add to my box of plastice. I already have the bubble gum and purple/chartruese hooked up on rods and ready to go.

[Matt Johnson]

Brian isn't kidding! I watched him land fish after fish after fish on Saturday using that technique. Only if I would have picked up on it I might have caught a few more I'll be adding that technique to my arsenal, no doubt about it! Good one Brian!

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Captain B.R.K]

Crappie Tom- just got an order of paddy tails tonight....look good. Now I just need to get some jigs, bobbers and I'll be set for this coming weekend.

[CrappieJohn]

Cap'n B....1/32 ounce and 1/16 ounce ballhead jigs with no collar of any kind. I use floats which just float either weight.

[koWALLEYEski]

just wanted to add on somethign with the jig presentation. We were ice fishing right before ice out. we walked out on the ice about a mile out so we were far frm shore. We ran out of minnows. So were stuck out there with no bait and the fish were going nuts on the vex. We ended up finding some frozen sticklebacks on the ice and used heads or whatever we could find and caught fish. it was desperation but it paid off

[CALVINIST]

I used the Culprit paddletails (blue/glitter) last night for the first time, and had pretty good sucess! I couldn't sleep last night because I had a hunch about a spot. It wasn't the best conditions for fishing last night (from 11pm till 1am) with the cool east wind, but I found some active fish, and caught about 15. I just cast it out and very slowly reeled in. All in all, thumbs up for the paddletails...my confidence in these plastics has increased .