fishing tackle

[mrcarp]

HI PRETTY NEW TO ICE FISHING. CAN YOU GUYS HELP ME WITH TACKLE ARE CUSTOM JIGS AND SPINS GOOD. HOW ABOUT GENZ TACKLE, I'VE TRIED JIGGING RAPS AND SPOONS NEVER CAUGHT I FISH YET. I FISH FOR SUNNIES SOME CRAPPIE. I DONT FISH FOR PIKE OR WALLEYE. ANY HELP IN WHAT DIRECTION TO GO WOULD BE GREAT

[uwecsteeple]

I am no expert, but if I had to only use one lure for the rest of my life it would be a small jig (anything would size 10-12) and a waxie. I think you will always catch something using this presentation. If you run out of waxies put on a little sliver of plastic like a wedgie by Little Atom lures.

[Deitz Dittrich]

MCCarp-Ahh yes, you have just started to get the ice fishing bug. Be very carefull, it could consume you.

As stated there are a ton of small jigs on the market today. Custom Jigs and Spins make some great ones, as do Genz. Get an assortment of different colors, some verticle, some horizontle(my fave are the horizontle ones.) Location has more to do with catching fish than the lure does in my opinion. Yet there have been days I have been out there when the lure was as important.

If I had to guess, if you havn't caught any fish... Location has been a bit of a problem. Good electronics will help put fish on the ice as well. Please check out www.IceLeaders.com and check out when a gettogether will be and try and attend one of these events. We usually have quite a few prostaff at these events that can help youget in the right direction!

[Eric Wettschreck]

There are flat out a lot of good jigs and fancy things that can be used out there. However, don't let it overwhelm you until you're prepared to be overwhelmed. I've done quite well on a plain hook with a minnow or maggot.

90% of the fish are in 10% of the lake and being in that 10% is WAY more important (My opinion) than what flavor of jig you are bouncing at them. In other words it's location, location, location trumps jig,jig,jig.

[eyepatrol]

I'd echo what Deitz and boilerguy have said about location. However, when you do get on them, you'll want to have something they're interested in. Personally, my go-to jigs for pannies are the Custom Jigs & Spins Ratso and Shrimpo. I finally bought these jigs last year and was amazed at how I caught more quality and quantity of fish as compared to the teardrops I had used in all the years past. These jigs even outfished minnows at times. CJ&S makes a variety of colors and sizes, but I'd start out with getting #4 and #6 in size. Colors - I like the black, purple, white, pink and glow jig bodies. Sometimes you can fish these without bait and have great success, other times it takes a little bit of meat. I have other jigs and small jigging spoons in my aresenal which work well too (Demon jigging spoons, marmooskas, etc) that have worked excellent too. But I always start with a Ratso or Shrimpo.

Once you find that 10% of water the fish are at, keep switching it up until you find the most effective presentation.

One last piece of advice I'd give is to browse the panfish forum and read the posts and articles by Matt Johnson, Corey Bechtold, United Jigsticker and all the others who post on there. The "What's Working Now Ice" post can be very informative as well in that forum.

Good luck!

[mrcarp]

HI GUYS THANKS SO MUCH FOR HELPING ME OUT I MUST ADMIT THAT I'M OVERWELMED WITH WHAT TO USE I READ MAGAZINES AND BOOKS AND THEY SAY TO USE THIS OR THAT. BECAUSE I'M NEW I JUST WANT TO BUY QUALITY STUFF THAT WORKS SO I KNOW ITS NOT MY EQUIPMENT. IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE A HAND FULL OF GOOD JIGS AND MORE LEARNING OF HOW TO CATCH FISH WILL HELP ME MORE THAN WORRING ABOUT WHAT TO USE THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP

[Eric Wettschreck]

In all honesty, as far as jigs go....When I'm at Wal Mart or wherever I look em over. If any catch my eye I'll buy a few of them.

I don't really have any rhyme or reason behind which ones to get and try. Getting there is half the fun.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm with you boiler--Every time I stop for bait I take a look at the jig section.. and usually end up with 1 new jig per trip. Its kinda like colletcing baseball cards.. but not really.. LOL 8-)

[metrojoe]

Not to mention ordering them on line. I think my ice tackle has doubled in size over the last couple years. I'm expecting a package from "Custom Jigs and Spins" any day now.