Help with some plastics

[slabchaser]

I have been ice fishing for a few years and done fairly well. I usually fish live bait but I would like to try plastics. I ordered some nuclear ants and ratsos tonight and was hoping I could get some veteran advice on how to fish these new baits. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Matt Johnson]

One of the great things about plastics is that there really isn't a wrong way to fish them. They can be fished both aggressively and finessed.

With finesse tails I always like to incorporate some sort of quiver into my jigging sequence, this helps entice the fish into biting. Not only are you attracting, but you are also triggering the fish into a more aggressive feeding mode.

With some of my larger plastics like the Berkley 2-inch Power Minnows, I'll fish more aggressive. I like to add hops and jumps into my jigging sequences. Also doesn't hurt to have a few longer fall periods either. The fall indicates an injured minnow and you can bet even a negative fish will come over to investigate.

Ratsos fit right in the middle, they can be both aggressive and finesse. You can really pound a Ratso if you would like, but if the time calls for it you can also slow it down. A great presentation in my opinion.

Best piece of advice would be to go out and experiment with the various plastics. Get a feel for how each one works and which one is going to fit the best into your fishing scheme...