# Favorite Ice Fish'n Lure/Bait



## k2muskie (Oct 6, 2007)

Everyones get'n anxious...so what are your ice fish'n lures/bait of choice...??? What will you use as the first lure/bait down that very first ice hole?

Our lures/baits of choice are:

Ice Flies as we primarily target them very tasty Crappie and Perch. The ice flies of choice for us are Nuclear Ants tipped with a wax worm. We'll also use Rat Finkees, Demons and Ratsos. Besided the trusted waxie the variety of baits tip'n our lures will be Perch Eyes and Perch meat. We'll also make sure we have Crappie Nibbles Chroma-Glow (chartreuse and white)

The first lure I plan on using is the trusty and proven chartreuse Nuclear Ant tipped with the proven tasty Wax Worm.

Ohhhhh come on ice and snow hold back until there's a good 4" plus of 'solid' ice. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


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## Ton_Def (Dec 23, 2008)

Ratso. It'll catch anything...


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## Troll (Oct 21, 2008)

Lindy Genz techni glow.


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## sparky00045 (Apr 1, 2008)

I always did good on just an 1/8 jig head and a curly tail jig and then tip the hook with meal worms wax worms even night crawlers, and even had some great days tiping the hook with a small ball of power bait, 

It helps to have a sonar so you can set it to beap, when a fish is below then you can pick up your rob and start jigging to bait.

I know i am ready to hit the berry


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## billybob (Oct 27, 2008)

Rat Finkees tipped with meal worms... they always work best for me.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

My go to ice lures are Maniac Cutt'r Bugs, Gizzy Bugs and Rat Finkies.
All tipped with wax worm or cut bait.


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## lunkerhunter2 (Nov 3, 2007)

Ratso's and Sweedish Pimples.


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

Genz worms and rat finkies are the most versatile for me. I have caught 7 species of panfish and trout with them (8 species if you count chubs) tipped with a small piece of crawler or a wax or meal worm. Perch love 'em tipped with a perch eye. At strawberry and other trout places I like to use tube jigs in white or pearl tipped with crawler or meal worms. I also tie up some big white marabou jigs on glow heads that work well for cutts at strawberry and browns and rainbows at DC. 

This cold snap has me thinking ice will be ready VERY soon at the UL harbors and some of the strawberry bays.... Be safe and wait for at least 2 1/2 inches of ice before you venture out!


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

No expert, but the smaller ratso, shrimpo, and finky jigs have been great, plus the Maniac cutt'r bugs have done well for me. Tipping with meal worms has been a good combo.

On the larger jigs, I've liked using pearl tubes with minnows.

I'll still use all of those this year, but I've got some new hunches (unconventional stuff) that I can't wait to try. If they work out, I'll make sure to pass the info along...later. :lol: 

One thing I've personally noticed when the fishing was poor for me was to just thread a night crawler onto a baitholder (weightless) and let it drift down slowly while feeding some line into the hole every once in awhile. If it reached the bottom, I'd just crank up a time or two and wait it out. That's been a rainbow magnet and saved me from a skunk a couple of times.


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

I have done a piece of crawler on a plain jighead, but never weightless. I'll have to try that sometime. It is fun figuring out fish through the ice when they are being picky. I've watched them on the finder staring at my jig for a full minute before swimming off. Sometimes fast jigging interests them, sometimes dead stick, and sometimes just realing it up real slow gets them to mouth it. I'd have to say the most important piece of tackle I take out with me besides the actual line and hook is the sonar.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

I have a new method of weighting my jigs.
Instead of using sinkers or flashers, try using a barrel swivel.
Add about 18" of tipit or leader to the swivel.
It adds just enough weight to get a small fly down but doesn't affect the feel of a strike.


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

Grandpa D said:


> I have a new method of weighting my jigs.
> Instead of using sinkers or flashers, try using a barrel swivel.
> Add about 18" of tipit or leader to the swivel.
> It adds just enough weight to get a small fly down but doesn't affect the feel of a strike.


You mean quite a large swivel like a size 4 or 6?


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

That depends on what fly or jig you are using and how deep the water is. If I'm after Perch in water over 25' deep, I don't use the swivel. For this, I use a 2 jig set up with one jig being at least a 1/32 oz.


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

You can also tie on a hook or jig with a palomar knot, leave a 6-12" tag end and place your weight below the hook like a dropshot set up. This combined with a spring bobber allows one to detect the lightest of bites.


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## blueboy22 (Sep 30, 2007)

Hey you guys I haven't been on the forum since Feb I think. I haven't even had a Fishing License since Feb 28th. So I'm so excited to see you talking about ice fishing again, I went at least 2 dozen times last winter to Deer creek alone so I can't wait to get up there. all of you sound like you use what I like but last winter I knocked the Bows dead with a Small Red and White Tube jig My Buddy gave me. I can't find them anywhere but will try Cabella's this weekend. They look just like the Pink and white but there very Red. Good luck this Winter.


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

Have you looked at walmart? I have used those in the spring for white bass and that is where I always found them.


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## Patman (Apr 16, 2008)

Scotty P, I'm gonna use what you showed me with the stick of dynamite and corn.......Just kidding, rat finky and tube jigs suspended below a flasher.


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## blueboy22 (Sep 30, 2007)

ScottyP said:


> Have you looked at walmart? I have used those in the spring for white bass and that is where I always found them.


Ive seen those Scotty but there not the same, thanks


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## Bhilly81 (Oct 18, 2009)

blueboy22 said:


> Hey you guys I haven't been on the forum since Feb I think. I haven't even had a Fishing License since Feb 28th. So I'm so excited to see you talking about ice fishing again, I went at least 2 dozen times last winter to Deer creek alone so I can't wait to get up there. all of you sound like you use what I like but last winter I knocked the Bows dead with a Small Red and White Tube jig My Buddy gave me. I can't find them anywhere but will try Cabella's this weekend. They look just like the Pink and white but there very Red. Good luck this Winter.


try sportsmans warehouse the one in provo should have there ice stuff out now


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