What are some popular jigs for lakers?

[perch bait]

I normally use live bait on tip-ups for lakers, but I would love to try and catch one on a rod. Last year and this year I have caught them jigging for smelt, but I can't help, but think that these were rare occurrences. My Dad and I are heading up to the NEK this weekend and I would like to give jigging a try. Any  information on what to use and where would be helpful. I've heard that anything white is a good place to start, is this true? Any input would be helpful, Thanks
By the way, I'm not asking for all your secret baits, just something to get me pointed in the right direction.

[gogetthegaff]

I normally use live bait on tip-ups for lakers, but I would love to try and catch one on a rod. Last year and this year I have caught them jigging for smelt, but I can't help, but think that these were rare occurrences. My Dad and I are heading up to the NEK this weekend and I would like to give jigging a try. Any  information on what to use and where would be helpful. I've heard that anything white is a good place to start, is this true? Any input would be helpful, Thanks
By the way, I'm not asking for all your secret baits, just something to get me pointed in the right direction.

Airplane jigs in white, white/yellow. Bucktail jigs, same colors. 3" tubes and also curly tails on a lead head jig. Jigging spoons. Swedish Pimples. Tipping with a piece of minnow usually helps. One thing I found is that they usually hold on pretty good when they hit, so don't strike too soon if you're using a flasher. Lots of guys will tell you that jigging will out-fish tip ups and bait. From my experience they are right.

[VTMatt]

Gaff has pointed you in the right direction. It's been from my limited personal experience true that jigging produces more fish than tipups. Maybe my minnows were too small, I'm not sure. I had 5 tipups out yesterday close to where we were jigging and overall we had probably 15 hits on jigs and not a single flag.

[JMailbox8]

Airplane jigs in white, white/yellow. Bucktail jigs, same colors. 3" tubes and also curly tails on a lead head jig. Jigging spoons. Swedish Pimples. Tipping with a piece of minnow usually helps. One thing I found is that they usually hold on pretty good when they hit, so don't strike too soon if you're using a flasher. Lots of guys will tell you that jigging will out-fish tip ups and bait. From my experience they are right.

X2
Applying some Smelt Rite on your bucktail helps too.

[802spinnerbait]

WHITE TUBES. also airplanes and pimples work well.

Anyone have a picture of these white tubes everyone speaks of?  Link maybe?

[bootstrap]

[shiveringjoe]

I haven't caught a laker on it yet but I had a few follows with a spro squid tail jig in glow.  It's pretty cheap, sinks fast and straight, and moves like a tube.

[pikeaddict]

One trick I use when using tubes, is I don't put the jig head all the way to the front of the tube.  I cheat it back a bit so the tube has more of a gliding action on the fall, similar to that of an airplane jig. 

[stubborn1]

I've had luck with larger sized Jiggin' Raps in light colors.  They glide away from the hole and cover water.  I've had a lot of strikes on them, but the down side is getting a laker hooked solid and up the hole.  Replacing the original treble with a larger one might help. 

[Smelty88]

i have had good luck using the slender spoons for lakers. just put a minnow head on it and when you get one make them chase you up!

[stubborn1]

It's been awhile since I jigged for lakers.  I bet a Slender Spoon works great!  They have a ton of flash and action.  Do they sink really slow Smelty?

[802spinnerbait]

(Image removed from quote.)

Excellent, pretty much what I thought. But wanted to make sure.

[Smelty88]

not that i remember, they have some great moment to them but are heavy enough that they get down easy.

It's been awhile since I jigged for lakers.  I bet a Slender Spoon works great!  They have a ton of flash and action.  Do they sink really slow Smelty?

[troutslayer 23]

not that i remember, they have some great moment to them but are heavy enough that they get down easy.

try swim baits !!!!!

[putback]

Jigging rapalas do work fine, been using them since the '80s. BUT be very careful coming up the hole. If any hook is outside the mouth odds are it will catch ice and tear free. Bigger the fish greater the danger.

[bootstrap]

Jigging rapalas do work fine, been using them since the '80s. BUT be very careful coming up the hole. If any hook is outside the mouth odds are it will catch ice and tear free. Bigger the fish greater the danger.

i cut off or pinch closed the front and rear hooks

[putback]

i cut off or pinch closed the front and rear hooks

Yep, all things considered that helps, especially with #7s and up. While we're on this Trout /jig topic do'es anyone know if you can still buy weighted tandom streamers for ice fishing? Haven't bought any in years and I'm about out. Can't find them now. Would the new lead laws prohibit there use? They're just lead core line core wrapped around the tandom wire.

[Smelty88]

pretty sure that the lead law only covers sinkers. I may very well be wrong though!

Yep, all things considered that helps, especially with #7s and up. While we're on this Trout /jig topic do'es anyone know if you can still buy weighted tandom streamers for ice fishing? Haven't bought any in years and I'm about out. Can't find them now. Would the new lead laws prohibit there use? They're just lead core line core wrapped around the tandom wire.

[shiveringjoe]

pretty sure that the lead law only covers sinkers. I may very well be wrong though!

It is just lead sinkers, I might try tying a weighted tandem streamer now.

[spot]

Fish tend to hold on to soft plastic lures a lot harder when you dip them in cod liver oil before using them.

[perch bait]

Thanks for the tips guys! I ended up using a small daredevil and a size 2 needlefish. Both of which worked pretty good. I didn't get arund to using plastics, but I will be sure to give tubes or swimbaits a try this coming weekend, before trout season closes. 

[Crayfish2]

Perch bait had pretty good luck on that Needlefish!  Lots of looks and quite a few hits with 2 lakers iced (both short, though).  I tried a perch-colored swimbait and a 3" white/silver flake Venom minnow on a jighead but didn't have any action on those at all.  I put on a copper / rainbow trout Needlefish with a hunk of minnow and got some looks and a few hits but couldn't get hooked up.  I don't know what it was about those Needlefish spoons, but they sure seemed to like 'em.

[VTMatt]

Perch bait had pretty good luck on that Needlefish!  Lots of looks and quite a few hits with 2 lakers iced (both short, though).  I tried a perch-colored swimbait and a 3" white/silver flake Venom minnow on a jighead but didn't have any action on those at all.  I put on a copper / rainbow trout Needlefish with a hunk of minnow and got some looks and a few hits but couldn't get hooked up.  I don't know what it was about those Needlefish spoons, but they sure seemed to like 'em.

I think the big lakers like the big swimbaits and tubes but the smaller ones don't seem to be as aggressive towards them.  Smaller spoons and stuff that are tipped with something seem to get the smaller ones. Just from my experience.  When you're pulling 7-9" smelt out of 28-30" lakers you know they like em big!!

[perch bait]

I think the big lakers like the big swimbaits and tubes but the smaller ones don't seem to be as aggressive towards them.  Smaller spoons and stuff that are tipped with something seem to get the smaller ones. Just from my experience.  When you're pulling 7-9" smelt out of 28-30" lakers you know they like em big!!

Stuck with the smaller spoons since there aren't many monsters in Crystal I don't think. None that wanted to bite when we were there anyways.

[VTMatt]

Stuck with the smaller spoons since there aren't many monsters in Crystal I don't think. None that wanted to bite when we were there anyways.

Even the 18" put up a decent fight though!