Blue gill bait

[walliceman]

Hey guys,

Just joined the site and what i fine one for hardwater it is! Anyways until i can get my walleye jigging rod im stuck with an ultra light rod with 4 pound line. So heres my question, what bait should i start out with wax worms, maggots, mousees? I need some advise. also maybe jiggin methods ive never actually targeted sunfish but i just wanna know.

-Evan

[Hard_H2O]

Check out Custom Jigs & Spins. They have many fine panfish jigs. The smaller rat finkee and the smaller demon are great for gills.

[walliceman]

Im talking livebait, so i tip my jigs.

-Evan

[Cooley]

I started out with mousees,fished with them for a few
years,then went to wax worms ,thats all I use now.
I have been ice fishing for gills for about 16 years now.
boy, how time flys.................g ood luck

[Exudedude]

I have found that eurolarvae or maggots work the best.. and they color them so you can change color!... they hold up reather well and are easy to keep alive as well!

[BlackIce]

Haven't tried eurolarvae do Waxies it is for me.  I tried spikes a few times last year and was not impressed.

[GatorSlayer]

If you can get your hands on it, you may want to pick up some Chena Bait. It's a strip of fatty tissue rolled up for storage purposes. When you want to fish it, cut a strip off about 3/4 to 1" long and 1/8" wide and hook it near one of the ends. This bait will stay on your hook FOREVER, LITERALLY! It is possible to catch over 50 fish on one strip of bait, and it seems the longer the bait is used, the better it gets. For those of you that go about twice to three times a week, one container could last you the whole season. Does this bait gaurantee fish? Absolutely not, but when fish turn away from your grubs and mousies, it sure is nice to have another option to drop down the hole. It comes in a case about the size of a half dollar, so it is easy to pack and bring along every time out.

[DaFish]

Hey Gatorslayer  in what state do you get this chena bait in?  I live in Illinois and would like to find some.  Do you know of a mail order place that I can get it?  Thanks

[ZachSchuler]

I use spikes and wax worms. They seem to equally catch fish. Spikes are a lot tougher though. Sometimes I can catch 50 fish on the same 2 spikes. Whereas waxworms usually only last 1 fish.

[GatorSlayer]

I get mine at a local bait shop in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Here's the info off the card:

Southway Enterprises
P.O. Box 383
Markesan, WI 53946
Phone: (920) 398-3791

Give the number a try, maybe you could work something out in terms of shipping. You should only need 1 container a year, but this stuff lasts for ever if keep air-tight, cool, and ever so slightly moist. It will literally last for years.

[DaFish]

Thanks GatorSlayer

[ButchT]

A recent thread on another icefishing site I belong to had a lot of good things to say about small strips of raw chicken skin.  
One member brought up the danger of salmonella.  Another said keep your fingers out of your mouth, you don't get sick from maggot juice, do you?  Just something to think about.
One member said he cut the strips about 3/16 x 3/8 in advance and soaked them in the oil or water tuna fish comes packed in, then kept them in small pill bottles.  I'm going to try some different scents (anise oil, cod liver oil, commercial scents, etc.) and food coloring, as well.
Apparently, chicken skin works better when a hot bite is on than when fish are in a neutral or negative mood, and it softens and the action gets better as more fish are caught on it.  It is very tough and stays on the hook and lasts a long time.
I have used thin strips cut from colored balloons with some success in the past.  Try different colors; when using the balloon strips I usually tipped with grub baits of some type.
I read somewhere since last ice season about using nightcrawler scented Smelly Jelly so I bought some.  I'll try it this winter.
Anybody else got some "off the wall" ideas?  Don't hesitate to post them here.....he--, I'll try (most) anything once!!!

[Pop]

I have always had good luck with strips of chamois.  I cut small triangles about 3/4" long and a little less than 1/4" at the widest part.  New chamois seem to work best.  Any of the fish oils, with a touch of garlic, and put them in a small jar.  There have been times these strips would out fish live bait.  I have some I dyed red and they work great.  The longer you have them on the hook the softer they get.  The softer they are the more action they have.

Pop

[acsacmboy]

spikes or mouseies

[icehoe]

maggot juice?
  I have  14 and 16 year old sons, one night after watching fear factor they both ate a couple of spikes and they did not get sick.  

[acsacmboy]

tasty lil buggerz if you try

[gofish seven]

For perch crappies and........bluegills.. .....i sometimes use perch bellies cut into 1/8 inch strips however long you want cured in water and salt.  A small bottle of cured strips will last a lifetime.  They have paid off when even live minnows didn't get a hit.  Just another thing to try.

[Melbs7]

how much water to how much salt? or does it really matter?



Melbs              

[Bobberstop]

My favorite is golden rod grubs a little work gathering them and more work getting the little buggers out but they do catch fish

[acsacmboy]

perch bellies? ill have to try that next time. hopefully they will get the fish motivated. i think if you salt minows or perch bellies  the salt is almost like an attractantused salted minnows for walleyes and it seemed to help than regualr minnows.

[reelcharacter]

Anyone ever try the fish roe from spring caught fish?

-reelcharacter

[Big E]

When using spikes...what size hooks are normally used and how do you put it on the hook? Do you just hook through the body or fill the hook so the tip is not exposed? Thanks.. Big E

[wny angler]

Anyone ever try the fish roe from spring caught fish?

-reelcharacter

not me,but my grandfather used to dip the roe in breadcrumbs and fry it up--said it was delicious

[mod_auger]

I once heard on in-fisherman radio to use pieces of a crayfish's tail. I guess you are supposed to peel off the "plates" on the tail and cut the meat into small squares. I'm thinking that this tactic was for open water fishing, but it may work in the hardwater period as well. Just a thought......

[walleyeslayer]

i fish with waxworms.  anything will work, try this.  get a small firetiger jigging rapalla, tip the treble with a fresh waxworm, and move around alot.  i absolutely killed the gills with that last winter.  just wiggle the rap around vigorously, and raise it up slowly.  there were times i would go out to my favorite gill lake, and all id take was that one bait, and a bunch of waxworms.  sometimes a pike will hit it though, buy 2

[peple of the perch]

 does that salt cure work for the eyes to
 

[Swift]

Quit using live bait a few years ago. Been going with the Berkley line of artificials and they work as well or better than live bait on my waters placed on jamminjigs bobber fry. 1" mini tubes and for the shellcrackers some 1 1/2" plastic craws with some scent on them work very well.

[walleyeslayer]

Quit using live bait a few years ago. Been going with the Berkley line of artificials and they work as well or better than live bait on my waters placed on jamminjigs bobber fry. 1" mini tubes and for the shellcrackers some 1 1/2" plastic craws with some scent on them work very well.

ill have to try those.  ive tried plastics, heard how well they work, only seemed like an exercise in frustration to me.  what kind of scent do you use?

[Swift]

Walleyeslayer - Been using the same stuff you would use during the summer for bass ie: fish formula, Dr. Juice etc. Picked up some new(?) stuff called Scent Paste by Kodiak. Designed to fill tube jigs and supposedly 100% nutural and needing no refridgeration. Could be interesting this winter, picked it up in minnow, nightcrawler and crawfish.   www.kastaway.com/Fishing_Products.cfm

[walleyeslayer]

thanks ill try that.  i hate having to change my baits after every fish