Go-to plastic baits

[Wapiti406]

What's everybody's go-to when it comes to plastic/rubber lures?  I've done well with Gulp Minnows in the summer but have never gotten them to produce on the hard-water.  I have decent success with the classic twister-tail grub for trout when I'm not using maribou jigs.  Perch, walleye and pike remain a mystery to me altogether because I live in Anaconda, but I have caught perch on tiny tube jigs from time to time.

Thoughts?

[meandcuznalfy]

I use crappie fluke and have great success on perch and walleye open water and through the ice, wax wiggler tail on a small jig work well also.

[Wapiti406]

Awesome.  I've never seen the wax wigglers but they look like they'd get some kokanee on Georgetown.  I'll be acquiring some shortly! 

[meandcuznalfy]

Yes, both work on salmon too.

[bassin140]

Check out beaver tail bait. They are pretty durable like a plastic and super active in the water but you get the meat part from them. If you keep them in fridge they last a long time. I am still using some from 3 years ago. Down to my last pack so I just ordered few more packs the other day.

[mtgrant]

If they glow, they are a go!

[RuralMT]

Maggots and wax worms   

All joking aside, I tend to use live bait throughout most of the season. Perhaps it's a confidence thing, but they seem to produce better for me. I typically switch to maggot-like soft plastics during late ice when it seems like they'll bite anything and I'm looking for durability and not having to rebait constantly.

[Wapiti406]

Maggots and wax worms   

All joking aside, I tend to use live bait throughout most of the season. Perhaps it's a confidence thing, but they seem to produce better for me. I typically switch to maggot-like soft plastics during late ice when it seems like they'll bite anything and I'm looking for durability and not having to rebait constantly.

For most of my life my entire bait portfolio consisted of maggots and white shoepeg corn.  They still always come with me and the have a permanent spot in the refrigerator door.  Just broadening my horizons.

[zcm_82]

The little .75" Powerbait Fry work really well for me at times, not so great others. I cut about half the head off to stick them on a 2mm jig. They work fine as-is on 3mm.

The little Atom Micros catch fish too, but they aren't durable enough to be worth the cost to me. Seems like they just get ripped off the hook a lot more than the Powerbait.

Gulp waxies have been my go-to for panfish a few seasons now. I don't even bother buying live wax worms anymore.

[mt-mike]

one inch gulp minnows on a rattle spoon one on each point of the hook. works great for everything.

[Wapiti406]

Good advice all around!  Per one of the suggestions I bought a few packs of Beavertail Bait and I'm pretty stoked about them. Haven't been used yet but there are plans in the works!  The action of the longer leech strips is crazy!