question about a certain kind of bite

[NEK]

This is probably old hat to you folks who have been at this for a long time - but I don't know how to handle this sort of thing yet as I am just getting started jigging. Quite often - the slight bend that is in my rod tip from the weight of the jig, will suddenly jump up - and I know it's a perch bite - but when I set the hook the fish is always already gone. Is this what you guys call an up- bite? and is there any way that you know of that  I can change my set up to let me catch these up biters? I don't use a spring bobber - just a light tip ice blue jigging rod. I also don't want to deal with a camera set up - so, if a camera is the only answer then I will just have to keep missing those bites. I use light mono line with a lot of stretch, and I was thinking maybe some sort of ice type braided line would help? I am not at all familiar with spring bobbers and don't know if one of them would make a difference or not. Any help would be greatly appreciated as these missed bites drive me crazy on days when they do it a lot.
  Thanks in advance

[WalleyeTom]

I hand jig with a 4 -6 lb. mono line.  Then I can feel the light biters.

[Bout-Time]

This is probably old hat to you folks who have been at this for a long time - but I don't know how to handle this sort of thing yet as I am just getting started jigging. Quite often - the slight bend that is in my rod tip from the weight of the jig, will suddenly jump up - and I know it's a perch bite - but when I set the hook the fish is always already gone. Is this what you guys call an up- bite? and is there any way that you know of that  I can change my set up to let me catch these up biters? I don't use a spring bobber - just a light tip ice blue jigging rod. I also don't want to deal with a camera set up - so, if a camera is the only answer then I will just have to keep missing those bites. I use light mono line with a lot of stretch, and I was thinking maybe some sort of ice type braided line would help? I am not at all familiar with spring bobbers and don't know if one of them would make a difference or not. Any help would be greatly appreciated as these missed bites drive me crazy on days when they do it a lot.
  Thanks in advance

Give some floro a try, there is far less stretch and coiling to slow down the reaction time.

I love the Asso Ice Heavy 2 & 3lb test in brown color.

[Swift]

Are you using a sinker or swivel? Often fish (big and small) in a neutral mood will suck on them. Agree totally on ASSO  line, use the Micron 3 in 2# for most all pannie situations, sinks like rock and stays straight. Mono has a bad habit of being slightly coiled and bouyant, even if it doesn't look like it, fish is long gone before you can tell. Get yourself into using an adjustable, highly sensitive spring bobber. The more options one has to deal with any type bite will help alot. You can still be a sight fishing, line watcher and feeler with the bobber set ultra sensitively. Usually set the bobber to be on the verge of being overloaded, easily picks up the rising takes and still have the other options for the other types 

[Skipper]

The answer to the frustrating bite is the Marmish. The most sensitive spring bobber I have ever used combined with the ability to set the hook lightning fast results in more fish on the ice.

Fluro is not for everyone, I use quality 2lb mono.

sharp hooks?

[surflizard]

I really have cut down on the missed neutral bites by using the Lakco spring bobbers ! They are less then a dollar apiece and they are retractable and you don't have to cut the line to unthread it from the springbobber ! They are quick and easy to install and remove on all types of jigging rods !:thumbsup:

[NEK]

Thanks guys - I will sure give those lakco spring bobbers a go next season. I like the line I am using and don't think that is the problem. I use a fairly heavy - Lake Champlain Bibbit and always figured it would be too heavy for a spring bobber. I just thought the spring bobbers were for the real light jigs. I'm also starting to think, that all those weird bites that I was so sure were perch, were actually smelt hitting the spikes. The perch usually hit those big bibbits pretty hard and there is not any doubt. I am also making up a couple of new rods to try next season. Man - this is sure fun - aint it?

[slipperybob]

Sometimes it's just the fish pecking at the bait.  Little perch and smelt are notorious for that.  Other fish I've encounter that have done that are also rock bass and crappie.  Call it the negative mood or something.

[NEK]

Sometimes it's just the fish pecking at the bait.  Little perch and smelt are notorious for that.  Other fish I've encounter that have done that are also rock bass and crappie.  Call it the negative mood or something.

I think you might have nailed it there bob. It usually happens right after a hot Perch bite slows down. I can see there are still fish down there on my Lowrance - but can't tell what kind they are. There's lots of little perch and loads of smelt but have never seen a rock bass or Crappie in this lake.

[slipperybob]

Sometimes I check for the weight of the fish or the weightlessness of the lure after like a 10 second delay. 

[Skipper]

A size 14 jig with a single spike will usually teach the little pesky bait stealers a lesson!  

[NEK]

A size 14 jig with a single spike will usually teach the little pesky bait stealers a lesson!

;)Thanks Skipper - but if they are that little I don't want to catch them. Besides - it takes too long to get a little jig like that down to the fish. I never use a small jig like that in over 10 ft of water and 10 ft is really stretching it - it's usually more like 4 or 5 ft.

[slipperybob]

Some of my biggest panfish caught are from the smallest of jigs at times.  Weights of 1/80th oz and taking like 30 seconds or so to get down 30 feet.  Not that I've actually timed it.  The other thing is sometimes I will put a barrel swivel on the line to help with the sink rate.  Where legal, there's always the double jigs on the line.  That and the fly reel set up.  Just something to keep in mind, when nothing is catching them.

[Skipper]

Same here... my biggest sunfish and crappie have come off itty bitty jigs that fall painfully slow. I think the slow fall is a trigger!
 

Perch are a different story though, at least for me. Sometimes little jigs only catch little perch.

[NEK]

  Come to think of it - on the one or two occasions I have tried the tiny jigs in about 18 ft of water - I did catch some really big perch on them, but the sink time was so slow it didn't get back down soon enough to hold the perch like a heavier jig would do, so I went back to the bibbit.
  Just a thought here, but have you ever tried a drop shot type rig to get the jig down faster and have better feel and control? You would have to experiment on the best way to tie the jig to the line, either direct to the main line or with a short dropper loop. I'm going to give it a try next year - hurry up ice for cryin out loud!!!!!

[Skipper]

I fished a #14 jig in 45 feet of water and was rewarded with the biggest crappies of my life last winter. You need to learn patience!

[NEK]

Skipper - I'm 74 yrs. old and I probably have all the patience I will ever have and besides - at my age, I may not even live long enough for a # 14 jig to get to bottom in even 30 ft of water.
  By the way - what brand and weight of line do you use, that a #14 jig will straighten out enough to telegraph a bite in water that deep. I'm using Berkley Micro Ice Solar in 4# test and like it a lot, It  never broke once all season. I would like to find a braid that is that limp - I would switch over if I could find one.

[jeffro9023]

Skipper - I'm 74 yrs. old and I probably have all the patience I will ever have and besides - at my age, I may not even live long enough for a # 14 jig to get to bottom in even 30 ft of water.
  By the way - what brand and weight of line do you use, that a #14 jig will straighten out enough to telegraph a bite in water that deep. I'm using Berkley Micro Ice Solar in 4# test and like it a lot, It  never broke once all season. I would like to find a braid that is that limp - I would switch over if I could find one.

2lb will do the trick for ya

[NEK]

I fished a #14 jig in 45 feet of water and was rewarded with the biggest crappies of my life last winter. You need to learn patience!

  I guess every body has different priorities - My philosophy is - get your jig in the fish catching zone as quickly as possible. To me - all that time waiting for a light jig to sink is time wasted that you could be catching fish  - which by the way, is why I am out there in the cold in the first place. But - like I said, everyone of us is different. There are lots of guys I know who fly fish and most of them would rather spend time frigging around with their equipment than actually catching fish. I quit fly fishing years ago and still have a closet full of very nice fly rods and flies of all kinds that I will never use again. To me, it's just a big PIA, but to others - it's the only way to fish and I respect that.

[Swift]

A #14/16 Tungsten jig on 2# florou gets deep in a hurry when compared to a #12 tin solder or even lead jig using 2# mono. Just need to adapt to the application at hand, each has its place, learn to take advantage of them.

[Bout-Time]

A #14/16 Tungsten jig on 2# florou gets deep in a hurry when compared to a #12 tin solder or even lead jig using 2# mono. Just need to adapt to the application at hand, each has its place, learn to take advantage of them.

Exactly Swift.

A tungsten jig on 2lb floro is quick sinking, cant really go wrong.

[NEK]

This is my first year back at Ice fishing since about 1970 or so, and I had never even heard of tungsten jigs till I came on this site and I still don't have any - at risk of sounding totally ignorant - are they actually that much heavier and worth the extra money?

[Bout-Time]

This is my first year back at Ice fishing since about 1970 or so, and I had never even heard of tungsten jigs till I came on this site and I still don't have any - at risk of sounding totally ignorant - are they actually that much heavier and worth the extra money?

Hell yes, I think so anyways,

Smaller profile, sinks faster, not in danger of being illegal to use.

[WalleyeTom]

I have some Fiska's.

Who are some other makers and suppliers?

[Bout-Time]

Custom Jigs & Spins usually has them WT, but it looks like they are in the middle of re-stocking their inventory.

[Swift]

https://www.sportsmensdirect.com/store/index.php?cPath=23_68_64&osCsid=def07847abf2f3dc38d2d1b4e9e97d38                                http://www.anglersmart.com/index.php?cPath=25&osCsid=cacb5bb3d0b55941d6a792a8b59c695d      http://www.customjigsandspins.com/icefishing/tungsten_jigs.html             Not bad at all and in the lower end of the price scale for Tungstens

[DaveSS1]

Ive used Fiskas, Bentleys, Custom with good success.  Dont be afraid to use the smaller sized ones as they can be deadly some days.

[WalleyeTom]

Thanks for the info  ....

[NEK]

Thanks for the info guys - I definitely will try a few next season.