which motion to use for plastics?

[sparky]

Never used plastics much before and tried a few times but never had any luck with them.  Even when the gills were committing suicide I would throw down a platic and wouldn't get hits, baack to maggots and fish.   SO the question is what  # test line  do you use and what type of motion do you inpart to the plastic.  A lift and drop or a shimmy and shake motion or none at all? 

[Swift]

2# max. Movement depends on what you're trying to imitate. For me it's very little if any, put it in their face and quiver it in place. Believe the overall size is the key with plastics. One needs to imitate the size and shape of whatever they're into at the moment. Don't believe one can go to small but being to large is easy to do and often will only invite curiosity, not a bite. Fish very clear waters with my 45* hanging nymph(ish) offerings being fairly dark in color. Horizontal presentations colors are usually close to the same basic forage minnow for the water except at night when everything leans towards glowing Red. See size, shape and subtle presentation as much more important than color in general

[fishin machine]

I find that the most effective movement for me is to slowly drop to just above the fish, then shimmy in place. Sometime a pause, sometimes not.
The only thing that does not work for me, is to raise it away from the fish.
I use a 4 or 5 mm tungsten with most plastics and am not trying to match anything.
I will most often get bigger fish than the average, and more fish than average on a tough bite.
This is just my results.

[sparky]

Thanks for the info.   I may be using to big of a palstic 1 1/2"-2".  Usually on a 1/64 or 1 /32 jig head.

[UFCreel]

I use whips exclusively. Fish them from just under the ice to the bottom. At times they want it pounded other times no movement at all. Its a try and see thing.

[TeeBugg]

2# for me. Basically drop down an shimmy it. I let the fish dictate what they want and usually switch it up if need be

[Cotacatchers]

Whips for me too.   I'm making ( pouring plastics ) my own now.  Have a 1 1/2 inch mold but will cut em to shorten if needed.   Using a super soft formula doesn't take much movement if any to make em move like crazy

[nocod]

I am a ripper,rip it up let it fall,repeat,when the fish show up,bottom fishing with a little wiggle of the bait.

[hardwater diehard]

Good read ...page two really gets into the meat and potatoes


http://www.in-fisherman.com/panfish/fishing-for-panfish/

[wicane07]

that was an excellent article!

[hardwater diehard]

that was an excellent article!

I have been playing with plastics a lil the last couple years but never stuck to it enough to have full confidence . During the summer while setting up some topics for the SENY pre season gathering ...kicked across some articles and a member posted this

http://www.in-fisherman.com/panfish/the-clear-connection-for-panfish-lures/

and that really got me started in some heavy reading on plastics.

[Kevin23]

Well it depends on the plastic really. But for MOST, here's how I do it

2 or 3 pound sufix ice magic. I use 3# when targeting crappies because we catch a lot of bass as well.

Drill drill drill until I find some fish. When I see them down there I drop the plastic down and let it free fall. If I see the fish rising for it I'll stop it and hold it still. If they slow down I'll start shaking the rod tip a little bit, which almost always gets them to commit. If they don't rise on it on the initial drop, I let it fall until it is about a foot above the highest fish and start jigging it. Just make the lure dance around erratically until a fish responds and starts coming up for it. I keep doing it while raising up the rod to make the fish follow the jig, then when I can see he is wanting the jig I pause it. When I pause it, they will usually suck it in. If not I start over with the same fish and work him until he leaves. If they don't do it on the first "play" then they probably won't do it at all, sometimes they do though. This is called "working the fish". If I work 3 or 4 fish and they don't commit then I change lures or plastics until I get one. If it turns out to be a tiny bluegill (usually is) then I move. Usually decent fish will slam the bait when you drop it down, they don't mess around.

When I catch a few fish and know they are hitting a certain plastic, then I don't change. If I find some fish that just won't do it, I move until I find some "good fish". Probably why I drill 50-75 holes a day. 

Plastics fishing is not something you do without a flasher, and it is not something you do "camping" in one spot. Its a hole hopping game.

If you have a fish tank or a big glass bowl, fill it up and check out how your lures react with different movements of the rod tip. I can't tell you how to move your rod, that's something you have to learn with experience (insert dirty joke here).

[italianice77]

kevin 23 is right... you got to have a flasher to see what movements the fish prefer for that day and time, and you got to move to find the most active fish. It also depends on what fish you are trying to catch. I know that crappies can be pretty fussy with with how a bait looks and acts.....the key is to try different things.