IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
New Jersey => Ice Fishing New Jersey => Topic started by: woodworks on Jan 25, 2022, 12:00 PM
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So i am pretty raw at this ice fishing thing, was out last Friday evening and started getting lots of bites, but it was one quick tug then gone. I was fishing a Northlands tungsten jig tipped with half a superworm. And no matter how i fished it, i couldnt hook up. Went again Sunday morning and same thing, lots of quick single hits then nothing, i actually had one hang on for a few seconds but again, was gone. Most of the bites i had came when i only saw schools of baitfish passing by, could it be possible that the baitfish were nipping at the worm, or maybe small sunnies? Some of the tugs felt like decent fish, but since i couldnt hook any, i am starting to wonder.
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Probably real finicky sunfish, or dinks. If it happens again, downsize jigs and you should be able to hook into them to find out.
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Probably real finicky sunfish, or dinks. If it happens again, downsize jigs and you should be able to hook into them to find out.
Not a stupid question, first off. But I agree...that sounds exactly like those dopey (my opinion) sunfish....that's exactly what they do when I fish for Spring or Fall crappie on soft water, less so while ice fishing. I don't like them because they are little bait stealers and usually hit and nip like that when I'm after something else. However, my fishing buddy absolutely loves catching 'em. ::)
Be nice to see your location in your avatar, too...helps a lot. ;)
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I mostly fish panfish, so 3-4mm jigs are my usual, but once in a while I'll have a day where I have to go down to 2mm or micros to get hookups if they're hitting real light.
I'd lean more toward dinks, though. Even using micros, those little 2-4" sunfish are bait thieving ninjas.
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Guys, thanks for all the responses, bolsters what i was thinking. Will try downsizing the jig and see what happens, Plan on going out again this Friday, will let you know how i make out.
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Like everyone said dink sunnies or dink perch. When that happens I usually just move.
Good luck and stay safe ! :icefish:
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Try mousies, less bait makes less chance to miss
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(https://i.postimg.cc/06wVcyTS/10-D61-F30-3-D28-4744-9383-2-FAC122-A14-A6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/06wVcyTS)
(https://i.postimg.cc/21JHQZKm/A8068769-CB6-E-4-CC3-9-A29-7-E5-FF4064-ECF.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/21JHQZKm)
You were probably dealing with these monster fish !!
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Last weekend fish by me were just mouthing the baits was using vexilar to guess when it was in their mouth to hook them.Not many fish on tipups.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xqQNNjR2/0122221613.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xqQNNjR2)
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Last weekend fish by me were just mouthing the baits was using vexilar to guess when it was in their mouth to hook them.Not many fish on tipups.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xqQNNjR2/0122221613.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xqQNNjR2)
At this point, i would be happy with those fish, unforunately, my lake doesnt have perch. Just crappies, bass, sunnies and catfish.
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At this point, i would be happy with those fish, unforunately, my lake doesnt have perch. Just crappies, bass, sunnies and catfish.
Just?! I'll be right over! ;D :icefish:
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I would swap out those super worms for some wax worms, the smaller softer bodies seem to help with the hookup. You can normally get 50 of them at petsmart for $5
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Got out last night, saw very few fish on the graph, which kind of surprised me. But my nephew did hook up a small sunny, so hopefully on the right track, Probably going to give it another go later this afternoon.
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Does anyone try using those mini sunnies for live bait on a tip up? I would think they might be good.
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I don’t believe they are considered a baitfish.
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I would swap out those super worms for some wax worms, the smaller softer bodies seem to help with the hookup. You can normally get 50 of them at petsmart for $5
I agree
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I've used fry sunfish for muskie and pike bait in warm weather. i've had some attacks and have retrieved Scaled and tooth scared bait, no hook ups. We used to cut the points off of the dorsal fin too for the injured bait fish effect. It could work for ice fishing but you wanna be rigged up for big toothy fish.
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I don't like those super worms. my experience with them is trout fishing and they were a disappointment. I found that they don't hold up in cold water and have a tendency to have their back ends bitten off or break off due to hook penetration. I'd stick with waxies and the large size meal worm or the smaller ones. All of them work great.
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Sunnys are baitfish epically down south.Theyre like candy to big blu and flatheaf catfish.Used on passaic river for pike as well.
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LM bass seem to like them also, at least in our local slate quarries.
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LM bass seem to like them also, at least in our local slate quarries.
Agreed, we use to net them in a local pond for bass bait. I believe because they are classified as a panfish, you can only have in possession whatever the limit is for the full sized fish (25)?