Bait on lures?

[cityfishin]

I'm trying more lures this year vs. hook and minnow fishing. Any clues on what you tip your swimming lures or vertical jigs with? I've heard that swimming lures don't get tipped or you should use only a minnow head on the bottom treble hook. I have heard plastics work on the tail hook too. It seems to me that bait throws off the swimming action. The vertical jigs get tipped with minnow head or something? I'm totally confused. Help.

[Polar]

I always tip my jigs(ants,shrimpo's,teardrops ect) with some sort of bait.Waxies,spikes,mousey's. The biggers jigs like pimples,Crippled herrings,rapala's I use a minnow or part of one.

[iceintheveins]

With the occasional exception of swimming lures for twighlight walleyes, lures really must be tipped with bait at all times to work well. For trout I will use nightcrawler pieces. For panfish, I will use maggots, mealies, waxies, or crawler pieces. For lakers I will use either cut sucker, carp, or anchovy meat. Pike and cats call for whole dead baitfish or pieces if you are jigging for them. Tipping a swimming lure is more difficult because the action can be thrown off, but the smallest minnow head you can find works wonders if you properly balance it.

Tyler

[cityfishin]

Thanks guys- Do you bait the swimming Rapala's on the treble hook? I removed the front hook cause I've heard you can catch it on the edge of the hole and lose the fish. Has anyone used those amino powders that you can dip you lure into? That seems to be a good thing to give the lure more attraction without changing the swimming action. I've also heard that plastics can work well to give the lure a realistic quiver. Thoughts?

[Polar]

Thanks guys- Do you bait the swimming Rapala's on the treble hook? I removed the front hook cause I've heard you can catch it on the edge of the hole and lose the fish.

I have never cut off the side hooks on a Rapala,and yes I have loss fish because it catches the hole.Yes I bait the treble hook. I know guys that never bait and do well with them. It's more of a preference thing,try it both ways and see what works for you.

[Jigmaster]

I always use bait on my lures. The key is don't over do it or it will affect the action of the lure. I always check the action after putting bait on and before sending it down deep. Scent is a very important factor. Fish eyes work very well as they are long lasting and full of scent and oil.

[baginwal]

I always tip my jigs(ants,shrimpo's,teardrops ect) with some sort of bait.Waxies,spikes,mousey's. The biggers jigs like pimples,Crippled herrings,rapala's I use a minnow or part of one.

Cityfishin:  I agree with polar:  Always tip my jigs with mousies or spikes and when the bite gets tough, I use "old reliable"..........a perch eye!   Try it, it may save the day!

[TroutFishingBear]

I always tip my jigs(ants,shrimpo's,teardrops ect) with some sort of bait.Waxies,spikes,mousey's. The biggers jigs like pimples,Crippled herrings,rapala's I use a minnow or part of one.

Cityfishin:  I agree with polar:  Always tip my jigs with mousies or spikes and when the bite gets tough, I use "old reliable"..........a perch eye!   Try it, it may save the day!

ditto for panfish
One thing for lakers, you always have to tip with them if you are using tubes. Never seen anybody get a hit without doing so. But you don't want to tip it too much, just a small square of sucker or better yet about a 1" sucker minnow hooked through just below the dorsal fin.

[ButchT]

Spikes for gills, mousees for perch, chunks of cut up minnows for smelt, and when I clean smelt I save the heads.  You can't beat smelt heads on jigging spoons for lakers, walleyes and pike.

[NAD42]

Up until 2 years ago, I never tipped my pimples while jigging for lakers, always used the 'juice'...but the past 2 seasons I have been tipping them pimps' with 1/2 an icicle and the results aren't too shabby. Too bad you can't tip them with smelt on THE KING!!

[kingfshr16]

For me, its spikes on all my panfish jigs, when laker fishing i add an icicle or a salted shiner. I have actually caught some on night crawlers as well.