Tipping Ice Hardbaits for Perch Question

[Speedy Turtle]

I just bought the following hardbaits: Ultra light Rippin Rap, Rapala Jiggin Rap, Northland Buckshot Rattle, and Northland Forage Minnow Spoon. Is it necessary to tip these hardbaits with something or do they fish just as well plain? Is the bait just a confidence thing? I'll be going for perch. What are the best plastics to tip these baits with? Thanks in advance

[RapShack]

Tip the jigging raps and spoons.  I prefer minnow chunks, followed by waxies, but plastics work fine when the fishing is hot.

[Hatandboots]

It probably depends on your fish's mood. I always bait for perch becuase I feel like it gives them a better target to bite. Watching them on the camera confirms th is for me, as I've seen many dumb perch eat the spoon/plastic instead of the hook. When the bait is on you can see how they focus on the bait and target that for the bite rather than the lure. This matters less for bigger fish I'd guess. Meal worms are the way to go for me.

[river_scum]

id have to believe you get more hits.  smells good must taste good

[bootstrap]

i tip spoons with an eyeball

[Bucket Rump]

I'll often fish spoons and raps bare and have success catching.  The action is the initial draw and once they're interested I've found that putting the lure right on the bottom and subtly flopping it around really gets them going in most cases.  Learned this from jigging while sight fishing in my spearing shack.

[badger132]

When they are biting, does not matter. When they are indifferent, it can be the difference. Can never go wrong with a perch eye, but you had to get the perch to get the eye so....

[slipperybob]

Have to try empty and tipped.  Some lures performs without tipping.  Some lures, are sort of dead weights and have to be tipped.

[Kevin23]

I use rippin raps empty, but tend to tip jigging spoons and the bottom treble on jiggin raps. Perch will almost always grab the bottom treble anyways, but meat gives them a good target. Be it a couple spikes or a minnow head.

[BlueDuck]

I use a jigging rap quite a bit.  I add a maggot on the treble hook. Maggots are small enough that they don't mess up the action.   

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

I usually always put a spike or two or three on a spoon, but I don't always bait a jigging rap or hardbait.  If I do I will be mindful to not hinder the inherent action that the bait is designed to have.

[filetandrelease]

 I primarily fish eyes and perch , I tip spoons and raps but  (spikes,minnow head , whole minnow or eye ball)if the bite gets hot all you have to do is just get the lure down as fast as possible , as that bite may only last a short time , when it starts to slow I have a rig already loaded and ready to go

[perch chacer]

Like already stated; spikes/maggots, waxies, minnows, minnow heads and perch eyes, are all good things to put on hardbaits.  Yes, sometimes you can catch fish without using live bait, but the majority of the time, you'll want to put a little meat on the hook.  That goes for fishing for walleyes, as well!

2X

[straightShot]

Spikes work well on treble hooks.  They stay on longer than wax worms even though they look similar from the outside.  I'll spoil the perch and bait all three hooks.  When they bite, they get hooked well.