nightcrawlers

[Gills4me]

took the dog out last nite yard was loaded with them i couldnt believe it whens the earliest you had them?

[Uppervalley Kid]

I've been playing with the idea of jigging a trolling setup using a night crawler and slow death hook. Gonna use more crawlers in my ice fishing offerings this year.

[SirCranksalot]

Have you tried them with lakers. I intend to if we ever get any ice

[Seamonkey84]

Tipping a jig or spoon with them works for just about anything. I almost exclusively use worms on my tipups when targeting trout (bows and brookies). It works vey well for them but that’s about it, haven’t caught anything else with them on traps.

[Iceassin]

Tipping a jig or spoon with them works for just about anything. I almost exclusively use worms on my tipups when targeting trout (bows and brookies). It works vey well for them but that’s about it, haven’t caught anything else with them on traps.

What size/type of hook do you use for the Bows and how deep do you typically target/fish them? I have a lake near me that has some in it that I might try...if we get some ice. 

[SirCranksalot]

Thx Seamonkey84. Now I am a bit more optimistic. Might have a bit more patience with them

[Seamonkey84]

What size/type of hook do you use for the Bows and how deep do you typically target/fish them? I have a lake near me that has some in it that I might try...if we get some ice. 

Prob a 6 or so  for most fish in my area.  I mostly catch and release, and I’ve switched to circle hooks.  circle hooks are sized to the fish. Bows I catch are usually 14-20”, and I use size 1 or 2, smaller fish like stocked brookies I use 4 or 6.

I set my lines in shallow coves, or along weed lines in 5ft or less of water and pretty much just hang the worm within a foot under the ice.

[Miles59]

Tipping a jig or spoon with them works for just about anything. I almost exclusively use worms on my tipups when targeting trout (bows and brookies). It works vey well for them but that’s about it, haven’t caught anything else with them on traps.

Seamonkey - do you put the crawlers on a bare hook under tipups?  Or on a jig?

[Iceassin]

Seamonkey - do you put the crawlers on a bare hook under tipups?  Or on a jig?

Answered above. 

[Miles59]

Answered above. 

Oops 

[albo]

I use a lot of crawlers ice fishing in Montana. If I am being inundated with small perch, I upsize the jig, tip it with a chunk of crawler instead of a maggot and hold it about a foot off the bottom. The smaller perch don't usually come up after it. For ling fishing with tip-ups I use a heavy jig with cut bait on the bottom and a couple feet up I use a crawler harness in perch colors. this setup has given me multiple doubles and many tangles. Spent a few hours last night fixing a couple that were too close together and ended up pushing one under the ice and pulling it to the other hole.