How to fish/present spoons or other artificial bait

[sr73087]

I have been ice fishing a few years now, but I have never used artificial baits (other than jig head tipped with spikes or wax worms). I typically have relied on live bait on tip ups. I am looking to throw a few new techniques in this winter and wanted some advice on how to fish/present spoons or other artificial baits. 

[lefty2053]

Well I have been using for the last 3 Years some Berkley Power Bait worms for trout. They are 3" long each but I tear off about 1" and place it on my hooks. Fish love it and once they hit it seem to want more. Last Thursday I caught 23 Trout with it on my Slender spoon. I double hooked it with one end on one hook and the other end on another hook of the treble.

Here is the exact one I was using.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Berkley-Powerbait-FLOATING-3-trout-worm-green-chartreuse-/280770787833?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415f3e39f9

They are sold at Walmart . You get 10 3" worms which is equal to 30 pieces. I used 3 Pieces to catch all those 23 Trout. I have had Perch ,Trout,Crappie,Pike,Blue Gills and even suckers hit it.

[IceBalls]

You've asked a real tough question there.......because there's no real single answer!!!  It all depends on what the fish want that day.  Some guys keep a jig moving constantly until a fish hits.  Some will jig - jig - jig, then stop for a few seconds and wait for a bite.  Some days the fish just want you to keep the jig absolutely still.  Personally, I like to jig a few times and then stop.....works for me.  Each time you go fishing, you will have to try all of these methods to see what the fish want to hit at that particular time.   It just takes patience and practice. The best aid you could have is a flasher.....that will show you the fish's reaction to what you are doing.  Also....if the fish are  not hitting your jig.....try a different color, or size, or pattern.  Sooner or later it will all come together!!!

[icejunky]

if you are able to use more then one rod in your area, a good way to test the fish is to set-up a dead stick rod and jig next to it. you will quickly see what the fish are looking for.

As for spoon techniques, I like to start off by dropping the spoon, letting it make contact with the bottom, then giving it a few rips. After that it is shorter jigging motion with pauses and softly twitching the rod on the pause. Do you use a flasher or a camera? both of these help improve  your techniques as you can actually see when it works or does not work

[lefty2053]

Most of the time I pay attention to the drop. I will drop a few feet and pause. Then a little more and pause. Finally get to the bottom and pause. Most of my hits are right at the pause. If I find the hit comes at the bottom of the hole I will then pull up the jig/Spoon with out cranking. I can pull it up 12-15 feet without cranking by just pulling line in one hand and raising the rod up. Then I just let it drop to the bottom (1 or 2 feet from bottom) and pause. Catch more fish repeating this than just leaving it at the bottom of the hole and jigging. Of course this also works if you have 30 feet of water and you are fishing in the top 15 feet. 15 feet would then become the bottom of the drop.

[surflizard]

If I see fish coming up to a jig, I try to tease them and lift it away from them, even the light biters get aggravated and hit it most times !

[Husker95]

x2 what IceJunky said.  Here in Colorado we can have 2 rods.  When my 10 yr old boy is with me, I will put 2 deadstick rods, with various color small jigs & waxies, in holders outside the hut with bells on them.  Inside the hut, i like to actively jig larger tube jigs (2.5 inch or so) kastmasters, small bucktails or plastics.  Some guys i know will also throw out a jigging machine with an attractor (no hooks) to try to bring them into the area.  We're mostly going after rainbows in 12 ft of water or less.

Husker

[sr73087]

So typically you are jigging a spoon, almost like a jig ? What about crank baits or panther martin spinners ? Is there anyway to fish these ? I will likely be targeting a variety of fish over the season, so any info would be helpful.

[lefty2053]

Panther Martins,hmm, don't think so. Kastmasters,Swedish Pimple,Thomas Bouyents and Cyclones maybe. Even a Airplane jig.

[dabluz]

If you are fishing for brook trout or rainbow trout, I would say that anything within reason will work fine.  I've tried all kinds of lures and they all work.....if there are trout under your ice hole.  Yes....Panther Martins work just fine.  Don't jig them but just twitch them.  Blade and body colour does not seem to matter.  I have had just as much luck with the yellow body and silver blade as I've had with the orange body and black blade.

My favourite lure is a flutter spoon.  Suttons seem to work the best for me.  I even use them in open water and up to 50 feet deep in a nearby river.  The trout hug the bottom in the deepest part of the river in order to get out of the current.  With 4 lb mono, the Sutton reaches bottom exactly where the current is the lightest.....if I position my canoe just right.  I then just twitch it close to bottom.

In any event, use the thinest, clearest mono you can find.  I use 2 to 4 lb test Berkley Sensation (clear).  Do not add any hardware except maybe a small high quality swivel/snap like a Sampo to prevent line twist.

[sr73087]

So you don't reel it at all while presenting it ?

[sr73087]

bump

[Idahogator]

bump

Howdy SR, Maybe videos might help you. There are many to be viewed at PKLures and even though they may be targeting fish very different from what you're after, the various techniques will give you some new ideas. Some are good and another might be ho-hum. Testimonials are also informative and flutter spoons were mentioned above, but from a different manufacturer.
 No bait or scent need be used with a few of these, as they are finely tuned and balanced. 

              Just scroll down a bit for a list of the vids.     Good luck.

           http://www.pklures.com/index.php?main_page=videos&zenid=3ah9hghgmc3mgd9t7vo87kika6

[slipperybob]

Since the discussion is very broad and generalized, it comes down to the lure type.  They all have their uniqueness and each has certain techniques that goes along with them.  It goes like vertical vs horizontal presentations and everything else in between them.  In addition to how the lures flutters or planes or simply just jiggle in place imparted by one's hand.  There's hard plastic lures, metal lures, and the typical lead body lures to exotic tungsten lures.

The assortments of soft plastics out there can also be daunting.  Since how one threads a hook through a soft plastic can affect the presentation technique.  One can put a little plastic on just about any lure.

Other additional terminal tackles like snap swivels, beads, or spinner blades can also alter your presentation.  Swivels can reduce line twists that cause unwanted lure spins.  One of the most simple and effective ways is to use a spoon as an attractor and weight with another small jig or plain hook attached on a leader to the spoon.