What are your guys go-to bait when tipping jigs?

[davedel23]

I've only been ice fishing a few times, and only ever used tip ups. I've never really jogged for anything. I bought a few new rods this year and want to give it a try. I bought a few small jigs and Swedish pimples, but what else do I need to know? What do you guys tip the jigs with also? Thanks.

[Indiana_Lou]

Dave, I generally like wax worms but they do get bit off easier than maggots. So sometimes I may put both or at least include one maggot on one of the hooks. Something I've never tried but think would work would be from the frozen food section, either shrimp or squid cut in to strips. It would have a good fishy odor and would stay on the hook really well. We use a lot of the cut-up squid for flounder down at the ocean in the summer.    Lou

[Jason120]

Squid works great for catching creek chubs for bait. They love the stuff. Trout also seem to like it. Never had luck with it for panfish though. I'd imagine it would be good for catfish cause it really stinks.

[captain54]

Dave learn to finesse fish,no bait needed, jigs lead or tungsten with plastic,Ratso's, Malki, spiki,any of the typical plastic ice baits that are small size an inch or less. I've been fishing clean plastics since 2002, you'll never look back. I always have waxies and maggots but seldom use them,I'll tip spoons but not plastics, I'll tip jigs without plastic. When you put bait on plastics the action is ruined. You be surprised at the huge crappie,perch,and gills that prefer plastics over bait. Hope this helps you out. Fast tip rods,spring bobbers are a big help. I've got probably 20 UL in the 18-24" range love my St.Croix Legends but the wicked 13 rods are tough to beat,love my Tickle Sticks.

[gardy3361]

Spikes have always worked great for me!

[Spider1]

Dave, you're new to jigging on ice. Plenty of time to learn plastics, right now I'm bettin you just wanna catch some fish for a little positive feed back. Tip 'em with wax worms. For spoons that have treble hooks, I'll catch 'em on 2 hooks so they don't fall off and it helps spread the juices more. Verticle jigs and spoons with single hooks I usually just hook them once about 1/4 of the way down from the head so the dangle some. They get bit off from time to time but they seem to get more attention. sometimes I double hook them so hey hang horizontally, works too. On horizontal jigs, I tend to thread them on like a rubber tail. Makes a mess out of them from time to time but it just gets the scent out better.

[panfishnut51]

I used either waxies gulp 1 inch minnows  n gulp minnow heads

[davedel23]

Thanks for all the help guys I'll give the plastics a try! Maybe this weekend we will have ice down by me. Went out once this year on 3 inches of ice. Not a fan of fishing on thin ice that's for sure.

[isthereiceyet89]

Dave make sure and check out contrabandbaits.com his plastics are awesome lots of sizes and profiles. I use nothing but plastics once you see how well they work you won't use bait either!

[Icemole]

 I just had a pack of Gulp wax worms shipped to Wal-mart picked them up and am - NOT HAPPY - they are TINY(about half inch long and maybe a quarter inch wide at the head)  To bad they did not give the size on the Wal-Mart site I would not have bought them 

[NEZ]

I usually start the season with wax worms and as the bite gets tough, go to maggots or mousies.  If the fish are aggressive, then I go to plastic…no sense getting your hands cold by taking the gloves off to rebait constantly.  Nez

[clayboy]

Gulp and
TriggerX

[lil maggot]

It entirely depends on what you're after. If you're going for panfish, mealworms, maggots, and waxworms would work best. If trout or bass are the target, I'd use minnows. As for larger fish such as pike and walleye, minnows and shiners work, however these would be getting too large for jigging in my opinion

[EssoxHunter]

I just had a pack of Gulp wax worms shipped to Wal-mart picked them up and am - NOT HAPPY - they are TINY(about half inch long and maybe a quarter inch wide at the head)  To bad they did not give the size on the Wal-Mart site I would not have bought them 

     I feel that if you use other "gulp alive" products, you wouldn't be worried about the shape, it's the scent and color that triggers bites. I'de say more so the scent. Crappies for one, will pass up 4 live minnows for the gulp alive minnow in the dark(5 jigging rods in a row from left to right).  I quit buying live bait to ice fish with, only use it to feed my bigger baits since gulp alive. As for plastics, wedgies, skimpies, and scented bloodworms are hard to beat   I got these glow blue kraken plastics, got hot with them one night, caught 30+ keeper crappie and bunch of misses...last season caught I think 32 crappie in a row without missing one, a 20 minute run, on one gulp alive minnow . So, these guys that talk about catching more bigger fish with plastics are absolutely right

[Chute82]

Slender spoon w/ minnow head, deadly on anything that swims
Slab grabber don't even need bait,great lure for jumbo perch
Genz worm w/maggots, great jig plus shows up great on the vex
Jigging rap with or without minnow head or maggots... you can catch just about anything that swims

[clayboy]

" once you go plastic you never go back to bait". I don't use much bait at all unless it's a dead stick. Gulp minnow in chartreuse or emerald shined. Trigger x minnow fathead color. Got some maki too. Fake mouse on a spoon   Never have to dip hand in bucket.

[JPascavage52]

I keep both waxies and plastics with me when possible, there will be times when they will prefer one over the other. For plastics, I use mostly Trigger X, Clam, Berkley gulp, and Little Atom, best colors chartreuse, pink, red, white, but there will be times other colors will produce well.

Its also been my experience over the past couple of years that waxies/ live bait will produce numbers, while plastics will produce a bit more size. Just an observation.

[EssoxHunter]

The only minnow heads that ever caught me fish are gulp alive minnow heads, red ones. I used to always tip with real minnow heads when I thought maybe to go smaller...no luck that I remember. Still an option I guess, but surely not a go to tactic for me.

[davedel23]

I think I am going to give the Trigger-X a try. It seems like all the research I do always comes back to trigger x. Any recommendations on what type of soft plastic? Or other brands if you guys think they are that great I just want to put some fish on the ice.

[captain54]

Big list Dave,  Custom jigs and spin,Ratso's,wedgies, KJB plastics,little Atom,  Gander Mountain impulse plastics, Trigger X, Clam plastics, maki, spiking,jemi all good baits. Google plastics ice baits or get on fishing plastics ice shanty.  Believe me they work great,there's so many companies that produce great plastics. I'm currently checking out molds to made my own. I like scented bait with anise oil, you can add a drop to plastics that aren't scented. Squishy toys,the ones at the dollar store that look like porkies make great cheap plastics,just snip them off put them in a zip lock bag add a drop on anise. One of my favorite mid ice doldrum baits when fish turn negative and don't bite well,is my balloon trick. Buy a bag of party balloons the thin cheap one, get a single edged razor and cut micro strips anywhere from 1/2" -1" you can get creative and make double tails or whatever you want. I use them of some really micro jigs 14,16,18 's. Hook the balloon one time about a 1/16" in,watch the shake,wow. A lot of action,this trick has fooled hundreds of bragging size gills and crappie. I hope this helped. Don't be afraid to try plastics in open water,been catching fish all winter on the above tactics weather permitting,look like next week I'll be soft water fishing again,it's just not like ice fishing but does product fish fries and my fish tacos.

[Jighead13]

Wow a lot to learn  I mostly do tip ups ...need  a good walleye  lake ...did a little in NY....used jigging Spoons for them minnow heads...breaded line.. With 10 lb leaders..

[Chris338378]

I use waxies, spikes, and mousies if I can get them.

[minnook]

minnow or minnow head

[quickshake]

I use a piece of fat from bacon till I catch my first perch of the year, then I use perch eyes, keep them in water in a pill bottle, change the water after every day on the ice or throw the old ones away and put some fresh ones in.