plastics

[roony]

What plastics are your favorites?
Starting about a million years ago I have used to use a tiny fireball jig-n-minnow with very consistent success. This bait almost always out fished live bait. They are no longer made and my supply is finally depleted, what should I go to next?
Thanks in advance

[Rebel SS]

Depends on the fish, but my all time panfish favorite is a chartreuse 1/16 oz Mr. Twister....if you want a minnow type like the Fireball, I've used a plastic Berkeley Gulp! or Powerbait  minnow bodies on whatever hook you like. I think they still make 'em....I've got a whole bunch of 'em. I think. Willing to send 'em to ya if ya want 'em.

https://www.scheels.com/p/powerbait-power-minnow/02863218780.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyJiXxu3u4QIVDcZkCh2tJAy6EAQYBCABEgLh9PD_BwE

[glenn57]

Roony I like the gulp. A buddy gave me a container of 3 inch plastic looking leeches. For panfish I just cut off a chunk and works great.

Summer months I way prefer flu flu type jigs.

[Boar]

northlqnd mimic minnow ar dynomite

[Gunner55]

I don't use a lot of plastics but when I do I prefer the boot tail shad type bodies like Boar mentioned above. For pannies I use a lot of  Lit'l Hustler tubes or Lindy Little Nipper jigs.

[roony]

Tried the gulp alive minnow, I was favorably impressed.

[Dotch]

We used some of that on a fishing trip to Alex area a few years back. Would concur at least on the panfish we were after. 

[Steve-o]

I don't use a lot of plastics but when I do I prefer the boot tail shad type bodies like Boar mentioned above. For pannies I use a lot of  Lit'l Hustler tubes or Lindy Little Nipper jigs.

Red and white tubes with a chartreuse head for pannies.  It consistently out-fished every other color combo in the boat.

If we ran out of red/white tubes, gulp minnows were my next choice.

[LPS]

Fishing on the Rainy a few years ago with 2 buddies we each used our preferred baits.  We didn't plan this it just happened.  Carl likes using plastics on a jig head, Doug used live minnows on a jig, I used frozen shiners on a jig.  We fished hard all day.  First Carl go hot and was catching them all.  Then Doug got hot and was catching them.  Finally I started catching them with my frozen shiners.  It was pretty interesting.  The live bait and frozen shiners took more rebaiting and messing around with them.  Carl's plastics were the less labor intensive of the three and I think he actually caught more fish. 

[Coffee118]

I use the uncle bucks crappie minnow 2” for pretty much everything over the last 10 years. It out fishies just about everything I’ve ever used, live or any other artificial. It’s a must in any tackle box. You can use up to a 1/8oz jig head. The best color is the emerald green and silver. Try it you’ll be amazed. Ive caught all panfish, walleye, sauger, bass, crappie, catfish, carp, trout and pike on them. I get them online at bass pro shops.

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[roony]

Thanks, I may try that one Coffee.
I started using the fireball jig n minnow back in 1978. It was April 16th, my 22nd birthday and I was fishing from shore using crappie minnows and not catching much. Some little rug rats walked by and they were looking in my open tackle box. One of them pointed at the jig n minnow and said I should be fishing with that. I had gotten my great uncles tackle after he passed and that was in there. I had never used it.
Well, I dissed the little kid, but after they left I thought "what the heck" and tied it on. To my amazement I started catching crappies as soon as it hit the water, one right after another. It taught me a good fishing lesson.
I'm not sure what year Falls Bait Company went out of business but they had a winner with that product.

[HD]

I checked on ebay, the last big lot of those were sold on April 13,2019 (that I could find)

[roony]

The ones I have seen on ebay have been a larger size than the ones I'm looking for. I ended up looking through a bunch of my old tackle boxes and I found some plastic bodies that I can use on a tiny jig. Honestly though, I am pretty impressed with the ratso's.
It seems like once you have developed confidence in a lure half the battle is won!

[glenn57]

crappietom has been on variuos forums that I've been on. he makes plastics and sent me some. they work amazing. I was once a real doubter fishing with plastics, but he kept egging me on so I finally tried it. it was a slow process to get convinced.

it depends on the lake I fish, but I still like to have real meat just in case, but I haven't used live bait for panfish in 5-6 years on the lake the cabin is on!!!1 winter or summer.

[HD]

Roony, what length do you like to use?
I seen some shad ones on Amazon....

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[roony]

The ones I used were tiny, probably just less than an inch long.

[Bobberineyes]

We throw little beetle spins a lot through out tge summer for crappies and sunnies,  might have to tip em off with one of those shad guys..

[glenn57]

We throw little beetle spins a lot through out tge summer for crappies and sunnies,  might have to tip em off with one of those shad guys..

or go to Teals in spicer!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Reinhard]

I'm going to try some of the plastics mentioned above.  My fishing has cycled.  Started with all live baits, then moved to artificials mixed with live baits, and recently went back to live baits  mostly and plastics for some species.  I really like the Gulp live products for panfish.  Fish them with small plastics and flu flu's and sometimes even by themselves. good luck.

[Bobberineyes]

We throw little beetle spins a lot through out tge summer for crappies and sunnies,  might have to tip em off with one of those shad guys..

or go to Teals in spicer!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking with experience??? Only if I run otta breads crumbs..

[glenn57]

We throw little beetle spins a lot through out tge summer for crappies and sunnies,  might have to tip em off with one of those shad guys..

or go to Teals in spicer!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking with experience??? Only if I run otta breads crumbs..

naw..I go to the one in cold spring!!!!!!