jigging with or with a plastic tails ect,,ect

[jerry /pa]

ok i need wc help again...when jigging is it better to use a plastic tail or not ..is there a better time of year when just a shiner is good..or do you tip the hook with a shiner or bait and a tail??? are split tails better then singels...what colors are better then others if any?? when does worms and leeches come in to play and also crankbaits??i feel like i have a good walleye river(susquehanna) out my back door..and i plan on putting many hours in learning the how too's when it comes to fishing for eyes in it...but if i can get a few pointers now that would be more time fishing come spring...thanks to all that helped.......................jerry

[Sluggo / NY]

Jerry..I fish the Susky here in NY quite a bit. In fact, we're still ice free and running the boats up here! As for plastics..I'm a believer in live bait, so I always tip my jigs with either a minnow or half a crawler. I often cut the tail off the twister and just put the body on the jig. This gives it a little more bulk and slows the fall a bit. Lately, our local bait shop has only had either small minnows or large shiners so I've been tipping my jigs with 2 minnows. It's been working great! Just make sure you're getting down to the bottom. If you aren't losing jigs or hanging up...you need to go heavier! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

[Chad]

That is a question for your walleyes to answer. Some times yes, others no. But if you put plastic on and tip it you can keep jigging after a bite since the plastic is still there. You still have a chance if he comes back a 2nd time. If using live bait you only get one chance.

As for the type of tail it depends on the mood of the fish. They may want slow(double tail), medium(single tail) or fast(marabou tail).

[Tommy Skarlis]

Jerry,

One important factor to keep in mind is that River walleyes have to deal with current, and therfore seem to strike out of impulse and reaction more than their lake relatives. More and more these days I am gaining confidence in using artificials instead of live bait, and I am still catching a lot of fish. The biggest key is your confidence in what you are using, and how you are using it. When you are jigging, keep your mental concentration on dancing that jig around like it is a live critter. With experience and confidence, you'll find that "zone" and be an expert soon

Both Sluggo and Chad offered great advice too! No need for me to expound on those areas.

As far as Live bait versus plastics, sometimes you just cant beat live bait, but I have been using Powerbait in a lot more instances, and have found that it is just as effective as livebait most of the time. My favorite shapes to use for both vertical jigging and casting are: tubes, grubs, jigworms and Lizards - yes lizrds are deadly on most rivers in prespawn situations. I've also found that if I juice up the Jig regularly with Power Attractant - Walleye Formula, that I get a few more strikes.

Hope this helps, and don't forget to dance that jig!

Tommy Skarlis - NPAA #11

ps. Take a kid or a senior fishing soon!

[s.f.]

jerry,

mr. skarlis is quite humble here. infact, he is a wizzard with plastics/jigs in the rivers, whereever the rivers flow. more than i want to admit, he has given us a good whippin', with those fake plastic critters on jigs, on the walleye circuits.
so...tommy? when you gonna teach me how to dance? lol

#49

[SnellTier]

Jerry,
These are all good postings. The advice is very very good.

Let me add 2 points.

1. On Lac Seul I was having trouble with jig and 1/2 crawler so I switched to plastic, leaving the tail intact and wiggly. My bite increased immediately. After a while, I put the crawler back on and added the plastic body (reduced in size by biting it off) with the tail intact. The bite stayed steady.

The next day, the plastic would not work ... the jig and 1/2 crawler was the ticket that day.

It all depends on what the walleyes want that day.

2. A PWT fisherman whom I respect ... added one point that none of the other postings above mentioned. When the bite is very light or if you are fishing with beginners and just teaching them to jig, putting a bit of plastic BODY on the front of the jig and the crawler in back of it gives the angler a bit of an advantage. The soft plastic sticks to the little nubby teeth in a walleyes mouth and it takes the walleye a bit longer to spit it out, giving the angler additional time to set the hook.


I hope this helps.

[marcbodi]

Hi,
I like to jig with a 1/4 oz Lipstick Jig with no tail just a Minnow .I never thought about but Chads Idea about they Will bit after the minnow is gone.They will bite on Cabelas Lazer eye tails with no minnow on.

[jerry/pa]

i would like to thank you all for your replys...i'm sure i will have a better chance this year knowing more with your help...thanks again
jerry