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I just got several pretty little Rapala ice jigs in different colors and sizes. These are the first of this type of "realistic finish hard-jig-minnow" lure I have used. So for me they are a bit of an unknown. They look sorta cute.
At the moment my interest is moving over to the larger brown trout in my local lakes.
Has anyone tried these winter type lures out on trout in spring or summer, drop shotting down the sonar beam maybe?
Is a nightcrawler tip likely to improve their attractiveness, or ruin the action? A fishy tip maybe? A soft plastic Fin-S or similar? Or just fish them neat?
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[cool][#0000ff]Congratulations on acquiring some nifty new lures. They are designed to be fished beneath the ice, but they also work well when the fish are cruising near bottom in deeper water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The are also designed to be "dressed" with some kind of "sweetener". Depending upon what the natural forage is in the waters you fish, you can use worms, aquatic insects or a small strip of fish flesh.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I catch lots of nice browns both in open water and under the ice using a line of jigging spoons I make, and I almost always use either a piece of worm or a strip of perch meat. However, adding a small plastic tube or grub will often add a bit of wiggle and attraction too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have found that "less is more" in terms of action. I usually do much better with just a slow "shivver lift" or a few short twitches and then a long pause, rather than a lot of lift and drop action. But, sometimes it takes more motion to call in the fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One tactic I use a lot under the ice is to drop the heavy jig to the bottom and then bounce it up and down a few times to create a little cloud of mud. Then I raise the jig up a few inches and "dead stick" it. Surprising how many strikes will occur while it is sitting motionless.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As with all lures, it takes some experimentation to get a feel for them, and to learn how the local fish want their dinner served.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]But...as my wife tells me...it keeps me off the streets and out of trouble...mostly.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One other trick, I failed to mention, is to use those heavy jigging spoons as a "dropshot" rig. In other words, if you are vertical jigging, try tying a short dropper about 18" above the lure and adding your choice of flies. Sometimes the fish will go for the "heavy metal". Other times they want the appetizer first.[/#0000ff]
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