Bill. I travel through my local shop the other day and saw alot of different ice fishing jigs. I have been using the old standby of a glow jig and a waxie or minnow for panfish. But the plastics made me go hmmm. With all the new products like gulp and plastics should I throw the old minnow bucket to the side?

River Ratt,

Thanks for your email. It's funny, but your question is the same many of the most popular ice fishermen around were asking a year or two ago. I remember Mr. Dave Genz starting to question his own tried-and-true ice tactics when he first discovered small plastics. The bottom line, plastics work really, really well, but only at the right times. I like to use plastics during daylight hours, when winter fish can see what they're chasing. In murky water or in dark conditions, I stick to live bait. Plastics color is very important. Slappin' on a chartreuse tail won't automatically catch you more fish. Ice fishing with plastics is much like fly fishing, in that entemology (study of bugs) comes in very handy. Understanding blood worms, scuds, midge larvae, zooplankton,those types of critters will help you understand winter panfish, and what they're up to. Brian "Bro" Brosdahl and I fished a lake last week where the panfish moved from the shallows to deeper water just about sunset. Some of their movement came because those fish were chasing bloodworms, what we saw as a soft and nervous bottom on the electronics. Bro slid on one of his bloodworm plastic tails and he instantly caught fish after fish. I was next to him, using eurolarve, catching half as many fish. Try experimenting with small plastics. You'll find them a key part of your arsenal. My top three picks? Berkely Gulp Maggots, Northland Bro's Bug Collection Plastics and Lindy Techni-Glo Tails. Good luck!

Bill. thanks for the reply. I have seen over the last few years guys are backing off the large amount of jigs and other baits they would take on the ice. Genz seems to just have a small assortment of the sure thing. What do you think are the must have jigs for panfish?

Geez, If I dig into my winter boxes and start namin' jigs, we'll be here all day. Okay. I'll narrow down to half a dozen of my "must haves". Lindy Fat Boys, Northland Gill-getters and Bloodworms, Custom Jigs & Spins Diamond Jigs and Rat Finkees and, oddly enough, something called a Beaver Flick from the folks up at the Beaver House in Grand Marais, Minnesota. I tip 'em with either a minnow head, eurolarva, waxies or plastics. Good luck! A key to most of these jigs, make sure they hang at a 90 degree angle off your line. Just make sure your knot is tight, you pull it to a 90 degree angle and the jigs will dangle flat, which is sure to bring you more fish...