Catching panfish on artificials can be frustrating at times, especially with sunfish, as they "nip" at their prey ... trying to dismantle it into pieces, rather than engulfing the whole thing (like a Crappie or Bass usually does). One thing that can be done is go to a smaller bait. Scents may attract more interest in your baits, but don't always guarantee they'll hold on longer. Putting a piece of live offering on the hook is usually a better solution ... something like a piece of worm, wax worm, a cricket, or even a strip of skin/meat from a previously caught fish.Quote:
Originally Posted by csen147
Around here, a Cabin Creek popeye jig with a waxworm threaded on the hook & suspended under a small bobber/float & fished along cliff walls or deep rocky banks, during the spawning period of Bluegills & other sunfish, is usually pretty productive and may also tempt Bass & Catfish.
On lakes that have a good population of Redear Sunfish (Shellcrackers), many people use a jig with a small plastic body (with legs) and tip the hook with a piece of worm/nightcrawler. I've caught them (& Bluegill) on a plain jighead with a section of nightcrawler threaded on the hook ... with and without a float.
The bigger the panfish species you're after, the bigger the bait/hook that can be used .... but, even very small baits can be tempting to larger species.
I prefer to use & catch fish on artificials, but I am by no means a "purist" when it comes to how or what I catch fish with. If the situation dictates it, I'm not averse to feeding them a little "meat" along with my plastics or other artificials.
... cp :kewl
