Transition baits

We're seeing water temps taking the plunge lately here in SE Minnesota. While that usually indicates its time to get serious with plastics for many fish, including crappies and sunfish, it also demands that people be well equipped to up-size or down-size as the fish indicate. This 1" Do-It bait called the Nano Fry is a prime example of a good "size" transition plastic. It has enough bulk in the body and tail to put it above many of the ice-sized baits, but its also smaller in profile and bulk than open water baits of an inch and a half to 2 inches. It's a logical step down when smaller is called for but ice plastic is too small.

http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/a...245678d50e.jpg

The mold at Do-It is very affordable and is super easy to shoot. Lopping tails and re-setting them for a second color shot is easy too. The size of this bait kind of puts it in a class all its own. Great bait and simple to master.

I have this mold also. Me being in the South and not accustomed to making really small ice baits, im amazed at how little plastic is used to make a pile of these guys! I got this mold to target bluegill. Ive actually never used a bait this small for crappie, but this year i plan on it. In fact i plan on testing both extremes... 3" vs 1" !

Up here we get cold water and fishes' metabolisms slow way down. What you offer them has to reflect that at times, hence the smaller baits. The foods they eat naturally get quite small during the cold water period too so baits like this help to match the hatch so to speak. There are times even under the ice that crappies will settle for nothing smaller than 2" baits too. Everything depends on what the fish feel like at any given time.

Hey Guys, Good subject! When I fish with a friend we usually cast to stake beds. I use heavy and big curly tails(2.5 & 3"). He uses 1/16 and under with 1.5" curly tails. He usually catches more smaller fish and I usually catch the bigger fish. His strike usually comes on the first drop and mine usually comes on the first hesitation. I fish large baits year round while 2 poling and feel confident in my baits. I think confidence plays a huge part in my fishing presentation. We fish Ky. Lake and it is deep and clear most of the time. A lot of water and intimidating some times trying to figure out the bite. My go to bait hands down is Ron Don's 2.5" flapjack white/clear silver tail. I still try to out fish it side by side 2 poling. I have a hard time fishing small baits. Maybe someday......

ifish, you are still considered "southern water" in Kentucky. Maybe the top of the range, but still southern. I like to fish as large a bait as the fish will allow. I troll #13 Raps for walleyes here in the summer and catch lots of crappies on those.

Ifish also touched on another key factor... CONFIDENCE! There are a good many ppl around here that use 1.5" and even smaller baits that catch plenty of fish. I "feel" that ive had more success using bigger baits so I probably don't keep a smaller bait tied on long enough! Im going to make myself catch something on one of these Nanos though LOL.

Much of my confidence lies in being flexible when it comes to size. I've learned that I have to do that during the fall and spring when conditions change in a matter of hours or less. I've fished during a frontal change and had the bait size have to be down-sized greatly just to stay with the fish.

I got some awful nice fish this morning using the pink/chartreuse bait shown here. What was working on the larger fish on Tuesday only got small fish today. I up-sized and got zip, so I decided to try a move in the other direction and hung the little guy on the jig. It never came off. Crappies up to 13" were all over it and sunnies to 9" smacked it around pretty good too. I'm impressed given the size of this bait.

Good report CTom. Kind of makes me want to try some small baits. I will have to go to the store because I do not have anything that small. You never know what will work until you try something. Major cold fronts coming through here. I fished hard today and never caught 1 fish. That has not happened in good while. Are you casting or vertical fishing these micro baits and how are you rigging them?

I'm fishing then on a 1/32 collarless head cast on a #8 sickle hook. I've been fishing docks....walking on the docks and vertically jigging the baits along the 12" pipe pilings. Water depth is any where from 10 feet down the 22-23. Water temp this morning was up a degree from yesterday at 42 degrees. Air temp starting out at 650 am was 38 degrees.

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Originally Posted by RonDon

Ifish also touched on another key factor... CONFIDENCE! There are a good many ppl around here that use 1.5" and even smaller baits that catch plenty of fish. I "feel" that ive had more success using bigger baits so I probably don't keep a smaller bait tied on long enough! Im going to make myself catch something on one of these Nanos though LOL.

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Well said my friend. Those 1.5 baits will put huge fish and also numbers of fish in to your livewell. Tip them with a crappie nibble and sone CONFIDENCE scent. You will do fine.

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Originally Posted by ifish

Good report CTom. Kind of makes me want to try some small baits. I will have to go to the store because I do not have anything that small. You never know what will work until you try something. Major cold fronts coming through here. I fished hard today and never caught 1 fish. That has not happened in good while. Are you casting or vertical fishing these micro baits and how are you rigging them?

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This is my favorite 1.5" lure. I make them myself and they catch fish. Snake River at Home has a wealth of 1.5" lures to choose from.

Attachment 141162

Attachment 141163

Since starting to shoot my own plastics three years ago I have developed a pretty fair degree of confidence in all of what I currently shoot. As mentioned, my confidence comes from knowing when to make size and profile adjustments while fishing. My go-to color though is some shade of purple with a chartreuse tail color. Right behind that is the bluegill color seen in the picture and deep blue, both with chartreuse tails. The key behind really successful fishing for me has been to stay very open minded and to not get so fixed on a single bait that I won't make the adjustments that the fish dictate. Its great having a color and bait that offers a solid starting point, but conditions and fish behavior change and I like to be equipped with enough choices that I can make a broad selection of offerings.

Ship....I also have pretty decent fishing with the clear bluegill color shown in the picture except with either a hot pink or bright orange tail. This combo works well when the summer sun heats things up. I haven't tried straight red glitter with the pink or orange but I think I will as a contrast to the pink/orange.

I like that 1-inch NANO FRY. Believe I may pick one up for them big bull bluegill.

I had some time to play this afternoon and shot a could more rounds of the Nano.

http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/a...ceac2486e6.jpg

These all have a thin pearl belly and a Chameleon back/tail. The Chameleon is mixed a bit thin, 6 drops to 4 ounces, and has ever so little blue hi lite and some Canada Blue glitter in .015. Some have red eyes, some have gold. I like both eye colors.

CTom, That is an amazing amount of detail on such a small bait. Very nice!