Top 10 Artificial Bream Baits

Ok, I've seen tons of ideas like the norm worms, crickets, maggots, meal worms, wax worms, night crawlers, corn, etc, etc, etc, I'm looking for the top 10 best store-bought artificial baits. Stuff that you've used and tested, and have bought from a commercial entity [or someone from here who still sales :D]. I've seen tons of info on live bait, and there has been some very interesting things, but I'm looking strictly for your top 10 artificial bates for bream. Thanks for all, I look forward to some interesting and insightful posts as usual.
-Bill

Well for me, it's my name sake, The GROUSE FLY...lol. You could find them in a few stores if you knew where to look. You can find them in my bream box 24/7....lol. ALL HANDMADE AND MAN ARE THOSE GROUSE TASTY!!!!!!!! :eek:

Well that's definitely not 10, but it's a great start. Surely that's not the only thing you ever use? Thanks for the tip, definitely a help.

here's my custom bait from Brad at www.boudreauxsbaits.com

It's 1/124oz. I use them under a cork and usually the bigger fish hammer um!!!

Here's 4 of my favorite colors and a dime in the picture for size reference.

Bill, I too use 1/64 & 1/124 oz. jigs. Using soime right now tied by Ship! Seem to be good Jigs!!

I have a few,
Spongespiders-black or white
My miny hair jigs 1/64 or 1/80 oz.
Guinea Jigs 1/64 or 1/80
Splittail jigs(trout magnet)
Crappie Days Micro Spoons tipped with a nibble,just started using these.
Tubes and twisters
Wooly Worm type fly I tie without the yarn tail usually in black.

Almost any small, dark jig or fly works well, like the RLD:

http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns6.asp?page=13

Outside of the spawn, though, I don't think any artificial can touch live bait.

Great, thanks for some great feedback, I've really been trying to spend a serious amount of time learning to catch fish with artificial bait as opposed to just live bait. Thanks for the great tips once again, I'll be picking up a few of these tommarrow to try out on a honey hole this weekend :D.

I like small beetle spins(with whatever plastic bait you like), rooster tails, dry flies, a few wet flies, and my jigs I tie, 1/64th or 1/80th oz, either kiptail jigs or chenille body jigs, depending.

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Originally Posted by WRHaynes

I've really been trying to spend a serious amount of time learning to catch fish with artificial bait as opposed to just live bait.

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Good luck to you! My records for the past year or so show live bait with about a 10-1 advantage over artificials. I'd love to find an artificial that's as good as the real thing. Be sure to share if you find one!:)

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Originally Posted by WRHaynes

Ok, I've seen tons of ideas like the norm worms, crickets, maggots, meal worms, wax worms, night crawlers, corn, etc, etc, etc, I'm looking for the top 10 best store-bought artificial baits. Stuff that you've used and tested, and have bought from a commercial entity [or someone from here who still sales :D]. I've seen tons of info on live bait, and there has been some very interesting things, but I'm looking strictly for your top 10 artificial bates for bream. Thanks for all, I look forward to some interesting and insightful posts as usual.
-Bill

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This jig (On my business card) in a 1/64th in my opinion is best. Of course I make it and use it myself. That is why I believe in it.

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Originally Posted by DENNIS BOWERS

Bill, I too use 1/64 & 1/124 oz. jigs. Using soime right now tied by Ship! Seem to be good Jigs!!

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I try and put out a great, durable, long lasting product at an affordable price. I use only one standard...If I was down to my last dollar, would I buy my jig to go and catch a lot of fish, or go and buy one fish sandwich.

I'd buy my jig and go fishing, come home and make up several sandwiches. I thank you. I appreciate the shoutout.

I have been doing real good with my jigs I tie in 1/64oz with a #8 hook. I also love to use small ice jigs tipped with a little wedgie. Beatle spins, small jigs and twisters, mini mites. All work good for me.

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

Good luck to you! My records for the past year or so show live bait with about a 10-1 advantage over artificials. I'd love to find an artificial that's as good as the real thing. Be sure to share if you find one!:)

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I can definitely vouch for similar catch ratios, my main interest, that being said, is that nearly always, the quality of the fish I catch with artificial bait far out weigh those with live bait. Seems any bream will bite a nice fat mealworm etc, but the larger, nicer sized bream will hit the aritificial bait most often. deathbydisco do you agree?

Thanks for the great ideas, keep them coming, I've got a nice list going of new things to check out this weekend :D, I'm just looking for a good excuse to burn up a new gift card :D.

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Originally Posted by WRHaynes

Seems any bream will bite a nice fat mealworm etc, but the larger, nicer sized bream will hit the aritificial bait most often. deathbydisco do you agree?

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The size of most artificials screens out a lot of the little guys. Plus, I think bigger gills tend to eat a lot of small minnows and fish fry. Artificial baits like marabou jigs and beetle spins do a good job of imitating them. So yeah, I do agree that artificials will generally produce bigger fish on average. That being said, my biggest bluegill (11") and my biggest shellcracker (12") were both taken on live bait.

On the other hand, if you catch a lot of fish, the law of averages says you will catch some bigger ones, too if that body of water supports a good population of big fish. That's been my general philosophy on panfishing: catch a lot of fish, and the big ones will come.

Being a bluegill fanatic, I have collected several "big bluegill" articles over the years. (My oldest is from a 1975 edition of Fishing Facts.) The only artificial baits I can remember being mentioned are: beetle spins, nymphs and small marabou jigs. All the articles were heavily live bait-oriented, though.

Ship, got your mail today. I'm gonna photo them and place some in your card. Be on the lookout for an email from me. What did you think of the card I sent you?

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Originally Posted by sac-a-lait

Ship, got your mail today. I'm gonna photo them and place some in your card. Be on the lookout for an email from me. What did you think of the card I sent you?

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I was astonished when I got your business cards. They are the MOST DURABLE and FIRST TWO SIDED card I have ever seen in my 62 years here on this earth and that says a mouthful. When I sold for IBM or when I was a principal, I would get about 200 different cards a week from prospective clients or businesses the school could network with. YOUR CARD is the most impressive one I have ever seen.

I was feeling real down today. I went to apply for Social Security Retirement only to find out that my retirement benefits would be reduced 50% because I was receiving a pension from working with the public schools. They call it a "Windfall Elimination Provision. If you work for a government agency or for the State then the pension you get based upon that work reduces your social security benefits.

Like I said I was down when I got back home so I went to the water to look and to just meditate. When I got back home I saw this thread.

http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showth...456#post350456

QUOTE: "After years of using jigs to catch Crappie, this summer I decided to try them on Panfish! I tried all kinds of store bought jigs but was always dissapointed in their ability to hold up!I know there are all kinds of quality jigs on here so I started looking. I liked the looks of the the clouser style made by shipahoy41 so I ordered a dozen.I"m glad to say I still have 10,lost 2 on snags! Of the 10-10 still look good! They seem to be a high quality product at a good price. You panfish guys check them-No disrespect to anyone else intended,I plan on trying some others also. I beleive a Quality product deserves the same praise as a bad one needs condemd! Keep up the good work Ship!!"
-Dennis Bowers-

God is good! My spirits were just lifted up!

Thank you Rick and Dennis. I am honored to call you my friends.

I fish the Cape Fear river along the NC Coast. I use Panther Martin In-line spinners. If I am not catching fish on them, they are not biteing. I also use my handmade jigs. Red tails for gills.

lots of guys here seem to have luck with some sort of home made hair jig. For me those style jigs have never produced like my favorite 3 lures for panfish (and stream smallmouth for that matter). I guess I just dont have the 'magic touch' with the hair jigs...anyway heres my list

1.Berkley Nymph...used on smallest jig head as possible 1/80 or 1/64...use a jig without a lead collar (just a round head and a hook) as these will make the nymphs last much longer.

2. 2" senko ...Have only found these at Cabela's online store

3. Panfish assassins

4. 2.5" Fin-S-Fish by lunker city

the best i have used for bream is the creme angle worm -rigged in the dark blue .
the big bull bream really hammer this bait cast and reeled really slow. it is lite . so i put a lite split shot about 5 inches ahead of the worm.
http://www.cremelure.com/store/store...?Category_ID=1
~sticko ~

Awesome, I hadn't even looked at this before, thanks sticko.

1. Betts 1/50 spin
2. prince nymph
3. missy prissy
4. rooster tail
5. tiny torpedo
6. Berkley power baits
7. Yo-zuri snap beans
8. Foodsource
9. small jigs/tubes
10. small roadrunner

crappielimits, thanks a ton, that's what I've been looking forward to the entire time, thanks a ton!

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Originally Posted by bassnbrian

lots of guys here seem to have luck with some sort of home made hair jig. For me those style jigs have never produced like my favorite 3 lures for panfish (and stream smallmouth for that matter). I guess I just dont have the 'magic touch' with the hair jigs...anyway heres my list

1.Berkley Nymph...used on smallest jig head as possible 1/80 or 1/64...use a jig without a lead collar (just a round head and a hook) as these will make the nymphs last much longer.

2. 2" senko ...Have only found these at Cabela's online store

3. Panfish assassins

4. 2.5" Fin-S-Fish by lunker city

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Bassnbrian, I've used some purple/glitter panfish assasin bodies before, do you just throw those on a jig head as well? I've tried them on a beetle spin and on several jig heads, none produced too well in that one color, however, purple on a normal tube body jig was working great that day. Maybe I'm presenting it wrong, how do you normally rig them up?

The Olive Scud that Academy sells in size 14 or 16

Does anybody have any luck with the Foodsource bait. Tried it only once when crappie were hiting tubes but they sure didn't like the foodsource.

I like the foodsource I tip sinking fies with a half of the grub, works great! Also tip crappie jigs when longlining to add scent and bulk.

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Originally Posted by WRHaynes

Bassnbrian, I've used some purple/glitter panfish assasin bodies before, do you just throw those on a jig head as well? I've tried them on a beetle spin and on several jig heads, none produced too well in that one color, however, purple on a normal tube body jig was working great that day. Maybe I'm presenting it wrong, how do you normally rig them up?

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I rig them on a jig head with the flat section facing down. Most hits come on the fall or with a steady or "swimming" retrieve. Personally I have never found any hopping action effective while jigging.

The colors i use most often are
spring minnow
opening night
black shad
albino shad
and for deep perch only....
Chartreuse/Silver Glitter
and limetreuse

until i found the berkley nymph these were my go-to lures...and they still are numero uno when it comes to yellow perch

bassnbrian, I'll definitely have to try out a few of those colors, because I haven't bought too many more since my initial purchase. Thanks for the heads up on a few colors.

I don't know that I have 10 of them but my favorites are

1. Small beetlespin (particularly the black with 2 yellow pinstripes)
2. Creme pre-rigged worm (the tiny worm with 2 hooks in it and a prop blade)
3. Rooster tails
4. Small grubs with a lead head
5. rooster tail

1. Panfish Assassins with sickle hook jig heads.
2. Sassy Shad 2 and 3 inch with sickle hook jig heads
3. Southern Pro soft plastic jig bodies with sickle hook jig heads
4. Road Runner spinner jig heads with bubble belly soft plastic bodies
5. Jig heads with a lipped live minnow

I carry 11 boxes of assorted plastics as well as my hand tied jigs.

Smaller jig heads during warmer weather and larger during cooler weather.:D

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Originally Posted by texascrappiefisherman

1. Panfish Assassins with sickle hook jig heads.
2. Sassy Shad 2 and 3 inch with sickle hook jig heads
3. Southern Pro soft plastic jig bodies with sickle hook jig heads

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I am surprised at the sickle hook preference. I have tried switching back and forth to these and have found that I lose fish very regularly with the sickle hook jigs. Maybee im doing something wrong.

This is really getting nice now :D. I'll be checking some of these out here quickly before it gets too late in the year. Thanks again to EVERYONE who's posted on this thread, keep the great stuff coming.

Lots of good choices were posted here. I guess you would have to go by (or buy) your personal WFM or WW preference.

WW = Whatever works

WFM = Works for me

this thread would not be complete without mentioning the Mighty Mite...don't know why but the gills love those things...along with every other fish in the lake...I use the ones with the straight tails..."nail tails"

Whackmaster help me out, I am not familar with the Mighty Mite. Who makes it. I googled it and did not find any info.

I think this is what you're looking for:http://www.cubbylures.com/code/frame/index.html

I only target the brim in late spring and early summer and the artificial assortment I use is rather small. I like to take a beatle spin type spinner and attach a white 1/16 jig head and use a blue/white tube jig. With this I have caught Brim, crappie, bass(with some of those being big), catfish and a few grass carp. I use this on a little ultra lite berkley rod with a little trigger typs zebco reel and 6# test line. I know it was just dumb luck but two summers ago, my wife and I would fill the coolers everywhere we went with this combo. It was awesome. The latest bait that I have found that is loads of fun is the strike king bitsy minnow. This too catches all species around here. I use the same rod and reel combo and we have a blast with this little bait fishing at Tunica and Lakeview in North MS. These two locations grow some huge titty brim.

1/64 oz jig with 1" tube"s work good