Miniature soft-plastic baits modeled after favorite panfish forage, paired with tiny tungsten jigs, dominate the modern ice-fishing scene. (Courtesy of Clam Outdoors)
March 10, 2025
By Mike Gnatkowski
Not too long ago, if you were a diehard ice angler pursuing panfish, you wouldn’t conceive of going out ice fishing without some form of live bait, be it spikes, waxworms or minnows. The choice depended on whether the target species was perch, crappies or bluegills. Yellow perch and crappies are known minnow eaters, so shiners were a logical choice if you were going after yellow bellies or specks. Bluegills and sunfish are bug eaters and have an affinity for spikes, mousies and waxworms.
That all changed nearly two decades ago when plastics for ice fishing hit the market. It wasn’t an immediate, overnight flipflop, but savvy ice pros have discovered that, in many situations, they can do as well or better with plastics than the real thing. And the choices have expanded exponentially in recent years.
DROPPING BOMBS Dave Ellis was a regular on the North American Ice Fishing Circuit (NAIFC) when it was in operation. The circuit attracted the top ice anglers from all over the country, and many of the cutting-edge tactics and techniques used today got a foothold there. Ellis and his partner, Myron Gilbert, were regulars at the top of the tournament leaderboard, even claiming the NAIFC Championship in 2011.
“I remember being out on Hamlin Lake [in Michigan] and talking to Myron about some Little Atom plastics he had given me,” recalls Ellis. “I was crappie fishing and put a tail on a jig. I didn’t have much confidence in it as an ice-fishing bait, but I forced myself to try it and caught some fish. It was game on after that.”
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Little Atom , a small tackle company in Tecumseh, Mich., was among the first to offer cutting-edge plastics for ice fishing and the specialized Fiskas jigs to deliver them.
Little Atom’s designs may be basic, but are effective nonetheless. The company’s Noodle design is nothing more than a simple ice-fishing Ned Rig. Their super-soft, feathery Wedgee is available in a 1 3/8-inch regular version and a 2 1/2-inch jumbo variety that produces a whipping tail action that’s irresistible to panfish and is available in standard, atomic and multi-fleck colors. Each is impregnated with the company’s C9 anise-based liquid scent that can be purchased separately.
Little Atom’s Fiskas Wolfram Jigs were among the first made from tungsten and have become a standard. Tungsten allows the jigs to fish “heavy” while offering a tiny lure that imitates winter panfish forage. The jigs are designed with a 45-degree angle to bring to life ice-fishing plastics, and sticky-sharp hooks to pin light-biting winter ’gills and crappies. The jigs come in hand-painted, epoxy and metallic versions from minuscule 2.5 mm to 7 mm offerings used to divebomb deep-water perch schools.
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The Northland Pin Fry, paired with the company’s Tungsten Flat Fry jig, is a deadly combo for bluegills. (Courtesy of Northland Fishing Tackle) CUSTOM MADE Custom Jigs & Spins’ Walt Matan said he relies heavily on his brand’s line of finesse plastics when targeting panfish through the ice.
“If the fish are aggressive, you can get away with a bait like a Noodel with minimal action,” Matan says. “The Noodel mimics the blood worms and larva that panfish eat. There are times when I’ll rig it wacky style. If the fish need a little coaxing, the whipping tail of a Wedgee will seal the deal. Normally, horizontal presentations excel when ice fishing with plastics, but occasionally it pays to try a vertical presentation. It’s hard to beat a Nuclear Ant in those situations. Multiple wiggling appendages are needed as a trigger sometimes.”
The Ratso and Tutso have a spindly tail that quivers and undulates at the slightest jiggle of the rod tip. The bodies come rigged or unrigged. The only difference between the two is the Ratso comes with a lead jig, and the Tutso has a tungsten jig head. “I like to fish the Ratso when the fish are shallow, and I want the jig to fall slowly,” says Matan. “The Tutso is better when the fish are deep, like when targeting perch and basin-loving crappies.”
Matan delivers the plastics on Custom Jigs & Spins’ Chekai and Majmun tungsten jigs.
“The Chekai jig has an angled hook, which optimizes the hook gap for positive hooksets and gets down quickly,” he says. “The 4 mm and 4.5 mm sizes are the most popular for plastics. The Majmun jig has a slightly longer shank and smaller profile and is perfect when using the Wedgee and Finesse plastics.”
Custom Jigs & Spins’ four-legged Nuclear Ant collar and Wedgee plastic, presented on a Diamond Jig, is a tantalizing offering for any panfish. (Courtesy of Custom Jigs & Spins) ALL CLAMMED UP Clam Outdoors is a major player on the hard-water scene and offers an extensive line of ice-fishing plastics.
“Clam offers two different lines of plastics aimed at panfish,” says the brand’s marketing guru, Matt Johnson. “The lines offer similar shapes, but the differences between the Maki and Niku plastics is that the Maki line has an anise-based scent, and the Niku baits are impregnated with a shrimp scent. The Maki baits are very subtle, while the Niku line is a little more durable and detailed with a laminate and two-tone colors.”
Both Maki and Niku plastics come in a myriad of shapes.
“When targeting panfish, you need to match the hatch,” says Johnson. “Typically, the bite is either insect- or minnow-driven. If you’re targeting bluegills, they will likely be orienting to weeds and feeding on insects. In that case, you will want a Matdi or Jamei with wiggly appendages. Basin fish, like crappies and perch, will favor minnow baits like a Niku Bolt Minnow or Mino . ”
As Johnson suggests, when ice fishing with plastics, it’s crucial to choose a bait that imitates the shape of the forage present. However, the choices on the Clam Outdoors website can overwhelm novice ice anglers.
“If I had to choose just three, it would be the Maki because of its versatility, the Niku Bolt Minnow to appeal to minnow eaters and the Niku Flutter Fry ,” says Johnson. “Those three will cover 80 to 90 percent of your needs.”
The baits come in a kaleidoscope of colors, but Johnson contends that you’ll have the basics covered with the above-mentioned baits in black, white and chartreuse.
“There are times when you’re on a finicky bite that just a subtle color change is the ticket,” he says.
Clam’s Drop Jig provides the perfect vehicle for delivering the company’s plethora of plastics. The tungsten jigs, with a bulbous front and tapered back, are available in four sizes. The jig hangs at about a 45-degree angle, creating a pivoting hook that finds the top of the fish’s mouth on the hookset. The Drop Jig is available in 12 striking solid, metallic and glow colors.
Clam Outdoors’ Niku Flutter Fly, with its four distinctive wings, is a favorite soft-plastic for crappies. (Courtesy of Clam Outdoors) BRO KNOWS Northland Tackle has been on the cutting edge of the advent of ice-fishing plastics for panfish thanks to Brian “Bro” Brosdahl. His innovative shapes and designs have been a staple of ice anglers for more than a decade.
“Most of our ice-fishing plastics are designed to be fished horizontally,” says Northland Tackle marketing manager Charlie Petersen. “The Broom Bug and Mayfly do an excellent job of imitating insects. Others, like the Mini Smelt and Pin Fry , look like minnows, while the Bloodworm mimics the ribbon-like larvae of midges that are active and so prolific near the bottom during the winter.” Bloodworms are a favorite of yellow perch under the ice.
Northland Tackle offers three jigs to customize your plastic-delivery system. The Tungsten Gill-Getter is a proven deadly ice jig to anchor your arsenal. Its compact tungsten body gets down quickly, and its bulging Super-Glo eyeballs attract attention. The 60-degree, premium needlepoint hook sticks finicky panfish. It’s available in two sizes: 1/28-ounce with a No. 12 hook and 1/16-ounce with a No. 10 hook.
The Tungsten Flat Fry Jig hangs at a 90-degree angle to imitate minnows for the perfect horizontal presentation to simulate fry and tiny baitfish. The longer shank is ideal for soft-plastic minnow imitations.
Northland’s Tungsten Mud Bug has been a staple in the ice-fishing line for years. The tungsten Mud Bug is a proven ice jig that shines when fish are feeding on tiny copepods, larvae and nymphs under the ice. The Mud Bug’s compact, insect-like Fathead is highly visible on sonar. The 60-degree angled needlepoint hook and rotund, bottom-heavy design cradle plastics at the right angle and pin biters in the upper lip so they don’t get off. You can get the Mud Bug in painted, glow and metallic versions.
Northland Tackle doesn’t offer its famous scent-enhanced line of Impulse plastics anymore, and the baits are only available in rigged versions with extra bodies. If you find them differently, you’d be wise to snap them up.
SPRING IT UP Ice-fishing plastics can be fished under a float or tight-lined, but the best technique is with a spring bobber.
“I’ve used floats, and there are those that swear by tight lining, but for my money, a spring bobber is the way to go when fishing plastics,” says Dave Ellis. “Originally, I used Got-Cha spring bobbers with good success, but now I’ve gone strictly to Ice Strong Outdoors spring bobbers . They’re made from titanium, don’t get bent out of shape and come in different sensitivity levels. I use the Pulse and Ultra-Light the most.” Ellis advises matching the spring bobber to the jig you’re using based on the jig’s weight.
“When fishing with plastics, you don’t need an expensive rod,” says Ellis. “I use an HT Enterprises FastStick . They’re inexpensive and will do anything you want.”
I have a Thorne Brothers rod that I’m particularly fond of when fishing plastics for panfish, and it has a built-in spring bobber.
“A quality in-line reel can help prevent line twist and keep your jig from spinning unnaturally,” says Ellis. “I strictly use monofilament or fluorocarbon when targeting panfish. I like clear, 3-pound Maxima leader material for most of my ice fishing. I’m also a big fan of Sunline’s FC Ice Fluorocarbon . It has low memory, it’s easy to use in winter conditions and it has excellent knot strength. I’ll use a 2-pound test most of the time, but I’ll move up to 3- or 4-pound if I’m expecting to tangle with out-sized crappies or bull ’gills. Clam’s Frost fluorocarbon is good too, and Sunline makes it.”
You won’t find many hardcore ice anglers who don’t still head out without a bait puck of waxworms or maggots or a bucket of minnows. But with the advancements in ice-fishing plastics, it would be a safe bet that the live bait takes a backseat to the abundance of fantastic new plastics.
This article was featured in the West edition of the March 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
