03-23-2010, 11:58 AM
You have a couple of options to shorefish for panfish using artificial lures:
1) Berkley Gulp nightcrawlers or earthworms: Technically an artificial bait, this stuff outfishes the real deal...without the mess. You can fish them like live bait under a bobber OR fish them like a drop shot rig. I was able to provoke my first fish of the season this year by jigging an unweighted Gulp earthworm up and down in front of its nose by its nest that I spotted by sight fishing. I was amazed that the other anglers on the pond literally walked by these fish that were in plain sight!
2) Small artificial jigs. I'm talking tiny jig heads here. 1/64 to 1/16 oz. You can try your luck casting them individually, as droppers, or under a bobber. As far as the bodies go, experiment. Tubes, hair, plastic, grubs, Gulp, whatever...they all get strikes.
3) Small spoons. I'm constantly accidentally catching panfish when casting out small spoons for trout. Tiny inline spinners and spinnerbaits will catch them as well.
4) Flies. I've seen fly fisherman and spinners catch panfish on poppers and dry flies. I am going to try to tie a wet fly as a dropper when I do jigging this year and see how that works.
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1) Berkley Gulp nightcrawlers or earthworms: Technically an artificial bait, this stuff outfishes the real deal...without the mess. You can fish them like live bait under a bobber OR fish them like a drop shot rig. I was able to provoke my first fish of the season this year by jigging an unweighted Gulp earthworm up and down in front of its nose by its nest that I spotted by sight fishing. I was amazed that the other anglers on the pond literally walked by these fish that were in plain sight!
2) Small artificial jigs. I'm talking tiny jig heads here. 1/64 to 1/16 oz. You can try your luck casting them individually, as droppers, or under a bobber. As far as the bodies go, experiment. Tubes, hair, plastic, grubs, Gulp, whatever...they all get strikes.
3) Small spoons. I'm constantly accidentally catching panfish when casting out small spoons for trout. Tiny inline spinners and spinnerbaits will catch them as well.
4) Flies. I've seen fly fisherman and spinners catch panfish on poppers and dry flies. I am going to try to tie a wet fly as a dropper when I do jigging this year and see how that works.
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