Pan fish vs trout ice fishing

[mnbarney13]

Guys, I'm certain new to ice fishing and while I've caught crappie and perch before, just never ice fishing.  Can you use jig heads tipped with meal worms or tube jigs tipped with meal worms and catch panfish or is that just a trout thing?

[wiperhunter2]

Guys, I'm certain new to ice fishing and while I've caught crappie and perch before, just never ice fishing.  Can you use jig heads tipped with meal worms or tube jigs tipped with meal worms and catch panfish or is that just a trout thing?

Yes those jigs and bait will work but IMO using glow jigs are going to help you even more. Welcome to the site.

[Kent]

Guys, I'm certain new to ice fishing and while I've caught crappie and perch before, just never ice fishing.  Can you use jig heads tipped with meal worms or tube jigs tipped with meal worms and catch panfish or is that just a trout thing?

Work fine as long as they are small enough for crappie and perch and like Curtis said, be sure to also try glow jigs.

[Freakyfisherman]

Guys, I'm certain new to ice fishing and while I've caught crappie and perch before, just never ice fishing.  Can you use jig heads tipped with meal worms or tube jigs tipped with meal worms and catch panfish or is that just a trout thing?

I personally like small spoons tipped with perch or some kind of worm. Also small jighead with soft plastics and either tipped with something or with no bait.Small "glider" lures like the jigging rap, shiver minnow, tikka minnow, or the puppet minnow. 
Gabe

[mnbarney13]

Thanks guys

[fishnate]

Plus 1 to Freakyfisherman's post. Spoons like Northland forage minnows, Clam Leech flutter spoons, Lindy Rattlin Flyers, VMC Flash Champ, etc, etc. are excellent tipped with bait or Gulp Alive waxies. Small jigs tipped with plastics such as Maniac, Clam, 13 Fishing or Custom Jigs N Spins products are great and no bait required. Perch and crappie love jigging Rapala's and Rippin Raps! Here's a video on catching perch that might help. https://youtu.be/fpDbBMLkwcs

[DailyAngler]

Lot of great suggestions. I beleive the Kastmaster by acme tackle tipped with perch meat deserves mention. Always use a very sensitive spring bobber to detect the very tiny bites you will get, panfish bite is usually way lighter than trout.

[SkunkedAgain]

For me this year, when the panfish are timid go with a perch talker, it has the chain and a hook about 2" below the lure... For some reason the perch will take that a lot better when they are in a so-so mood... When they are turned on, they will take anything with bait they like... I use perch meat for perch, but it seems like I have to use waxies or spikes to catch crappie and bluegill... Just another option you can try... Later Jeff

[Springbuck1]

The answer is "yes"..........sometimes. I like having more options.

A friend using a regular glow-chartreuse 1.5" tube jig dusted me one night on crappies at Pineview. On the other hand, there are lots of times I've done the reverse, catching bluegill and perch on tiny lures like nuclear ants or ratfinkees at Mantua, while my friend was getting skunked on a 1/64th oz regular ball-headed jig.

If cost is an issue, hit up some of the starter kits on Ebay and Amazon, like "Fifty best Panfish Pounders!" for $28.00 or something. Early on, I bought one like that and did not regret it.

Just a small hook with bait, under a flasher works, too.

Another good trick is using a larger, regular jig and tying a dropper in above it. You know those super cheap flies you can buy in little bubble packs? Tie one of those to a dropper loop a few inches above a regular jig, add your wax-worm, and fish the bigger jig as an attractant. Jig, ten drop it to the bottom, hold the line tight, and look for nibbles.

You can also just tie on a small Aberdeen hook and add your worm to that. Cut up plastic baits, like tube jigs, with scissors, and make your own little wiggly tails. etc.

Also, stuff like Hali-jigs are really rich for my blood, but any small spoon(home-made or out of the bargain bin) with a swivel and quality hook attached is almost as good.

Welcome to the site, good luck.