Minus Live Bait

[Bruce Tomaselli]

Does anyone fish for gills without tipping the jig, etc. with live bait? Just wondering if it's possible to land a few. Live bait will always out fish artificial, but just wondered if there was anyone out there that just throws jig, flies, etc.

[Slip Sinker]

Oh yeah it’s possible and its very easy to do!... ive been outfishing live bait since I was about 14 years old… when my dad taught us how to fish a jig. While others are loading their live minnows on the hook I have two more fish in the boat…. Lol…

Only time I fish live bait is with night crawler bits under a slip float in the dense weeds in the spring and I also tip with maggots or live waxies thru the ice sometimes but prefer the GULP waxies instead.

I prefer untipped plastic bodies on the jigs… the smaller the better. when you tip a jig with live bait you destroy its fish catch action

Really like the waxies from GULP also.

First thing to do is build up your confidence with the jigs untipped… go cold turkey… leave the live bait at home. Fish when the fish are active by following solunar tables… worse thing you can do is learn a new system when the fish are neutral. Be on your best spots learning to jig when the fish are active. Best tip of all is find someone that is proficient at the skill of jigging and have them give you some pointers. Fish with them and mimic their movements.

[tracy willis]

i never use live bait anymore. the GULP scent impreginated plastics have become really good for use most of the season. in the winter, if they are finicky, then i may tip with wax worms for bluegill or minnow for crappie.

[dick tabbert]

Bruce I haven't went for a long while but when I did it was a 1/16 or 1/32 oz jig head with a twister tail with a lot of action. Mostly white pearl and occasionally chartreuse pearl tial I love them pearl just gives it that little extra something.

[John Sheehan]

Been doing fine with Squirrel tail jigs un tipped,Gulp 1" minnows and   and 2 " Keitech Easy shiners but the majority of Gills come with worm piece tipped Jigsor slipped floated worms.When the Gills are Bigger or more aggressive they hit untipped pretty good when the water is warm like July right now.

[carl hendrix]

BRUCE;; FO RME; A ''   POPPING BUG;; WITH A DROPPER  IS AWSOME !!  LOVE THE TOP WATER ACTION ON THE POPPING BUG;; PLUS;;;; ON THE DROPPER;; CATCHES SOME BIGGEWR ONES;; AND VERY QUITE OFTEN;; ITS A DOUBLE  !! ONE ON THE POPPING BUG; PLUS ON THE DROPPER !!   DOUBLE FUN !!