Choosing the Right Plastics for Ice Fishing Success

For many anglers across the country, ice fishing season is one of the best seasons of the entire year. Whether they’re chasing after a limit of panfish for a fish fry or going after a trophy walleye through the ice, it’s an exciting time. Because of the variety of species to catch and methods to try, there is often uncertainty about what will work best. In many cases, soft plastics are the answer. But which soft plastic is the right one to use? Let’s dive in. 

There are tons of methods in ice fishing that require some sort of bait. For years, that bait was traditionally live or natural bait. Think minnows, leeches, worms, etc…

In recent years, soft plastics have become a popular alternative to live bait options. They come in all different styles, colors, and sizes. This variety is great so you can have a ton of options on the ice. Plus, you don’t have to try to keep them alive like live bait options. Many of these plastics are designed to perfectly mimic live bait as well, making them a solid option.

With so many different fish species and different soft plastic options, it’s important to pick the right combinations of styles, colors, and sizes to catch the fish you’re after. For all of these, the color options are likely going to depend heavily on the water clarity you’re fishing in. In clear water, use natural colors. In dirty water, use brighter colors. That being said, it’s always a good idea to keep a good variety of colors with you in order to switch it up as needed to figure out exactly what will work best on any given day. 

If you’re going after bluegill with soft plastics, your best bet is going to be tiny bug-style soft plastics. You’ll want to pair these with a good tungsten ice fishing jig for best results. With this style, you don’t have to have much movement in the line. These bug-style soft plastics commonly have tiny appendages that will move naturally with minimal movement, and in cold water, you’re going to want to keep things slow and natural. 

When going after crappies with soft plastics, the bug styles can work. Something that can work even better though, is a slightly longer soft plastic (about 1 inch or so) with a paddle tail or split tail rigged on a tungsten crappie jig. With this style, you do want to add in some slow jigging to get the crappies to come check it out. When a crappie is close, switch to shorter, twitchy movements to trigger the strike. 

When you’re going after big perch and walleyes, it’s best to use a minnow or leech-style soft plastic in the 2-inch range, rigged on a 1/8 oz jig or even a flutter spoon. These species require the most movement, so a lift and drop jigging style is going to work well. Jig heads are best for maintaining verticality, while flutter spoons are better when trying to do a slow drop. This style, paired with this jigging method, helps imitate dying minnows, triggering strikes from fish looking for an easy meal.