Image by zimpenfish via FlickrThe best bait is the one that catches the most fish, that said I will list some of the ones that work well for me in the mid-west. These are not the only lures and baits by a long shot. There are numerous very good baits out there. These baits, artificial or live come in a large variety of styles, sizes and colors. Sometimes pan fish seem to be picky as to the color of the artificial bait you may use, so you have to experiment and see which one they prefer. The number one pan fish bait is live minnows followed by worms, these are effective with all pan fish almost all the time. You can use them with jigs or on a #6 to #10 "J" style hook. Just hook the minnows through both lips to keep them lively longer. The worms can be threaded onto the hook with a bit of the tail hanging off to get the fish's interest.
Next is corn. Just hook 2 or 3 pieces of corn in a small hook and suspend it with a bobber. Use a small split sinker about a foot above the corn to get the hook into the zone the fish are in. Buy it in small cans, it keeps you wife or mother from getting too upset - I speak from experience.
Use light 4 pound test line in clear water and up to 8 pound test in stained water. The deeper you have to fish the stronger the line should be to hold the walleye, bass and catfish you certainly will hook. I like to fish using a small bobber and allowed the rig to drift in the wind. Just experiment with depth until you start catching fish, usually somewhere between 2 and 10 feet. You can use 2 hooks about 2 feet apart to determine depth faster.
Next is Marabou jigs. These are the ones that look sort of furry and have feathery tails and resemble something alive in the water. The slightest movement makes the body pulsate like something living. With these jigs you sometimes have to change colors until you find the color the pan fish want. They can be fished under a bobber or jigged vertically. The bobber will give all the movement you need.
You can also tip the hook with live worms or minnows as extra enticement for the fish.
Next are the small grub type lures. They look like very short worms with a short flat curved tail. They are fished on a jig head or a Johnson Beetle Spin and are a great lure. I usually fish them with the tail down, I don't get hung up as much that way. Just cast them out and experiment with the retrieve. Remember that most of the fish you are trying to catch are looking up to see what fell into the water.
Again color may be important and you can use one color on the jig head a different color on the grub. I have had the best luck with an olive/ brown with red flakes grub on a dull red jig head. That color seems to appeal to the local fish best, it is the same color as most of the minnows around here.
One trick I learned a long time ago is to set a bobber about 5 feet up the line from the Johnson Beetle Spin - grub combo. Use this in cold water and very slowly reel it in. You can catch some large fish this way in the winter.
The last one is the tube jig. These look like a small squid in the water. The tube can be hollow or solid followed by a number of arms. They are fished on a jig head.
These come in a variety of colors and sized to target your fish. One trick to try is hook them up backwards, have the hook come out the solid end of the tube. This will make the arms flare when you pull it toward you.
You can use the hollow bodies on Carolina rigs by stuffing the hollow body with foam or a small dowel so it rides above the weed or brush. I would advise 8 pound test for this as you will catch bass, walleye and catfish on this rig in the summer. You can tip these with a minnow or worm or a Berkley Crappie Nibble and have luck. These are best jigged vertically or under a bobber.
Good Fishing
The Pan Fishing Maniac
