When it comes to hardwater panfish, Bro knows! In this video, Brian “Bro” Brosdahl demonstrates how to rig a jig to catch more bluegill, crappie and perch!

Simple Panfish Rigging Tips

When you are fishing perch, crappies, or gills through the ice it’s good to be semi organized and you could see I got a lot of tackle into small spaces. I use these compact Plano boxes to store all my jigs and panfish spoons in one spot. I’ve got my punch jigs and my punch flies, but sometimes they want a mud bug or forage minnow spoons and I have those in here too.

When it comes to rigging plastics, finding the right jig is very important. Especially when you are on the ice matching the jig to your plastic is key. When I say matching I don’t necessarily mean color. It’s the size that is more important and making sure you are getting the most action out of your plastic. 

One plastic I really love using a skeleton minnow made by Northland Tackle. It really fits well agains’t your jig head and I also like it because it looks just like a blood worm. It’s got a ring worm head in the little fork tail really fragile bait but fragile baits really move around in the water.

When I rig it up I like to snip the point off of it because I want it to snug up to the back of the jig head. It’s fairly user-friendly you just want to make sure you don’t hook the tail. You want the tail to be able to quiver and float freely in the water. 

This bait works great when you are targeting perch, crappies and big gills. I will say this though if there are small gills in the area, they tend to rip the tail off the plastic so keep that in mind. 

When fishing is real tough I have another trick I will use when rigging the skeleton minnow. Its called the collar. What I do is I’ll take a waxxie and thread it up the hook, before I put on the plastic. Then I will string on the plastic like normal and the wax worm acts as a collar giving your bait a little more meat and scent. 

When it comes to ice fishing for perch or panfish, being organized is key. Having your tackle neatly arranged and easily accessible can make a big difference in your success on the ice. In this article, I’ll share some simple rigging tips for using plastics and worms to target these fish. Whether you’re fishing from a boat or on the ice, these tips will help you maximize your chances of landing a big catch.

Organizing Your Tackle

Before we dive into the rigging techniques, let’s talk about tackle organization. As you can see in the video, I have a lot of tackle packed into small spaces. I use plain old boxes and styrofoam to keep my tackle organized. I have separate compartments for punch jigs, punch flies, and little forage metal spoons. This allows me to quickly find the right bait for the situation.

Rigging Plastics for Panfish

Rigging plastics to the right jig is crucial when targeting panfish on the ice. Just like in bass and walleye tournaments, using the correct plastic bait can make a big difference in your success. In the video, the angler demonstrates how to rig a plastic bait called the skeleton minnow, which is a blood worm imitation.

The skeleton minnow is a fragile bait that mimics the movement of a blood worm in the water. To rig it, the angler starts by removing the point of the bait to snug it up to the back of the jig head. Then, he threads the skeleton minnow through the ring worm head, creating a lifelike blood worm imitation. This setup is particularly effective for targeting jumbo perch.

Using a Collar for Hybrid Bait

In tough fishing situations, the angler suggests using a hybrid bait called the collar. This involves combining live bait with plastics to create an irresistible meal for the fish. To create the collar, the angler threads a wax worm onto the jig head, pushing it all the way up to the head. Then, he threads the skeleton minnow onto the jig head, creating a live wax worm collar and a skeleton minnow tail.

The combination of live bait and plastics creates a bait with all the scent and characteristics that fish are looking for. This setup has proven successful in clearwater situations, where fish can be stubborn. The angler has used this technique in various locations, from Minnesota to Idaho, and even as far as Florida on the St. Johns River.

The collar technique is not limited to ice fishing. It can also be used in open water fishing. Adding a chunk of a nightcrawler to the plastics can further enhance the bait’s attractiveness to fish.

Just remember to keep it simple and use they tricks and tips to help you land more panfish this winter.