Powered<p>I'm just starting to experiment with making my own soft plastics and thought it would be neat to make some for microfishing because I haven't seen them available for purchase.</p>
<p>Does anyone have experience with any artificial baits for microfishing, what were the baits and what did you think?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
I have used Nikko Maggies offered by Chris Stewart on tenkarabum and they work so-so. Certainly not as well as worm but it did work for darters, silversides, and topminnows (the more aggressive micros). If salted or flavored enough any small piece of plastic works decently. Some micros like the latter two groups or dace will hit a piece of yarn on a micro hook like a small fly.
My go-to for catching chubs is PowerBait Power Wigglers that come in a package, not a jar. They aren't in the soupy stuff that always leaks anyway and they last forever. They are tiny enough to put on the smallest jigs I've found- I use 1/64th jigs from Bobby Garland brand.
"We don't fish for the fish. Ninety percent of what I like about this sport -- and it is a sport -- is sitting in the boat doing nothing. And the icing on the cake is when God smiles on you and you hook one." - Hank Hill
Like RoughFish, I've loved Nikko baits for some time and I've used the fly larvae and the salmon eggs. They're super durable and I'd recommend them for sure. I'd imagine any small enough piece of salted plastic could work as an effective subsititute for live bait.
Also, I've felt that chubs and the more aggressive micros will eat almost anything thats in their face.
"I swear if you catch another drum"
pork rind from fatback (cured, only - NOT SMOKED) is a good middle ground -- natural, pre-salted & more durable than most synthetics... I just chew it 'til it turns white & desired softness... you can soften it up w/ a weak boric acid or Borax solution, instead, if you're worried about trichinosis
P.E.T.A. sucks!!! Plants are living things, too -- they're just easier to catch!
I've never used anything but worms or small pieces of meat for microfishing so this is really interesting and I'm definitely going to have to try some of these baits out.
I have used this guy's micro baits for years. I target usually larger fish with them, but have caught more than my fair share of little guy's as well. www.makiplastic.com My favorites are the "rocki" and the "mishi".
It's all fun and games until someone loses a fish
I found some 3/4" plastics on eBay that resemble tadpoles that Ive had some luck on pairing with a size 18 hook. Not exactly a plastic but the gulp maggots you can buy in a jar. Ive cut this into 4 pieces and used that to some success . Tiny balls of crappie nibbles seem to work as well.
This is my first post here so hopefully I did this correctly.
Ive also used a piece of a crappie tube jig that I cut into a very tiny sliver and put on a size 24 hook as a very tiny wacky rig and caught a few micros like that.
My favourite are berkeley micro grubs, they come second only to real worms for me. I just tear them into tiny bits