question

[KPI]

i fish with a camera and a vex! i miss alot of smaller fish that just mouth the lure then i lift to set the hook and fish is gone what do you guys suggest i do to fix this problem of missing these fish i am using small jigs tipped with wax worms?

[slabslayer]

Try a smaller hook size on your jig.  Or try a single maggot on your jig.  The smaller your offering, the better your success on smaller or shy fish.

[firefish532]

KPI try using a really sensitive rod with 1 or 2 lbtest or you can go with thread from any walmart or sewing place it is the real deal I use it and it does work

[HardWater Junkie]

I would just get a couple sticks of dynamite. Light them and run. Then you take your net and scoop up as many dinks as you want. You'll show those dinks whos boss. jk. Please dont do that. I dont want a knock on my door because it happened and the cops were told that I said to do that. . What I would really do is to start downsizing. Put on a small gill pill or diamond jig from CJS. You can start with a size 10 and work down to a 16. If your fishing some deeper water tie on a small tungsten. Start with a 5 mm and work your way down to a 2.5. The 2.5 is an extremely small jig. I will not tie them when im on the ice. You will lose a few and at 3-4 dollors a pop you learn fast. I normally tie them on at home on my marmish rods. I personally like the marmish max as I like the spring bobber over the standard. I have had the best luck feelng the bite on those micro jigs with my marmish. Its not a rod that I use all the time but perfect for the application. Normally when the bite gets that tough I will switch to a small micro plastic over live bait. Then spray your jig with some good sent or rub a little smelly jelly on it. The reason i switch from live to plastics is because I can rig that tail exactly how it want it. Maybe the want that tail at a 45 or more sticking up like a shrimpo or sticking straight out like a ratso or sometimes pointing slightly down. You have to keep trying until they start to hit. There is times when they will want that 1 spike or even a half spike over the plastics but 90% of the time Im using plastics. When I do use spike or maggots I have 10 times better luck with the red maggots over the whites. If your in stained water start with the bright colors and glow then I switch to gold or silver plated then work to the natural colors and glow. On gin clear water I really like to start with gold then silver plated jigs then to my blues and greens and then so on. If they are sarting to getting in to feed mode I start with those colors with the addition of red belly's or tails. I have found that the red belly or tail will make them feed a little more. It doesn't work as much as the lure company's like to hype it up but it does work. I have about 15 different style ice jigs that I paint myself. I do it for 2 reasons. The first is the money. You can make 4 -8 jigs for the price of 1 store bought. Also the most important factor of doing that is to paint them what ever color/s that you want. There is a million different color combos you can buy. Just paint them yourself and you can have have all of those combos. For all of my multi colored jigs I use my airbrush. If its single color I will powder coat them most times. The powder coat dries faster and harder then paint but I cant make those multi colors look very good with the powder so I just spray them. Oh and then you have the dropper rigs for when none of that will work. I wont keep going on and on as im sure nobody wants to keep reading this but if you have any more questions just ask. But remember if your marking fish but they wont bite just keep switching until the do. If you are interested in the marmish rod here is the link. Not everyone likes them but they work perfect for the job. GOOD LUCK

https://www.marmish.ca/shop/items.html?page=1

[OhioFisher19]

I am a spring bobber fan. Seems to help me a lot. When I say SPRING bobber, I mean the ones that are a small spring. If you can see them on a camera and they are biting seems like you should be able to get them and may not be a jig size IMO... Check if the hook is sharp too!

[erierider]

Think the purpose of this forum being started is to help. Not to be smarting off. Reserve the jokes for the general area and assist with the question.
Don't bust up this forum and make someone feel like they can't ask a question. This forum was started for that purpose.
My input would be the lightest line you can get with a spring bobber. See me. I have some add on ones you are more than welcome to.
I have a Frabill ultra light Panfish Popper with a built in spring bobber and that is very easy to detect the hit. I think the vex helps more than the camera for bites.
The camera lets you know fish are in the area but I think the vex works better for me in hook up.
Not sure if it lets me hook the fish at the time I know too set the hook and is more natural to set the hook or if there is another reason. Both have their place but the vex wins out every time if I had to choose.
Now from a intel standpoint I like the camera because it gives you the instant result if fish are swimming by/in the vicinity of your bait or if it's time to drill another hole.

[Luvztaphish]

Are you just hooking the waxworm or threading it over the hook ? Try to cover the hook completely

[wballard77]

since you have a camera let them nibble at your bait, once they get the taste of live bait they will eventually (although at times painstaking) swallow the bait.

[erierider]

since you have a camera let them nibble at your bait, once they get the taste of live bait they will eventually (although at times painstaking) swallow the bait.

Very good tip on that

[Minnowhead]

Plastics might help.  Then they would have to injest the hook.

[panfishnut]

What has worked for me in the past is to open the hook point just a little. Make sure you don't bend down the barb or go too far and snap the hook. I seem to hook the fish in the top of the mouth instead of the lip. You'll have to experiment with the angle a little. Hope this helps.