live bait vs plastics

with opener just around the corner , what's everybody's preference come opening day

Plastics of live bait??

If I can get on the water I like to troll crank baits shallow for the first 1.5 months of the season. Works great. If you are jigging I'm sure most would advise you to use a minnow and a jig head. I would always pack some plastics as well to try out.

Myself I prefer live bait and always get minnows for my trips...

If it's live it's minnows for the first 2-3 weeks or so. Then worms.

I have generally leaned towards minnows when the water's still cold and the fish are a little more sluggish, trolling less productive. Good time of year to take it easy and let a float do the work.. but I have had soft plastics out fish minnows too (jigging, slow retrieves).

KOKE,

When you say SHALLOW what do you mean in terms of depth?

Thank.

My guess is 12ft or less.

I swear I replied to this yesterday. I am not sure what happened. @owen21, at this time of year I often have success in 5-8 feet of water at sunset with Rapala Original Floaters. I usually troll them from a canoe real stealthy like. The other day I didn't have much time so I decided to toss a bobber with a leech out from my yard. I was probably only able to get out to 6 FOW but I caught a 16" walleye right from shore. It's cool to know they are in so close.

Minnows this yr..most caugt and realesed!

realeased after pic

released as well

Spring fishing most of our spots you can touch bottom with your rod tip (maybe not this year). When my dad was younger him and my grandfather were fishing off an island that had bare rock run out at one end. They watched a school swim up and over the hump
I caught several in July casting off the dock one day. 3-4ft. Water was choppy and some passed through, hitting anything.