Time to Experiment, Bugs coming

Tied some old school wireworms to try out some new set lines today, the late ice bonanza approaches. Going to make a bunch more different patterns and sizes of various common larvae and such. Nice and heavy they maintain good contact with the line. Going to work them in as a top hook for now. Getting sloppy out there. Still some deep slush holes in my area but also some bare ice.... very wet on top.

interesting---what materials are you using?

Nice looking worms !

Very cool - i want to try those in the Park

Berkeley drop shot hooks, Northland punch jigs, solid copper wire and my fingers. Copper wire I’m using has 4 different colours, I worked that in for some red, I have some white ones, green ones, multicolour, now I just need some beads from the craft store and I’m set.

Me too, I notice the specks at opener eat tiny green worms at the creek mouths. Their stomachs are generally full when I clean them... gonna make some custom green wireworms specifically for that too.

Good idea I ve had luck with olive color good luck

The lineup is expanding!

Those look really good. Especially the red one and the green one, two over to the left.

Really fascinating! Are you trying to imitate any particular grub or just guessing at what they might go for(The hit spoons etc and don't see too much in the water that looks like a spoon! ) Is that any kind of special wire that you are using or just stuff you had lying around? was called 'dynamite wire'---not sure if it still is.
thx

Particular stuff I’m using i got for a dollar at the thrift store, it was a 100ft coil of cable designed to be buried for invisible fences I believe. It’s four strands of solid copper core wire... I don’t know the gauge unfortunately. Using glass beeds from the local craft store. I haven’t gone after any particular grub pattern yet other than the green ones very closely resembled the ones I find in the specks in the spring. And also the white Caddis larvae I’ve found loaded in the bellies of the whitefish I catch on late ice, sometimes still in their husks.

Mayflies seem to hatch in great numbers in the spring and the trout love them. I am not sure how different the larvae look from the caddis larvae. Have you thought about making some mayfly nymph imitations? I think mayflies are also called shad flies.

Nice work budz!!! Nothing better than hooking up a fish on something you created and made. They all look good to me....might also want to try a small red or orange bead right at the knot when you tie one....I would think anything sucking on an egg would be to good to resist.....hope you get some fish and post them.....good luck....

Scott

Have you tried tipping them with a worm?lol Sorry couldn't resist, Interesting for sure.

Some more.