As most of you know, fishing for trout in lakes is not unlike targeting other species in terms of identifying what depth they are most active in.
There are several ways to do this without the use of any equipment with one of those being using a lure as a search bait that is capable of controlled depth fishing.
We’ve been testing some of the new line of Ice Jigs from Rapala. Today we’re going to focus on the Pro Series Tungsten Wax Tail in 1/16.
Here’s the Details
Like the other jigs in this series, the head of the bait is made of tungsten for its size and sensitivity.
With the soft plastic trailer, the bait is approximately 1 5/8 long. The “wax” tail is a single rat tail that is designed to quiver with virtually no effort from the angler. Just a minute amount of current will get this little tail moving not to mention the jigging done by you.
The Wax Tail casts surprisingly well for something this light. We realize that this bait was originally designed to be dropped through a hole in the ice but we gotta tell you, these little baits are extremely effective in a lot of situations.
Since we don’t have any ice around here, we have been using the Pro Series to target not just trout but other panfish since its size lends itself so well to multiple species. This strategy has paid off just the way we envisioned.
The Wax Tail has a great little subdued wagging when you allow it to sink to the desired depth and then begin a slow, yo-yo-ing of the bait while you are retrieving it. Using it this way, we were able to maintain a consistent depth within a small vertical range thereby keeping it in the strike zone longer.
And we all know the eventual outcome when you can accomplish that—hooking up! That’s what it’s all about after all.
As small as the Wax Tail is, the hook has a 5% wider gap than traditional hooks of the same size. This is a neat little feature that helps account for the excellent hook-up ratio that we’ve had using this bait.
The soft plastics are above average for durability and can be replaced with the same Trigger-X trailers that come with the bait or you can choose to use something different. However, the ultra glow aspect of the plastic combined with how well it fits with the jig makes it really difficult to find a better mate for the hardware.
Putting it together
We’ve thrown these exclusively on 4# line, nothing heavier, nothing lighter. The results have been consistent in terms of how easily the bait casts, the much better than expected distance that we achieved and how easily it is to feel what’s going on with the bait.
Even in heavily stained water, we’ve never felt as though we’ve lost touch with this jig. On the contrary, in our time using the Wax Tail, the feeling of being connected to it no matter where we were fishing it has been on par with some of our favorite bass lures.
In the final analysis, the Wax Tail has been another addition to our panfish arsenal that offers a host of advantages. It casts well, is easy to work with multiple retrieves, is durable, easily controlled and most importantly – catches fish!
| Rapala Pro Series Tungsten Ice Jig Wax Tail | |
|---|---|
| Overall rating |   |
| Another excellent multi-species bait | |
See ya’ on the water …
