Do You Use Attractors?

I have used attractors frequently when fishing LBDN, and I'm wondering if others do. By attractors I mean lures jigged to try to pull perch in for a closer look. For example, I jig large, shiny salmon spoons for half a minute or so while I have a rig out for perch on another rod. A lure I have had good luck with is a Lewis Rat-L-Trap in the one-quarter ounce size. They don't work every time, but sometimes pull fish in quickly with their noise and flash. If perch are not present, I try to attract them. Others I have talked to often say they don't use attractors, but if you think about it, that is exactly what you are doing when you jig a Swedish Pimple. You are trying to attract and catch perch. I have occasionally caught large perch, and walleyes, pike, or trout on the attractor. I sometimes find them effective when perch are not biting, or not present. They are worth trying before you leave for a new spot. Have you tried them? Any good experiences? Suggestions?

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Originally Posted by raywriter

I have used attractors frequently when fishing LBDN, and I'm wondering if others do. By attractors I mean lures jigged to try to pull perch in for a closer look. For example, I jig large, shiny salmon spoons for half a minute or so while I have a rig out for perch on another rod. A lure I have had good luck with is a Lewis Rat-L-Trap in the one-quarter ounce size. They don't work every time, but sometimes pull fish in quickly with their noise and flash. If perch are not present, I try to attract them. Others I have talked to often say they don't use attractors, but if you think about it, that is exactly what you are doing when you jig a Swedish Pimple. You are trying to attract and catch perch. I have occasionally caught large perch, and walleyes, pike, or trout on the attractor. I sometimes find them effective when perch are not biting, or not present. They are worth trying before you leave for a new spot. Have you tried them? Any good experiences? Suggestions?

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You make an excellent point on attracting! I have used the Swedish pimple and other (little cleo) lures to "see" what's in the area I have set up on. When the Vexlar screen stays blank, then its time to move. If (especially) perch are around, they will show up. There have been days when I actually do better with the pimple, whether it is used with or without a minnow/minnow head --than on my other rod set up with a just a minnow/ tear drop combination. And of course there are those days when neither works well!!

I often use a larger (heavy) jigging rap and pound the bottom to churn things up a little. Seems to work well to attract fish. I've even had perch that are the same size as my jigging rap bump it a few times out of curiosity lol. Fun to watch.

At times when using a camera and watching perch, I'll see them suddenly scatter and I know a pike is probably nearby. If the camera has a panning feature to scan in a circle around the area I'll start jigging an attractor while having a friend scan. Sometimes the pike comes in close to the camera and looks like a submarine. Very entertaining! (Even nicer when its a big walleye!)