Due to the invasive presence of round Gobies in Lake Simcoe, there has been a notable surge in angler preference for Goby imitation baits, which have proven to be exceptionally effective in yielding successful catches. In response to this demand, the soft plastic bait industry has made significant advancements in creating highly realistic Goby-style lures.

 Among the notable contributors to this market is Grumpy Baits, a local manufacturer renowned for its comprehensive range of soft plastic offerings. 

Grumpy Baits has a wide selection of goby style baits including their Micro Grubby, Mini Goby, Round Goby and Goliath Goby soft plastic styles. The best technique in fishing a soft plastic goby presentation is using a ned rig style . The ned jig comes in a variety of sizes/weights and material, the most common is lead however tungsten is also becoming more popular (although more expensive per jig).  The key here is to match the bait size with the proper ned jig hook and weight size.  

Check out the all new Badd Boyz design at http://magzmfg.com/product.html 

This bait is best used for catching Whitefish and Lake Trout but will catch many other game fish including Yellow Perch, Walleye and Northern Pike.

www.magzmfg.com

Similar to the Badd boyz, the Meegs has become a very popular bait on Lake Simcoe. The basic design also mimics a Round Goby, feeding baitfish or sculpin on bottom. They've been designed with strong, razor sharp hooks for more successful hookups. Get creative and tip this bait with plastic and livebait to entice finicky biters. This bait is used much the same as the Badd Boyz as stated above. 

www.williams.ca

The Williams "Whitefish" and "Icejig" are without a doubt the most popular line of spoons used by Simcoe anglers. These two styles of spoons continually produce healthy numbers of whitefish and lake trout. These spoons are meant to mimic a wounded baitfish with its up and down fluttering action, imitating  an emerald shiner, smelt or lake herring. Available in a smooth finish, hammered design and gold, silver or "half and half" combination, these spoons are simple to use and produce big fish. When fishing for whitefish, stir up the bottom, rest the spoon and jig it off bottom. Try shorter jigs to entice finicky biters.In some instances, fish will hit the spoon as its fluttering to its original position, ensure your line is tight as the spoon flutters down so you can feel the hit when the fish bites.

Modify Your Spoon:

Under heavily pressured situations and during the middle of the ice fishing season, fish tend to shy away from conventional baits and may become less aggressive. Fishermen can either try to find active fish or modify their existing bait. Try to "experiment" and either switch up for less conventional baits or modify more popular baits to rekindle the interest of heavily pressured fish. 

With the WIlliam's spoons, the bottom treble can be tipped with a minnow head or one or two small emerald shiners. Some anglers thread a small tube jig or small jensen egg onto the treble or tie on maribou strung, feathers, flashabou or bucktail materials to add that extra bit of flash. In some circumstances, anglers will experiment with reversing the spoon by tieing their main line to the opposite end of the spoon and switching the treble hook to change the fluttering action. 

www.rapala.ca

The Jigging Rapala (Especially the Silver and White color) is an old favorite that’s been around the ice fishing scene for countless years. It produces lots of  fish and can be used to catch whitefish, lake trout and yellow perch. Its unique design and plastic fin allow the lure to sway back and forth on an upward jig and swoop in a circular motion back to its original position. Utilize larger jigging motions to attract distant fish to the bait. Often, quivering the lure will entice a bite if the fish are inactive. Experiment with shorter snaps, jigging times and techniques until you find a pattern that works. 

Tip the bottom treble with “meat”, usually a minnow head, half minnow or perch eye for added attraction, scent and taste. Smaller jigging Rapala's work wonders for enticing aggressive yellow perch.  

The whole idea is use the jigging rapala to attract the fish to your bait, and the small bead or minnow head is used to focus the fishes attention to one area of the bait, which will entice the fish to bite the bait. 

Every seasoned angler should have a tube jig in their tackle box. Not only are they great for summertime bass fishing, these baits are incredible for hard water fishing. The white tube in a 2 - 3" size has been a productive "go to" bait for many lake trout anglers. 

Here's a few tricks to make tube jigs even more effective under ice:

1. Rip the tube by slowly pulling the tentacles apart and allowing the body to tear. If you do this between all the tentacles, the action in the water is greatly increased.

2. Try drop shotting with a tube. Use a fairly large drop shot hook (No. 2) and nose hook the tube. The drop shot weight can vary from 1/4 to 1/2 oz.

3. Experiment with shades of white. At times, a bright white tube jig is best, but pearl, cream and off white have proven their worth.

4. Add a treble hook stinger to your tube jig to increase hook up percentages. Use a thicker diameter line (12-20lb) test to tie your treble hook to your main hook. The treble hook should be 1-2 inches from your main hook.

Whitefish anglers also utilize smaller 1" sizes tied on a 6-10" fluorocarbon leader beneath a spoon for added strikes.  The hollow design of a tube jig allows anglers to stuff the bodies with scent or cut bait. 

www.mcgathyshooks.com

A family in Michigan came up with the Slab Grabber which is a wide spoon providing a unique, erratic wobbling action compared to many other more slender spoons. The main difference with the Slab Grabber is the colored bead located at the base of the hook. This bead provides an added attractant and an edge which has proven deadly, especially for larger yellow perch. 

The Slab Grabber doesn't require livebait and is best used without. It is used similarly to a spoon, jig it near bottom and wait for the bite. This bait can also be used much more slowly with less jigging action as the bead will provide attraction on its own. 

The Slab Grabber has been known for its interesting design which allows ice fishermen to simply unhook perch on the ice without using any hands. The fish can be bounced on the ice which allows the spoon to unhook itself from the fish. This takes practice and can be achieved by de-barbing the hook. This will allow for easy and painless unhooking and a chance to get the bait in the strike zone much faster.

www.berkley-fishing.com

An alternative choice to using hard baits, a soft plastic Gulp minnow by Berkley. It provides added lifelike action and scent. Soft plastic baits are gaining popularity in the ice fishing market, and for good reason, they produce fish. The smaller 2" baits are deadly for aggressive jumbo perch and the larger 3 and 4" sizes work great for lake trout. Ensure you're using a vertical jig head to sustain a horizontal "realistic" presentation. 

Tied by a local Simcoe fisherman, the "NEO" Goby Imitation hair jig provides a soft, natural look that no other hard bait can accomplish. These baits are great when paired with a spray on or gel scented product. The pulsating action of rabbit fur and marabou is tough to resist. Keep a few of these in your tackle box if you're willing to experiment and ice a few extra fish. A great alternative when the fishing gets slow and the fish want something a little different. If interested in trying this bait, contact admin@fishingsimcoe.com and mention NEO. 

www.northlandtackle.com

The Northland buckshot rattle spoon is a fishing spoon on steroids offering a lifelike, hollographic finish and a unique rattle chamber on the backside which provides the angler an additional attractive option for luring in fish. The buckshot is used like any other spoon, with the addition of the rattle chamber, experiment with shorter snaps, jiggles and quivers to optimize the rattle chamber and create as much sound as possible to lure in any distant fish. 

The buckshot can be used to catch almost every gamefish including Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Whitefish and Lake Trout.