Who uses 'em? I finally tried them out and had a very productive session. Rigged backwards they look just like a fleeing crawfish. Screw lock 4/0 EWG made one bait good for at least 10 fish. Definitely another tool in the kit.

I've always done very well with them. 

One thing I did that helped my hooking % was to trim away some of the plastic directly in front of the hook point. Creates a low spot on the bait.

I like rigging them backwards... the only problem I have with that after they hit bottom, they don’t retrieve well/naturally.  You have to get that quick reaction bite, after that they “corkscrew” back to the boat.  

51 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

I like rigging them backwards... the only problem I have with that after they hit bottom, they don’t retrieve well/naturally.  You have to get that quick reaction bite, after that they “corkscrew” back to the boat.  

Thats not an issue I have unless the rigging gets tweaked making the ika come off the bend of hook or not on straight in some way. Mine always run/retrieve smoothly. 

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A person can also walk the dog at surface and subsurface with them that is good for hits throughout the year.

Great for tossing on weed mats as well.

I just started using them last week.  Still experimenting with 3 different 4/0

hooks.

 

Which 4/0 screw lock hook were you using?

Love Fat Ika - did very well for first time during my trip up in Lake Oneida. I was just killing them. They are part of my core plastic. 

7 hours ago, Revival said:

I just started using them last week.  Still experimenting with 3 different 4/0

hooks.

 

Which 4/0 screw lock hook were you using?

Gammy.

Always have some in my tackle box. It is pretty versatile, can cast a mile away, Sink fast enough that can fish in 10-15 Fow and a good skipping plastic.

One of my "go-to" baits in the warmer months. Works very well on either species too. Being as they are jigged up and off the bottom and allowed to "walk backwards" back to the bottom, retrieving has never been an issue for me.

 

I use them to pitch to pads a lot.  The Jackal Cover Craw and the Kietech Solid Core Tubes have the same gliding action as the Ika.  The Kietech tubes are a good bit heavier as well, which lets me use a more powerful  rod to fish them in heavier cover.