So what's your favorite way to hook a minnow
without killing it?
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So what's your favorite way to hook a minnow
without killing it?
I’ve tried all the ways I feel like but always end up going back to hooking em in the back. I’m sure others have ways they prefer but that’s just worked best for me personally
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If fishing stationary under bobber with sinker and hook we used to hook in them in the back. When we were tipping a jig or casting a bobber, sinker, hook setup that was twitch retrieved, it was always through the lips.
Thru the eye socket & behind the eyeballs (not thru them) when using regular hooks. Under the "chin" and up/out between the nostrils when using a jig.
I've used about every way I know how to hook a minner - back, tail, lips, eye socket - and even back hooked with tail fins clipped off (so they wiggle but can't propel themselves forward).
If the minner is "recently deceased" and I'm using a jig, I'll run the hook into the mouth and exit it behind the head. If I'm using a regular hook, I'll likely use the dead minner for chum. :biggrin
Through the bottom jaw and out the nostril. Through the back I usually always kill the quickly.
Jack ... ya gots to run the hook thru ABOVE the lateral line or you'll end up severing the backbone & killing the minner. I never liked hooking them thru the back (or tail) because a Bluegill can grab the minner by the head and yank it right off the hook faster than you can react to set the hook (not that that would do you any good, anyway).Quote:
Originally Posted by DockShootinJack
I was aware that you had to avoid that area while hooking them. Most fish swallow the minnow head first. If it is hooked in the heas area then the hook will be deeper in the mouth giving a better percentage of hookups
I have better luck through the lip and head. My hands tend to shake and kill too many in the back. I've never used the eye socket, does this give you a better hookup?
I don't know as it gives a "better" hookup, but the minnow IS a bit harder for fish to yank off the hook. If I'm remembering correctly, though, it does allow for the hook to be a bit deeper in the fish's mouth .. so the hook is less likely to be tearing a hole in the mouth membranes, since it's more likely to stick into something inside the fish's mouth.Quote:
Originally Posted by DWILL
Come to think of it, I've always hooked them "behind" the eyes ... and I'm not really sure why :dono but it was probably the way someone taught me. Thinking about it now, I'm wondering if running the hook thru the eye socket IN FRONT of the eyeballs would be better ?? :scratchhead See, when you run the hook thru the eye socket, you'll feel a little "pop" when the hook penetrates the membrane. If you catch a fish, or the minnow gets attacked by small fish, sometimes that can lead to the hook tearing the eye socket open quite a bit and leaving the minnow basically dangling on the hook with little to nothing holding it. I may be overthinking this, but running the hook thru the socket & in front of the eyes might keep the minnow on the hook longer ... I don't know. It's been MANY years since I've even used minnows, so I'm kinda rusty on the subject.