Minnow questions

Hey guys, long time lurker, first time…you know the thing.

I took up the crappie addiction, I mean fishing last year and bought a boat and all the accoutrements - FFS, spotlock, etc. I have just started getting on some fish but I have noticed a couple things of late.

When trying to slip cork minnows for fish sitting on timber at 15-25’ in 30-50fow, my weight falls much faster than my minnow on a #4 eagle claw. Logically. But the fish seem more interested in the weighted swivel (black colored) than the minnow. I still catch some but many fish either swarm the swivel (could be bluegill but I am catching crappie here) or swim up to the minnow look at it and swim away. I tried a longer leader (6# fluoro), smaller profile weight (hence the weighted swivel vs an egg sinker), and even switching minnows. But the minnows would still be flopping when I real in. Maybe this is par for the course and it’s just how they are. For reference I’m fishing a clear, deep highland reservoir, casting or vertical jigging to schooled black fish on submerged standing timber on channel swings against bluffs. Thanks in advance for any pointers or input.


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Sounds like bluegill. Theyll nip at the minnows tail, swivels, split shot, everything. They swarm at movement, so anything you drop down will attract a nearby bluegill at first. You are looking for the bigger marks that stay below the minnows, then slowly rise straight up and grab it. If they are moving around up/down and look “swarming” they are bluegill or 6” crappie

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Originally Posted by Kevin22

Sounds like bluegill. Theyll nip at the minnows tail, swivels, split shot, everything. They swarm at movement, so anything you drop down will attract a nearby bluegill at first. You are looking for the bigger marks that stay below the minnows, then slowly rise straight up and grab it. If they are moving around up/down and look “swarming” they are bluegill or 6” crappie

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I think you’re right, the swarming hornets are probably bluegill. Although I did catch one of these little pests, and turns out it was an 8-9” crappie. But there were several stationary football shaped returns that I’m 95% sure are crappie, stacking vertically and below the school of bluegill and below the large balled up school of crappie. And they do the same. Swim from below the minnow, look at it, and swim down. I do catch a few here and there in this scenario, and a couple decent ones 13”+. But this response by the rest of the fish puzzled me.


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Crappie are also known to bite a sinker every now & then. :yikes

Maybe next time put a jig on in place of the #4 hook, and tip it with a small minner or a Wax Worm. Cast well past the fish and let the rig get to the depth of the fish close to the bottom, then let it swing back until it's in among those fish ... and VERY slowly reel it up. You also might consider having a black or brown plastic body on that jighead. Black Crappie are more likely to eat a bug, larvae, or small craw than a White Crappie. So if they're sniffin' your minners & rejecting them, try a different kinda "meat".

I have been leaving the extra hardware off my minnow poles for a good while now. I use #4 Owner 4305 Mosquito Lite Wire Super Needle Point hooks. I swing 1-1/2# Crappie all day with those. Extremely strong for their size. Above the hook I only use Clam Shots today from Bass Pro. The biggest they make. Since I use braid with my minnow poles I take a Sharpe and blackout 3ft of line above the hook. Ketchn had words of wisdom I took to Heart that has caused a serious decrease in our Crappie population, he said; Don't have a long Leash on a minnow so since then I have no more than 8 inches of line between the hook and weight. No more swivels, slip sinkers, etc just 2 bobber stops, one above at my chosen depth and one below the cork along with however many split shots are needed (usually 1/8oz) and a hook. If I can see the hook when the Crappie breaks the surface and it's not in the top of the mouth I get the net otherwise I swing'em in.