Minnows

Heck I’m not sure what category to put this under but here it goes. I’m having trouble with a lot of fish just basically sucking the minors right off my hook. Using the same #2 eagle claw hooks been always using for years on other lakes with no problem. This is a new Lake. The bobber will jiggle a little bit or go under for a split second then the minnow is gone. Not even time to set my hook. Esp fishing several rods. Have hooked the minnow both through the lips and through the back behind the fin. Neither way make any difference. What ya got out there they may help me out? Thanks

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Originally Posted by sds888

The bobber will jiggle a little bit or go under for a split second then the minnow is gone.

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Use better floats. This is a good one:

https://www.fishusa.com/product/Thil...hy-Bite-Floats

Sounds to me like BLUEGILL are grabbing the minnow and diving, pulling the float under. I always hook my minners through the eye socket (behind the eyeballs) when using a regular hook. When using a jig, I hook them from under the "chin" and out between the nostrils. Actually "lip hooking" a minner is just asking for the slightest tap, of any sized fish, to knock it off the hook.

Now, don't get me wrong ... Bluegill can and do get minners off the hook, even when hooked thru the eye sockets. And if they don't get it off, they peck at it until they kill it ... usually at the eyes and side fins. When a float disappears in a flash, or is jerked under the surface and then starts to come right back up ... that's generally a sign of a Bluegill bite. Crappie bites are usually a gradual steady pulling down of the float. Even small Crappie can inhale a 2-3" minner, but a small Bluegill can't, so it tries to peck it to death, first, then it can nip & peck until it tears the minner apart & can get the pieces in its mouth. That's my observations, anyway.

Thanks Pappy that makes total sense. This Lake is not known for its crappie but they have been caught and I’m trying to dial in on them. It would be easier to just drive 15 miles to the lake I’m use to but I live on this one now so might as well as make the best of it.


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

try hooking minnow your normal way but take a short piece of light line and a small treble hook. hook the treble just in front of tail of minnow(stinger hook). Maybe this will get those short bites so you can find out what's taking bait

Use worms and smaller hooks and fry up some blue gill!

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Originally Posted by sds888

Heck I’m not sure what category to put this under but here it goes. I’m having trouble with a lot of fish just basically sucking the minors right off my hook. Using the same #2 eagle claw hooks been always using for years on other lakes with no problem. This is a new Lake. The bobber will jiggle a little bit or go under for a split second then the minnow is gone. Not even time to set my hook. Esp fishing several rods. Have hooked the minnow both through the lips and through the back behind the fin. Neither way make any difference. What ya got out there they may help me out? Thanks

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Maybe you could use a small 1/64 popeye jig and try and catch both bluegill and crappies .

I'm with Pappy. Don't believe your getting crappie bites. Crappie open that big mouth flair those gills and get that minner. When they get it they don't want to let go

If I was in your situation I would go with a much smaller bait and hook. I know your from the south but there is no way that I would ever fish with a hook as big as your using. Get the smallest minnow you can get and match the hook to the bait size.

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

Sounds to me like BLUEGILL are grabbing the minnow and diving, pulling the float under. I always hook my minners through the eye socket.

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X2 ^^

Another possible full explanation, or at least a factor to consider that no one has mentioned yet is the amount of resistance your bobber has when the minnow is hit.
If you are using a bobber that has more than slight resistance- its too big.

With the total weight of your presentation on your line, you want you bobber to just barely be buoyant. For example, some old timers, and even yet today savvy fisherman may use porcupine quills for a bobber/float.
Personally I like the Thill slip float bobbers that slide on your line allowing you better casting ability. Just be sure to have your presentation barely buoyant. This way your giving the least resistance to fish to help them pull your bait off of the hook and rather allowing the bait/hook to be sucked in by them.

I see this all the time with dads and kids who don't know better. For casting they put a 1 1/2" to 2" red/white bobber on their line for bluegill fishing with a hook and small sinker below it. I stop and explain to the dad the bouyancy

Oh, I forgot to mention that the minnow's weight also has to be factored, and you need to be enough positive buoyant that the minnow doesn't pull your bobber under when it tries to swim down.

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Originally Posted by Centerliner

I see this all the time with dads and kids who don't know better. For casting they put a 1 1/2" to 2" red/white bobber on their line for bluegill fishing with a hook and small sinker below it. I stop and explain to the dad the bouyancy

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This is a pet peeve of mine. :banghead

It's like they're trying to make it as hard as possible for their kids to catch a fish.

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

This is a pet peeve of mine. :banghead

It's like they're trying to make it as hard as possible for their kids to catch a fish.

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Most times I've seen that, it appears that the folks are using spincast outfits, probably too heavy of line, and need the big bobber to get any distance on the cast. They're usually telling the kids to jerk whenever the bobber so much as wiggles, and many times well after the bobber has stopped moving. :Doh:

I really think they grasp the general idea of fishing, but are not "into it" ... mentally or financially ... probably never having had a family member or friend to guide them along.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

Most times I've seen that, it appears that the folks are using spincast outfits, probably too heavy of line, and need the big bobber to get any distance on the cast. They're usually telling the kids to jerk whenever the bobber so much as wiggles, and many times well after the bobber has stopped moving. :Doh:

I really think they grasp the general idea of fishing, but are not "into it" ... mentally or financially ... probably never having had a family member or friend to guide them along.

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Yep. It's sad. :(

Some times I love to go watch old People fishing as many times I am giving them my catch. They slam the pole in the water with every cast. Snatch the snot out of it and have several yards of slack in the line and making enough racket to raise the dead. Now I am not making fun of them in any way, because they catch enough to feed their family and getting out of the house and enjoying what God gave them, and love to fish. It was just a difference in I was taught, Do not scare the fish, keep a tight line and watch the line for the bite. I liked to catch Gills on worms and small hook with no weight. the slow sinking of the bait was the perfect fall rate for anything that swims. Most of the time we used Black sewing thread because it was all we had . I have crawled to casting range of the bedding fish many times and brought home supper

Often times noise attracts fish. Especially White Perch.

Fish on Line

Guess I also am from that era for what one caught was food on the table

most of the time I used a cane pole, back then couldn’t afford what we kids called fancy tackle.

Even then in the stained or muddy waters we would experience the No Catch Biters,

So curiosity got the best of me and tried something that at times still works for me to this day,
that was a little stinger hook, tied off using the tag end about an inch or so from the bait hook,
turned out as one suspected, small ones, from gills, to perch, to bass.

At least found out what they were.


billygee :rolleyes: