As water temps increase in summer and boat speed increase while power trolling roadrunners do you think tipping with minnows make a big difference?? Or is it just a reaction bite?
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As water temps increase in summer and boat speed increase while power trolling roadrunners do you think tipping with minnows make a big difference?? Or is it just a reaction bite?
Our best luck power trolling last weekend came off plain roadrunner heads tipped with Minnows
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I always start off tipping with minnows, and when the minnows run out, I run plain jigs (some roadrunner and various others). I always catch bigger fish with the minnows. Maybe it has to do with the time of day. I don't know, but it's enough of a difference that I continue shelling out money for the live bait and putting up with the hassle. That's how it works out for me.
I have been using minners as well! Tried it with just jigs and still caught some but the better fish and most fish were caught with minners.
Save the money just use bare hooks and minnow. That's what there after. Get a cast net and you got free bait. Shad is top on the list.
I've experimented with that some this year, haven't gotten brave enough to go to bare hook, but I've started using some jigs without the spoons or spinners or whatever the shiny metal thing is. Results....well, actually pretty good. I'm not a convert yet, but there's no denying the frugality of the switch. Roadrunners ain't cheap.
They get expensive for sure. Years ago when I pushed I started with road runner heads and minnows. I used jig heads. I used jigs tipped with minnows. Then I tried just a #2 bare hook and minnow. Then I got a cast net and used just the hook and shad. They all work great.
Let sat make you some. :ThumbsUp:ThumbsUpQuote:
Originally Posted by bigcrappiemax
I use minners and RR's and minners and gold hooks.
Do yall put any plastic on or just the minnow? I tried minnow minders a couple times but didn't have much luck with them. Seems like most plastic is designed to mimic the shape and action of a minnow so if you have an actual minnow on it would almost seem redundant.
Can't say for sure, I guess it just depends on the mood the fish are in that day. Few weeks ago before I dusted off the cranks I was catching limits each trip just power trolling with road runners with strollr's or curly tail plastics. I had minners in the boat and would tip a few with minners and the others without the first two trips, caught fish both ways, I just closed the minner bucket and didn't fool with them cause I didn't see the need to. I did notice a very slight increase of keeper to short ratio with the minner tipped road runners, I chalk that up to a larger presentation presented. Also, it would depend on the lake, I know two of the big 4 lakes this time a year that I wouldn't hesitate to leave the minners at the baitshop, the other two not so sure. Of course it's cranking time for me now, if I got to tip cranks with minners then that's just where I draw the line :Rofl
Im with snubby on the bigger presentation - bigger fish when power trolling. However you will still catch the occasional dink on a large jig or crank!
I have never tried bare roadrunner with minnow. Always had some kind of plastic with tail action and or Ziptails. Maybe have to try sometime but i would want big minners! I'm with Snubby bigger profile better quality of fish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Speck
Do you still just hook them through the lips?
YesQuote:
Originally Posted by Jwater
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I push all summer with a big curly tail and no minnows. I'm trying to get as big a profile as a crankbait though.
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Went this morning pushing cranks on three 20ft cane poles. A first for this fisherman, and let me tell you, those poles are taking some getting used to. My 12 footers are much lighter, but I'm digging the extra 8 feet. But, I had twelve keepers and a ton of short fish after three hours. My fourth pole was set up with double jigs, no minnows. It caught the most fish of all the poles. It did have two jigs on it, though, and a lot of what it caught were throwbacks. Although, it did bring in a few keepers too.
My question for you professional crank-pushers (non-drug related of course) is: Does the crank run below the weight or behind it? I was curious about my depth, not wanting to stick one of those expensive rascals in a treetop, so I erred on the side of caution and ran a little bit shallower than I would've liked. I think I'd found some bigger fish if I'd went deeper with the cranks. That's where the jigs found some nice ones. So which is it?
Below or behind or does speed dictate the answer?
((edit...sorry about hijacking the Roadrunner thread, but I was using Roadrunners on one pole so I'm only half-jacking it))
We did best Power Trolling straight minnows on a gold hook yesterday at Butla. Problem was we had 8 rigs break when the big fish hit it. Not sure why but my partner tied his first rigs and they broke. Bad spool of line or something. Had over 15lbs Friday there on 7 and never broke a rig that I had tied with the same line, but a different spool, and the Fish Were Still There. When fishing for 10-12 Big bites a day there’s no coming back in a tourney if ya lose 7-8 of em.
We used jigs tipped with minnows Friday but they wanted a smaller presentation yesterday for some reason. Tried jigs/minnows, straight jigs, RR heads with a straight minnow and a hook with straight minnows. The fish told us what we needed to do.
Remember this when switching Presentations/Baits, You Must Use The Changed Bait on BOTH of the drops on your rig. Lots of guys change the TOP bait only. That won’t give you an accurate tell because most of the fish are always caught on the Bottom Bait.
Oh yea, some days it doesn’t matter what you do. They just won’t bite. [emoji4]
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Problem was we had 8 rigs break when the big fish hit it. Not sure why but my partner tied his first rigs and they broke. Bad spool of line or something.
Are you using beads above and below the weight?
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Probably too hard of a hookset!!!!!LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine
When pushing road runners, what weight head do you guys use? When using a 2 ounce weight I cant see where it would matter much on what size, but I thought I'd ask before I bought any.
YupQuote:
Originally Posted by feelay
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I usually push a 3oz, but have used 2’s. I agree the RR head weight doesn’t matter much as long as it has a good size hook in it.Quote:
Originally Posted by FurFlyin
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The head size doesn't matter much but the heavier heads have larger hooks....Quote:
Originally Posted by FurFlyin
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How big a hook are you guys using?
I like a 1/0 or even a 2/0 sickle hook.
And I thought a #2 was a big hook. LOL.
How do you put a crappie jig body on a 1/0 or 2/0? A #2 is a little long for some bodies.
I should say I like that big hook for Mississippi crappie! Go big or go home! LOL
We use big jig bodies in MS tooQuote:
Originally Posted by FurFlyin
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Bladed JigsQuote:
Originally Posted by FurFlyin
1/16-—#1
1/8—-1/0
1/4—-2/0
I’ve got regular jig heads (1/16,1/8) with smaller #2’s in them but I use those for pushing single Jigs in the wood or grass.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by feelay
Why a bead above and below the weight? Whats the significance of that? And I’m assuming you’re not wrapping that weight, putting a barrel swivel below the weight???
WOW!!! What great info. Thanks members..
Question. When you say pushing are you fishing in the front of the boat or? Pulling cranks is aft correct?
Everything's bigger in Tex, ur Mississippi!Quote:
Originally Posted by G";3645831]We use big jig bodies in MS too
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Beads help keep the weight from cutting the line. Correct on the swivel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jwater
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Pushing is like spider rigging out of the front. Power Trolling and pushing cranks is just spider rigging with bigger weights to hold the Baits down while going much faster. Power Trolling about .8-1.2 mph. 1 mph average. Pushing cranks can be from 1 mph to 2 mph but I like 1.5-1.7 best. At those speeds the cranks wobble faster causing a reaction strike. It’s become in vogue to tie a roadrunner about 3’ above the crank to give you an extra bait in the water. The crank pulls the jig down with it. I’ve caught tons of fish on the roadrunner. It does feel weird when you reel in a fish on the jig and you still feel the crankbait wobbling behind it.Quote:
Originally Posted by mac
Pulling is from the rear of the boat. Long lining and cranking is considered pulling.
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ARE you using egg sinkers
YesQuote:
Originally Posted by sinkum
Egg sinkers. And i will try a roadrunner with a crankbait too. Soooo many options. Gonna have to retire sooner than i think.
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TTI was making a bigger RR head after a pro bass fisherman won the classic with some he poured himself, I've got a couple but cant find them in stores anymore now. They have been deadly on bass with a paddle tail fluke, they would be perfect for some of you guys looking for a bigger bait profile. They were expensive though, I lost one of the ones I bought when they first came out and it took me a couple days to get over it.
What weight of roadrunner are we talking? I had Bugman at Simply Crappie make me some 1/4 oz ones that look great. I only hope to try them sometime!