How long do your minnow last on the hook/bobber setup

Why some minnows die faster on the hook than others. I've had lively crappie minnows die within minutes compared to others lasting 1 hr or more on the hook. The ones dying fast I check for missing scales to see it was hit, with no scales missing it puzzles me why they die so fast.

Yesterday I put on a big healthy 2" chub on a dead line setup hanging over the boat. I checked it 5 minutes later, dead as a doornail. No scales missing so why would it die so fast?

For me they last longer when hook only thru open mouth thru nostrils. When retriving my bobber they come in natural head first thru the water compared to hooked in tail, less stress in nostril than tail I'm thinking.

I was always told that you would "drown" a minnow by pulling it thru the water backwards. :dono

Right now, if you drop a minnow below the thermocline level ... it'll die in short order. There ain't enough oxygen below that level.

When I used minnows, I always hooked them thru the eye socket (behind the eyeballs) when using a plain hook ... and from under the "chin" and out between the nostrils when using a jig.

I read somewhere that they will live longer if you hook them thru the lips from the bottom up. Seems to work well for me.

minnows die fast because of water temp. When you take one out of the bucket it's in cool water, when it hits the warmer temp of the lake the shock of temp change will kill it pretty quick. Just like putting fish in an aquarium, you put them in there in the bag they came in for a couple of hours BEFORE you dump them into the water you never dump them in right away.

they need do for sure need similar water temps. from bucket to lake and don't do well in the heat . they also do much better lip hooked than in the body .
in the summer keeping them alive is kind of tricky for sure .

Minnows are not as good as baby shad soft plastic baits for me.

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Minnows will last longer for me when I hook them in the bottom lip. Having said that they will die fast as well as those in your minnow bucket if you do not keep them cool. That is a primary reason why I switched to minnow imitating soft plastic lures years ago. Tip the soft plastic with a crappie nibble or some slab sauce and you will be catching as many or more crappie than with minnows and without all the hassle of using minnows.

Mike

Yep this time of year ..Hot Weather is a killer of Man and Bait......

'til a turtle comes by.

The minnows we buy around here are small 2" or less. Their mouths are so small wouldn't hooking thru lower and top lip pin their mouth shut so they can't breath. That's why I hook thru the mouth out the nostril so they can open their mouth.

The small lake I fish I'm told has a 12-14' thermocouple, max depth 25-30fot. Its has a 40-50ft bridge thru the middle forms a bottleneck to both sides. I fish under the bridge so I would think there's no lack of oxygen since deepest spot(9ft) is above the thermocouple.

I always replace the bucket water with lake water to get the minnow used to the warmer lake water temp. Should be no warm water shock to kill them.

With all that said it still puzzles me why some minnows will last a long time while others 5-10 minutes. There cheap $2 for 2+ doz. so I guess I shouldn't wonder

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Originally Posted by shipahoy41

Minnows are not as good as baby shad soft plastic baits for me.


Minnows will last longer for me when I hook them in the bottom lip. Having said that they will die fast as well as those in your minnow bucket if you do not keep them cool. That is a primary reason why I switched to minnow imitating soft plastic lures years ago. Tip the soft plastic with a crappie nibble or some slab sauce and you will be catching as many or more crappie than with minnows and without all the hassle of using minnows.

Mike

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I'm out from 7am till 2-3pm and after replacing bucket water with warm lake water in the mourn I very sledom have any die in the bucket. After 7-8 hrs they're still very lively when I go home.

I'm a lazy crappie fishermen that's why I use minnows. I don't jig or cast with soft plastic, I have 1 deadstick line over the boat edge and 2 bobber/hook. Spawn is the only time I cast with a bobber/jig setup.

Like I said I'm a lazy crappie fisherman. I set back and enjoy the day, to much work to jig or cast jigs all day

I balk at calling myself lazy, though it could be so. I prefer to view it as an energy conservation style of fishing.

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Originally Posted by Crappieorbust

I balk at calling myself lazy, though it could be so. I prefer to view it as an energy conservation style of fishing.

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Sorry, wasn't meaning to say anyone who sets back and bobber fished was lazy. I should have said "I guess I'm a little lazy, I don't work much for crappie I bobber fish".

Every fishing day I do start out with 2+ hrs of bass fishing then around 10am I crappie/gill fish. So I guess I work in the mourning and do my lazy fishing mid day when its hot.

lots of variables in this situation. we have had some hot days for sure. another thing to consider is time taken to get it on hook and into water. hot air hot water same effect I would think. some of the minnows could have been on last leg when you bought them too.

i only buy minnows if i am night fishing with bobbers. all my day fishing is with plastics and jigs or sinner baits.

Well no offense taken on my part, I am lazy. Go at night, throw out light and minnows on a bobber and get comfortable and let the crappie come to me, ( hopefully). Cooler at night and there is little or no boat traffic. I freeze the little miniature water bottles and put several in the cooler and will periodically put a fresh one in the minnow pail. So far it has worked out.

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Originally Posted by Charly

I'm out from 7am till 2-3pm and after replacing bucket water with warm lake water in the mourn I very sledom have any die in the bucket. After 7-8 hrs they're still very lively when I go home.

I'm a lazy crappie fishermen that's why I use minnows. I don't jig or cast with soft plastic, I have 1 deadstick line over the boat edge and 2 bobber/hook. Spawn is the only time I cast with a bobber/jig setup.

Like I said I'm a lazy crappie fisherman. I set back and enjoy the day, to much work to jig or cast jigs all day

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I like your style.

Try a split shot and a plain hook, hooked right at the base of the front of the dorsal fin just above the back bone.