I want to throw my minnow bucket away!!!!!!!

Here goes……..
How do I get out of the habit of taking minnows every time?
I talk to and read about crappie guys never using minnows.
I believe I have every style, color, plastic etc. made and lots and lots of jig heads. A fair selection of hand ties, roadrunners and the like.
I have Livescope, Mega DI, side scan and regular 2D.
Do I just go and fish with what I have knowing I may get skunked????
I love Spider rigging double minnow rigs and have a lot of confidence fishing that technique. I call it the lazy way to fish.
I have caught several fish single pole vertical fishing with hand ties and plastic and like it well enough. I can pitch with accuracy and catch fish that way also.
I just hate to chunk and wind.
Any help and advice will be appreciated.
Thanks
Chuck


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Slab Sauce

If you:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chuck Adams

... love Spider rigging double minnow rigs and have a lot of confidence fishing that technique.

---

... and you:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chuck Adams

... just hate to chunk and wind.

---

... why give up on minnows? :dono


I haven't used minnows in about forty years but, if that's what you like to do, why stop? :dono

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by "G"

Slab Sauce

---

Got it!! ????


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chuck Adams

Do I just go and fish with what I have knowing I may get skunked????

---

Why not? Lots of people (including me) do it every time they go fishing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

If you:




... and you:




... why give up on minnows? :dono


I haven't used minnows in about forty years but, if that's what you like to do, why stop? :dono

---

I guess I can push jigs like I do double minnow rigs and take my chances. [emoji38]


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chuck Adams

I guess I can push jigs like I do double minnow rigs and take my chances. [emoji38]

---

Sure you can, but why do you want to give up on the minnows?

Is there a reason you want to stop?
I agree with DB4D if you really enjoy using minnows and have confidence using them then why stop? :dono
If you really really want to stop, then don’t bring any and force yourself to not using them. As “G” said scent is a must, Slab Sauce, G Sauce and nibbles work!

If it ain't broke don't fix it. Nothing wrong with using bait. Sure is nice at times to let them critters do the work. Sometimes jigs out perform minnows.

I wouldn’t change if that’s what you enjoy.

Wax worms but they are trouble so white crappie nibbles for me

Sent from my VS995 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

I ain’t givin up my minners ...

Gnats and minners rule!!!

Rickie

When the cool temps set in I will get the minnow tank cleaned up and go buy them in bulk to stock it

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

Sure you can, but why do you want to give up on the minnows?

---

I wanna buy you a beer and/or a burger sometime.

Sent from my E6910 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by catchNgrease

I wanna buy you a beer and/or a burger sometime.

---

:cheers2

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

Sure you can, but why do you want to give up on the minnows?

---

Don’t know because personally I think they catch crappie better than anything. I don’t want to start a discussion on that!!
They are hard to keep alive in the hot weather. Cold weather they die when they hit the air.
Throw lots away. ????


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

I rarely use minnows because I drop them 10 times before I get a hook in em. I don't spider rig a whole lot, but I've caught more fish spider rigging with jig bodies than I have with minnows.

6 bucks for 1/2 pound of minners....Im taking them every day !!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pirogue

6 bucks for 1/2 pound of minners....Im taking them every day !!!

---

9 bucks for half pound here


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

You feel the way you do because your confidence has always been with minnows... and you just feel less confident in artificial baits. I felt the same way for years... but I've learned since that either is good... and sometimes one is far better than the other.
Maybe one approach might be for you to make several trips with only artificial baits... at least until you gain more confidence with artificial baits. Don't jinx yourself by having too much-unwarranted prejudice against artificial baits-especially since minnow prices are doing nothing but going higher every year.

Guess there’s nothing else to do but buy a bigger Engle!! Lol



Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Personally I quit using minnows because it was easier to go straight to the lake rather than stop at a bait shop. I like to be on the water and unloaded right before daylight and depending on where you live, may not be any bait shops open that early. Took a while but once I got used to jigs I won’t touch minnows anymore.

Why not simply substitute soft plastic bodies for your minnows and continue using your same technique? Might take a few trips to figure out best color or style for the day. They will work, I'm sure. I'm the exact opposite of you, I've never used a live minnow since I started up again, use plastics exclusively. Simply don't want the hassle of fussing with them.

My whole life I have looked down upon the lowly jig. Dad always had some bucktails in his tackle box, but they never enticed me to try them. Old school junk is how I viewed jigs. It wasn’t until I started crappie fishing that I started actually trying them. Now if I was on your boat, and you had minners, I would be just fine if you never shared. They have become my confidence lure because they catch fish for me.

Break out that fine selection you have squirreled away and select just the ones you have the most confidence in, and use them. Leave the others in the boxes and try to stick with what you think should work. Then work hard at catching fish and see how things go. Give them an honest shot.

I like G Sauce especially with cooling water temps..... And the best way to quit minnas is just don't stop and buy them.....
No there's no possibility of a SKUNK..... Never think your gonna get SKUNKED.....LOL

I would like to quit using minnows. Weights on my mind quite a bit how nice it would be just to get in the boat knowing that all the money spent on plastics, jigs, road runners, crank baits and on and on are gonna be put to use without going to get minnows. But just can't do it, my confidence is with my go to minnows. The stupid side of me knows that when it gets to cold to fish I will probably think some more on not using minnows and buy some more artificial. This dilemma will continue and probably always will. Could be worse things to think about I reckon.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chuck Adams

Don’t know because personally I think they catch crappie better than anything. I don’t want to start a discussion on that!!
They are hard to keep alive in the hot weather. Cold weather they die when they hit the air.
Throw lots away. ????


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

---

Put CONFIDENCE in your tackle box, Minnow imitating soft plastic lures and some "G" Sauce on the lure. Toss the lure in the water. Grab the Crappie when it hits. Take it home. Put HOT SAUCE on it. Eat!

Mike

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chuck Adams

Don’t know because personally I think they catch crappie better than anything. I don’t want to start a discussion on that!!
They are hard to keep alive in the hot weather. Cold weather they die when they hit the air.
Throw lots away. ????


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

---

I agree. IMHO they are just a pain. Can't go fishing spur of the moment without having to go to baitshop. And gets me upset if I don't catch anything much when using them knowing I spent good money. Also IMHO Slabsauce works just as well, if not better. I say better because if your tipping jigs, and not just using hooks, I feel the double large profile of a jig and minnow is counter productive. Here in Florida I find that the Black Crappie don't like that big "double" bait. But in MS, the bigger the better, right! lol

I wish I was closer to ya , we might possibly be able to save a few minnerz lives :Rofl

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chuck Adams

They are hard to keep alive in the hot weather. Cold weather they die when they hit the air.
Throw lots away. ????

---

OK, that makes sense.

Maybe only fish with them when it’s NOT really hot or cold. Set up your own rule on when you will fish them. Maybe six months out of the year? Maybe only fish them on certain lakes?

If you need motivation, print out your quote above and tape it to your bathroom mirror.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shipahoy41

Put CONFIDENCE in your tackle box, Minnow imitating soft plastic lures and some "G" Sauce on the lure. Toss the lure in the water. Grab the Crappie when it hits. Take it home. Put HOT SAUCE on it. Eat!

Mike

---

That’s very true, Mike, what you and Micanopy said pretty much nails it. Soft plastics work great. CONFIDENCE is the “X” factor, and a lot more important than folks think!
Bob

our crappie in Texas often swallow jigs when the operator is slow on the draw .....
they really ain't all that bright of a candle most of the time

I have often thought of putting a soft plastic on the 214EL hooks used for my double minnow rigs. I used to buy them but started making them up myself a year or so ago. I have hundreds tied up. I’m thinking they would stay on fine because I’m only pushing at about .2 mph.
We can only fish 3 rods here in Indiana and putting 6 different color/style combos might narrow down what they want faster.
Does that sound feasible?


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

I was told by my mentor to throw the minnows away and just use jigs,,,,so I tried it and it absolutely out fished minnows …I actually had my best season ever using no minnows and just jigs tipped with crappie niblets ,,,sauce was optional for thos super hard days,,,,but it seems they bite more if they smell the bait then just mere movement…..in fact, the more we tried to keep the jig from moving, the crazier the fish got,,,,lol

Interesting read, and lots of good thoughts. Some people just hate change, and just find excuses to keep doing it their way.

I bring em when my wife fishes with me. She says crappie eat minnows.... they don't eat plastic thingies. Whom am to argue with her. There was a time I felt like I had to have em. Made myself leavem at home....first few trips I almost had anxiety issues... there's still conditions where I think I want em and yeah I bring em.

Sent from my E6910 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

At night under the lights I am taking minnows. If I could just get them trained to fly I would shoot them under the docks in a heartbeat.

Crappie don't get fat on plastics. I'm good with pitching a shiner under a slip cork any day. When I fish, I'm not out to load the boat - I fish for my well being.

No doubt there are days when minnows are the ticket, but for me I like the non mess and simplicity of plastics.
Bob

[QUOTE=Chuck Adams

I love Spider rigging double minnow rigs and have a lot of confidence fishing that technique. I call it the lazy way to fish.

I just hate to chunk and wind.

Any help and advice will be appreciated.

If you love spider rigging, rig half with minnows and the other half with artificials. Had good luck with Shineee Hineee tipped with a nibble, also Crappie Magnets among others.

Good luck and Good Fishing [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app