Always through the lips bottom to top unless minnows are really small and then sometimes I'll hook them through the eye sockets. I do this however I'm fishing.
Ok... I'm different. I start the hook in the back just in front of the dorsal fin and bring it out just behind his head. I have found that crappie eat the minnow head first. When I hook the minnow that way I hook the crappie in the roof of his mouth nine times out of ten.
I fish for crappie tight lining in brush piles. If I miss a bite I just raise my rod tip and I can tell if the minnow is still on because I can feel the drag of the minnow when it stays horizontal when hooked this way.
Of course this method would not work if you tip a jig with a minnow or stroll but it sure works great tight lining in a brush pile at Sam Rayburn.
I hook my minnows thru da lip bottom up. It seems to me the best way, the minnow gets to react to a stalkin crappie almost as it would if it wasnt hooked. I believe a scurrying minnows would just produce a harder strike.....get it. Not to mention most fish eat their prey head 1st and I believe thats where the hooks at. I do hook blue gill under the dorsal fins sometimes, they are stronger, giving them the more natural movements.
Depending on what size minnow i'm putting on next, mostly from underneath through his lips thru the forehead,but if it a larger minnow, about 3/4 back to the tail. I seem to get more action, longer thru the tail end, and its a little harder from them to steal the bait sometimes.
Some of you guys say thru the eyes. it sounds like it would kill the minnows?
will it ? does it matter?
No, it really won't. Evidently a minnows brain is not between its eyes. I actually hook through the eye sockets (both of them) and rarely pierce the eyeballs, and I only do this if the minnows are so small that hooking through the lips won't hold them because it tears up too much of the flesh. 99% of the time though I hook through the lips as I only have really small minnows if the bait shop has nothing else.
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