Thread: How do you hook your minnows

Originally Posted by Soloist

I hook my minnows through the eyes they stay a live for a decent amount of time

Originally Posted by RCC

I worm mine on starting at the tail and come out the mouth. Fish swallow minnows head first and I don't like them hitting the line before they get the minnow in their mouth. Lots of people call this a short strike, but the truth is they are hitting the line first. You feel the bump from the lips hitting the line but no hookup. When you get a bunch of this, worm them on tail first.

Actually ... Crappie don't "hit the line" when hitting a minnow. Crappie don't actually "bite" a minnow ... and the minnow doesn't hang straight down from the sinker. Crappie actually "suck the minnow in" by opening their mouths & flaring their gills, creating a vacuum that draws in the minnow/hook & the water surrounding the minnow. The water is forced out through the gills, and the minnow is swallowed. A minnow or Shad doesn't have sharp fins, that could cause damage to a Crappie's throat ... so they don't always "turn" the minnow head first before swallowing.
Crappie also don't always hit their prey "head first", either ... they don't have to, since they engulf the prey by the sucking in water/prey method. If they detect sharp fins or spines on their prey, they can turn the prey "head first" with their tongue/mouth before swallowing it.

... cp

dear crappiepappy…do you believe that when crappie bite on minnows or jigs…that they are easier to catch than a garfish…i.e.you would be much more likely to see the crappie when getting a hookup than some of the other species(not bass) that we get bites from when crappie fishing……?

Just in case someone ones to see how the fish actually bite. Commentary is interesting also.

Ice Fishing on a Sunny Day ! Bluegill + Crappie Underwater Bites - YouTube

Originally Posted by fishervet

dear crappiepappy…do you believe that when crappie bite on minnows or jigs…that they are easier to catch than a garfish…i.e.you would be much more likely to see the crappie when getting a hookup than some of the other species(not bass) that we get bites from when crappie fishing……?

Vet .... Gar tend to grab a bait well out towards the end of their long snouts. They have teeth, so they actually "bite" the bait to kill it, rather than swallow it whole/alive like a Crappie would. So, yeah, I do believe a Crappie is easier to catch than a Gar. Not to mention the mouth of a Crappie is much softer than that of a Gar ... so hook penetration is easier into a Crappie.

... cp

Originally Posted by RCC

Just in case someone ones to see how the fish actually bite. Commentary is interesting also.

Ice Fishing on a Sunny Day ! Bluegill + Crappie Underwater Bites - YouTube

What I saw on the video, was typical Crappie & Bluegill bites in frigid water temps ... ie: slow movement, finicky reaction, near neutral mood of the fish .... and yet, the Bluegill still grabbed the jig/meat in the lip portion of its mouth, while the Crappie (that was caught) sucked in the whole jig/meat offering with a simple flaring of the gills (as I eluded to, previously).

The Crappie & Bluegill can see much better in cold water, too. They also did not have to "chase" the bait, like they would have to do with a live minnow on a hook/sinker rig or a moving jig or jig/minnow rig.

... cp

Hook mine thru the eyes.

Thru the eyes