I hook my minnows through the eyes. Additionally, I always fish with a least a small sinker on my line. I put my sinkers 12 to 18 inches from the hook. That way the minnow can play but can’t swim to the top of the water. That may have been your issue. All this is just my opinion and I am sure others may have their own. As far as minnow size goes I have typically had better success using really small minnows, usually one inch or smalls at the store. It seems if they get too big it is harder to catch crappie and tend to attract bass or catfish. I would say about the size of your curly tail jig body. Sometimes when the water is muddy a bright colored jig such as chartreuse may be better. Again, this is my opinion. Wish you the best of luck.
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