How do you hook your minnow?

[billd2626]

I've been reading another thread about shad as crappie bait (great thread) and it got me to thinking ... how do you hook your minnow and does a live minnow really make that much of a difference?

I've seen guys hook them just about every way possible .. under the dorsal fin, through the tail, through the eyes, through the mouth, etc.

I usually hook my minnow under the dorsal fin and honestly, haven't noticed a huge difference between live & dead minnows. I don't mean dead as in rotting, but dead as in they died within the last couple of hours in the bucket.

I'm sure plenty of you will probably roll your eyes at this one, but I'm curious.

[jackb]

From the bottom up thru both lips; stays livelier (I think).

[Joedog]

Depends on how I'm presenting. If I'm vertical it would be through the back beneath the dorsal to keep it horizontal in the water. but if I'm dragging them or tipping a jig with a minnow it's through the lips.

Those are the only two ways I do it.

(actually, sometimes, in the jigs-tipped-with-minnows scenario, if the fish are taking my minnow but not the jig, I'll weave the hook through the minnow's mouth, out the gill and up through the back. It's a pain in the butt, and the minnow doesn't last too long then, but....it works.)

[Sow tamer]

Depends on how I'm presenting. If I'm vertical it would be through the back beneath the dorsal to keep it horizontal in the water. but if I'm dragging them or tipping a jig with a minnow it's through the lips.

Those are the only two ways I do it.

That goes for me too.

[Ireese]

same as Joedog, vertical under dorsal and jigging or dragging through the lips.

[Double D]

Thru both eyes, loop twice around the body then hook thru tail, works every time. GUARNTEE!

[beagle man]

hook in middle of back, normal, hook in middle of back with hook point inside when in trees

[G.Gordon]

Also depends on how viable the minnows are. Got some at Long Shoal Marina the other day that died when you touched them and they were tiny. Those I tried to hook quickly in the lip and get em back in the water quickly. Tough minnows I get from Blue Pkwy I hook through the front of both eyes or the back behind the fin.

[Bigbill]

i hook mine in the back, give them a tickle on the belly and a quick pep talk.

[4wood]

I hook mine in the lips. here's another debate to get going - i only use medium minnows. what about you all?