hooking and rigging miners ???

[Jake]

Ok, very basic for a very basic fisherman, level 101. I would appreciate some discussion on how to A) hook the miners B) what type of rig. By that I mean, there are commercial double rigs or do you use hook above sinker, below or no sinker... How much sinker. Any help would be appreciated. Jake

[gabowman]

I think the weights relate to the style of fishing youre doing. If spider rigging moving fairly fast (.3 mph or faster) a heavy weight such as 3/4 or 1 oz will be needed. If slip cork fishing a splitshot that works well with the float, drifting..then use a splitshot that will keep the line vertical, etc., etc. I use minnows on tightlines (either spider rigging or drifting) and move slowly so I generally use between 1/2 oz and 3/4 oz weights and I just "bump" along when spider rigging. I use 13' poles doing this. I always hook the minnows from the underside starting in the "V" and coming out one of the eyes, or close to it. Seems there isnt much in the way of killing the minnows when hooked this way.

[CrappiePappy]

Ok, very basic for a very basic fisherman, level 101. I would appreciate some discussion on how to A) hook the miners B) what type of rig. By that I mean, there are commercial double rigs or do you use hook above sinker, below or no sinker... How much sinker. Any help would be appreciated. Jake

Many ways to hook a minner, with hook or jig.

When using a hook/sinker rig & either sitting still or moving very slowly ... I generally hook the minner thru the eye socket (behind the eyeball & not puncturing it).
When hooking a minner on a jig ... I run the hook up under the throat & bring the hook point out between the nostrils. I can jig it, cast it, troll it, or tightline it, when hooked that way ... and the minner doesn't die from the puncture.

One can also hook a minner by running the hook thru the back, between the dorsal fin & backbone ... but, this is usually used when the boat isn't going to be moving, or possibly when using a float. You can also hook a minner thru the tail, which causes it to struggle more ... but, you don't want to drag a tail hooked minner around, as it will drown. Tail hooked minners are generally used when "free line" fishing (no weight, just a hook).

I mostly use 1/16oz jigs, when tipping with a minner ... and a #1 lite wire Aberdeen hook with a #4 Water Gremlin pinch-on sinker when using hook/sinker rig (approx 1/8oz) .
Dual hook (pre-rigged) rigs ... 3/4oz weight (barrel sinker)
Weight on bottom rig ... 3/8oz weight (casting sinker)

And just so you know ... there's no secret in why I use these sizes : I use them because that's what I have Doh Rofl

... cp

[NIMROD]

What he said.

[Jake]

Very helpful replies... thanks much.

[Backwater Man]

I hook my minnows under the jaw and up through between the eyes or the nose portion.---Hooking in the eyes at times is a easy way to lose them. Bait stealers, I also have been known to hook them behind the head and the top fin as a double hook. The bream are going to hit the eyes anyway. Last Saturday I had to move because of the bream getting my minnows. We were hooking them on #2 Crappie hooks and #4 jigs.
I switched to a soft thousand legger bait for panfish and they were tearing it up. My shad jigs were being destroyed by biting off the tails.
I have decided in the future to just switch and fish for the bream when all else fails.
Those orange breast bream get big down here.
Fishing for Crappie in deep water around brush piles and etc. I tight line with no cork. I use a 3/4 or 1 oz. weight on the end of the line with two leads on the side--usually one minnow and a jig or double on the jigs with different colors.
I like the tight line approach in heavy brush because I can enter the brush through small openings and fish straight down and up and keep my line tight. Also I have discovered to avoid yanking on the line just wrist movement will hook a Crappie.
The heavier weight allows me to raise and lower the weight when I hit a limb or something--just lower it and move it around until you can retrieve it through the same hole. Yanking will cause you to embed the hook in the obstacle and than you will be tying on a new weight, jig or hook. I try and keep my lead pretty short, close to the main line unless I am fishing on the outskirts of the brush than I will allow my minnow to swim free on a hook only, but I do attach a swivel to the main line. I use the same set up for jigs also on long poles.----
I do also enjoy the tug of war on a light weight pole when hooking them big slabbers.---I enjoy my Wally Marshall 9 ft. pole--it is great but it is a fly rod and I am going to move the reel up a bit so I can hold it more securely. I just got me a 11.5 ft. graphite jig pole at Walmarts and a 10 ft. Black Widow.
Casting in my area is not too great unless you rig shallow running or get in the middle of the river or lake and than we still have trees and stumps in 15-20 ft. of water on the shoreline.
*** Those Crappie fishermen that have fished Millwood lake know what I mean. Vertical is best and I still lose baits at times.---If the underwater brush gets too bad, I have resorted to using a cork but prefer not too.
***Trick---Some of us buy the Mono-Line and place it on the reel for the ease of casting but we tie on Spider Wire Line to the end, maybe a quarter of the spool. This way I can pull and bend the hook without breaking the 6 lb. line on my ultra light reels. The Spider Wire Line on a reel does not retrieve too good---it slips and gets all tangled up and I have missed some good Crappie until I learned the hard way. Splice the two lines for ease of casting and strength at the end.
My opinion--Maybe some have the same troubles as I did, trying out new things.:rolleyes:

[LA CrappieMaster]

Most of those miners are a rough bunch, I wouldn't attempt to hook and rig one. Just joking, there are many great examples up there. If I am not casting, I like to hook them through the eye socket. I cast too rough to hook them this way, so if I am casting I hook them in the middle of the back, avoiding the backbone. I am still a novice at white perch fishing, but I usually have my hook on bottom with a split shot about 1' above it.

[EDinFL]

Good info.....what about making the minnow rig itself, any drawings on doing it yourself?

[bayoufrogg]

i always go through the lips, from the top of the head out of the bottom. I want my minnow to have the best possible vision so that when a crappie comes around, the minnow is able to see it and act as it normally would.....RUN! I feel that this normal fleeing action entices the bite. Thats the only reason I choose not to go through the eyes.

I rig mine as follows: Slip cork set to 8 feet on 10 lb test, then swivel @ 8 ft. with split shot weight right above it, then 1.5 ft 4 lb test line, then split shot, then 8 inches 4 lb test with crappie hook of choice. Hope that made sense??!?