Question about jigs tipped with minnows

[Dmancari18]

I am pretty new to crappie fishing, so I'm learning a bit. My go to is always plastics and I actually never really favor live bait like minnows or mealworms. My main reasoning is that it seems like the bluegills always get to the live bait before any crappie does. Am I doing something wrong? I see people saying they'll tip a highly visible jighead with a minnow and I always wonder how that setup attracts fish being it exposes a bit of the hook shank and doesn't seem very natural. Are there any pointers or things I may be missing? Any little tricks to keep the bluegills from winning the war under the water? Thanks!

[gregsayers2000]

The water I catch crappie in does not have gills were I fish. The crappie are normally suspended in deep water and I have never caught a gill in that type of fishing. I am fairly new to crappie fishing from a boat myself. I have never had much luck in shallow water for crappie yet, that's were I look for gills right now. The crappie will be soon moving to shallow water and then it may be a battle between the two then. Gills that will take a crappie minnow are usually worth keeping anyway!

[Dmancari18]

I have seen many small bluegills come out with some nice minnows and as many times as I see it, I still am a little shocked, but the bluegills are pretty prevalent in my home lakes.

[CrappiePappy]

I am pretty new to crappie fishing, so I'm learning a bit. My go to is always plastics and I actually never really favor live bait like minnows or mealworms. My main reasoning is that it seems like the bluegills always get to the live bait before any crappie does. Am I doing something wrong? I see people saying they'll tip a highly visible jighead with a minnow and I always wonder how that setup attracts fish being it exposes a bit of the hook shank and doesn't seem very natural. Are there any pointers or things I may be missing? Any little tricks to keep the bluegills from winning the war under the water? Thanks!

Yes, Bluegill & other Sunfish species will attack a minnow almost as fast as anything else that eats minnows. They usually try & kill the minnow by pecking the eyes, fins, & gills before trying to swallow it ... especially if they're on the small size. Bigger ones may simply grab the minnow & try & swim off with it.

There's really no more hook exposure with a minnow tipped jig, than there is with a minnow on a plain hook. As I've often said, we give Crappie way too much credit for being "smart". They don't have the brain capacity to be smart, otherwise we'd surely never catch one on artificial baits or live bait on an exposed hook. If they're interested in your bait, then line color, hook exposure, or other "unnatural" looks are not likely to deter them from investigating. Whether or not they bite it is usually determined by their mood, and the corresponding proper presentation of your bait ... at the correct depth, speed of movement, smell, & sometimes color.

On a jig, hook your minnow from under the "chin" (the V shaped section of the underside of their mouth) and bring it out between the nostrils. Even a recently dead one can be used ... put the hook point into the mouth & bring it out behind the head. Minnows on a jig should be in motion, as in being cast & retrieved or slowly trolled.
On a hook, hook the minnow by running the hook point BEHIND the eyeballs. You should feel a little "pop" when you pierce the membrane. It's much harder for small fish to get the minnow off, when hooked this way, although it's just as easy for them to kill the minnow. Back hooked or tail hooked minnows are easier for small fish to grab & run with ... and you don't always have a chance at them getting the hook in their mouth.

Not much chance in winning any war against Bluegill & other Sunfish, if they're in close proximity of the Crappie you're trying to catch. Even less so, if using live bait. They're in competition with all the other species, as well as between their own kin ... so they're pretty hard to dissuade from taking pretty much any offering you present.

... cp

[Dmancari18]

Thanks cp. That's the first time I've read to hook them like that. So a presentation in which the minnow itself is able to swim and give a somewhat natural presentation isn't important?

[CrappiePappy]

Thanks cp. That's the first time I've read to hook them like that. So a presentation in which the minnow itself is able to swim and give a somewhat natural presentation isn't important?

Well, it can be. There are several different ways to hook a minnow, and most of them will allow the minnow to swim fairly freely ... or struggle to. Sometimes that struggling action causes the fish to perceive the minnow as injured or dying ... or in other words, a easy meal.

One must also take into account the size of the hook and the size of the minnow you're putting on it. On a jig, that's kinda important, too, but when they're on a jig ... they're "window dressing" to a great extent. They supply the profile, smell, look, and taste of a minnow meal ... and their struggling against the jig supplies action (pressure waves) that the fish can sense. Add a colorful plastic or hair/feather body to the jighead ... and that gets them "seen" easier.

... cp

[Crappitier]

Or you can use a Gulp Alive minnow! It stays on the hook much better than a real minnow, and you can get any color you like.

CP is "right on" with the exposed hook on a jig. I did several tests with hooking a 1" Gulp minnow on a 1/64 oz jig head. You don't have to slide it all the way up to the head of the jig ...... a nose hooked plastic minnow has a much better action, and the crappie don't seem to mind the exposed hook at all. It's so easy to rig, and any crappie that sees it will hit it with gusto!

[Dmancari18]

I bought som 2.5" gulp alive minnows today, but you prefer the smaller 1"? Do you have bluegill or yellow perch in your lake? I've had a tough time keeping the bluegills and yellow perch off my baits lately.

[Crappitier]

I bought som 2.5" gulp alive minnows today, but you prefer the smaller 1"? Do you have bluegill or yellow perch in your lake?

Dm,

Yeah, I use both sizes. Lots of bluegills and white and yellow perch in my local lake.

IMHO, a 2 1/2" Gulp Alive minnow (smelt) on a white 1/32 oz jig head is the best crappie lure available today! I catch 99% of all the crappie on that lure.

[Dave and Lynn]

There are many ways to hook a minnow but the most effective way on a jig is straight up from the bottom lip through the top lip. If it is alive that is the best thing. If recently dead it is ok if you keep it moving. Have even caught them on completly dead with a twitch or two. The main thing is to make it look as natural as possible with the way you are fishing. If you getting blue gill bites you are fishing to shallow for the crappie. You will end up with eyeless minnows like crappiepappy said Just try fishing deeper on the structure and you results will change. Be it downed trees or man made or weed lines. Good luck.