hooking a minnow

[minnowlips]

I've always hooked my minnows from the back, but I've been reading some hook them in the lips. Will hooking in the lips give a better look to the crappie and any other ideas or facts? Thanks

[crappie lover ken]

i've always hooked mine through the eyes. i use to hook them through the back but ive found that they will stay alive longer if u go through the eyes. ive never hooked them through the lip. but i think if you ent through the lip you'd have good presentation. the thing with fishing minows is keeping them lively. it's been my experience that crappie won't hardly hit a dead one unless they are in a really agressive state. i do i would go eyes. don't want that big minow shaking the hook loose. lol

[trolling minnow]

just below the dorcil fin. when he see that moster crappie coming at him he.ll go crazy, if he's blind he'll just hang there. the more he moves, he'll draw attention.

[stumpbumpers]

Minnows die quicker when hooked in the lips, because they can't breathe... lol That's what my daddy always said. I have hooked them in lips, eyes, but now I hook'm behind that dorsal fin. The fish like it... Not sure it keeps the a live plunging a hook through their back as apose to their lips, but it works for me... Happy Fish'n

[shadow]

is where I hook mine. I have tried through the lips, eyes, nose, mouth, tail, etc. etc. but have found for me just below the dorsal fin has worked best. All the others they seem to die faster or get off easier, my second bet would be to hook them through the tail.
Shadow

[Minnerman]

If they are biting lightly or you cant get the hook set move the hook in front of the dorsal fin but not low enough to get into the lungs. Also if you see some blood from the hooked location, get another minner cause he aint gonna last long. When fishing with minners notice the minner is always in the crappies mouth head first. I dont have much luck though hooking them in the lips. I'm like you Stumpbumper it looks like they might have a hard time breathing or at least saying " Holy crap Batman here comes a big ol' crappie"!!!

Minnerman

[Billy2]

Shadow.........evidently you are not trolling with the
minnow hooked as you have said, because it would
not look natural being pulled 90 degrees in relation
to line.

[Glowgood Jigster]

We aren't even allowed to use live minnows for bait here in Oregon...dangit.
We are forced to make our jigs behave like live minnows instead. Seems to work ok but probably not near as well as the real thing.

[crapaddict]

I hook mine right below the dorsal fin with a # 2 Aberdeen gold hook....works for me I tried the tail part but they seem to get off alot easier.

[CrappiePappy]

http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showth...minnows+dorsal

http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showth...minnows+dorsal

.... cp