What's The Best Way To Put a Minnow On A Hook

[foreman1943]

I've searched your forum but I have not been able to find info on the best way to put a minnow on a hook. Maybe I'm typing the wrong info in the search. So my question to all of you crappie fishermen is what is the best way to put a minnow on a hook to keep it alive and swimming. I've done some checking at other sites but I feel this is the best place to ask such a question since I'm sure that most of you here have used minnows at some point in your crappie quest. What size hooks do you use and do you tie the line directly to the hook or tie the line to a snap and then slide the hook on the snap. I appreciate and info or suggestions that you may have.

An enthusiastic crappie fisherman.

[Speck]

First off, welcome. It really depends on how you want to fish. If you're still fishing under a bobber, my favorite is to hook them just under the dorsal fin staying above the lateral line. If you're trolling the minnow, hook it from the bottom lip through the top lip or through the eyes.

[jaxsprat]

I prefer to hook minnow lightly, just below skin, in the back just behind dorsal fin. Always tie direct to hook. finesse is the name of game & the less tackle used the less to go wrong...

[stumpbumpers]

I like snaps if you are referring to the tiny snaps used for jigs and minnows. T he main thing about hooking minnows is not to hook them through both lips, as they can not breathe. Also iyou are tipping jig heads hook them through the top lip exiting just between the nostrols, not into the brain.

The way I usually hook them is just behind the dorsal fin, because i fish under cork and like to lift the pole ever now and then to get the minnow to swim.

I typically fish with jigs, but when I fish with minnows I fish them like this.

[Gamblinman]

Right through the eyes.

[CRAPPIEDENTIST]

STUMP, ya might check ebay for that gauge
JAKE

[Jerry Blake]

We use #6 Extra Light Wire Eagle Claw Aberdeen Cricket hooks tied directly to 8-pound Trilene XT, which will straighten the hook out when hung up about 90% of the time. We run the hook up through the bottom lip starting in the "V" and come out the top lip just in front of the eyes.

We very seldom sit still for very long and by hooking the minnows this way they can swim along fairly naturally when we move. Even when we're not moving they can swim around in a circle because we have the first split shot about 6-inches above the hook.

Apparently they can still open their mouths enough to breath hooked this way or they get enough water/oxygen through their gills just opening and closing them because I've never had a problem with them suffocating.

When we use really small minnows - less than an inch long - we run the hook from side to side through the eyeball socket right behind the eyeballs because their lips are too small.

[Darryl Morris]

Jerry beat me to it. Lip hooked with an extra light wire hook. We don't anchor so the boat is in a constant state of slow motion. Therefore, as they are pulled around the presentation is natural, swimming forward. If you hook them too far into the head it will kill them. If the bite is finicky and they are only nipping at the tails you can change to the dorsal fin.

[foreman1943]

Now this is the exact info that I've been looking for. I fish out of a boat usually anchored with a bobber 2 to 3 foot above the hook. I guess that I've been hooking the minnows all wrong because I have been going down from the top of the minnow near the eyes and comming out the bottom. This works but a lot of my minnows die after a short period of time. I use Power Pro line 10/2 with usually a #6 or #8 hook on a 6.5 foot spinning outfit. My next investment will be a new minnow bucket. I'm looking at a Frabill Min-02-life Personal Bait Station. I've been using a regular minnow bucket and dropping it in the water but with that a lot of my minnows die before I get to use them. I think that the Frabill setup will be just the ticket I need to keep the minnows alive so that I can catch more crappie. If anyone has any other thoughts about a better minnow bucket let me know. Has anyone tried the Aqua-Lung packets from Frabill? They seem like they might also be a good purchase that will also extend the life of the minnows in my bucket. I like the idea of the Frabill Min-02-Life Personal Bait Station because it is also insulated and spill proof container that my current system does not have.
Thanks again for all the input and info.

[CrappiePappy]

I've searched your forum but I have not been able to find info on the best way to put a minnow on a hook. Maybe I'm typing the wrong info in the search. So my question to all of you crappie fishermen is what is the best way to put a minnow on a hook to keep it alive and swimming. I've done some checking at other sites but I feel this is the best place to ask such a question since I'm sure that most of you here have used minnows at some point in your crappie quest. What size hooks do you use and do you tie the line directly to the hook or tie the line to a snap and then slide the hook on the snap. I appreciate and info or suggestions that you may have.
An enthusiastic crappie fisherman.

here's an old thread on this subject : http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showth...nows+eyesocket

Me personally ... I never use snaps or swivels when fishing minnows. Always tied hook directly to line. I use all kinds of different sizes and styles of hooks, but generally use a #1 bronze Aberdeen litewire.

... cp