Jig and Minnow Question?

[Joe58]

Sorry for another dumb question, but I'm kinda new at the more serious aspects of crappie fishing, so..........

Just so I understand correctly, if I wanted to use a live minnow on a jig head, I use a light jig head, like 1/16, then hook the minnow from under the jaw and through the top of head? Is that right?

Then I fish this under a bobber? Do I impart any action to it or just let the bobber float it around?

Any other tips for me?

thanks! Joe

[Barnacle Bill]

That will work sometimes. Other times you may have to jig it a little, or slow troll or even speed your trolling up. It depends on what they want at the time and where you are fishing. Different colored jigs and different depths sometimes makes all the difference in the world.

[Jerry Blake]

Hey Joe:

The only "dumb" question is the one you DON'T ask.

One of my favorite methods for catching crappie is to tightline a 32nd or 16th ounce Slater's hair jig tipped with a Rosy Red minnow or shiner no more than 1-inch long.

By "tightline" I mean I don't use a float. I use an 11 or 12-foot B&M Sam's Signature Series jig pole with 6-pound Ande Envy (bright green) line. I mark my line at 10 or 20-feet with a permanent marker so I know how deep I am fishing.

I hold the line lightly between my middle and index finger on my pole hand so I can feel the slightest nudge on my jig. The colored line also makes it easy to see a bite but you'll feel a light bite before you see the line twitch or go slack once you get used to fishing this way.

I usually flip-cast my jig out over the brush and let it fall in an inverted arc towards the boat and then swim it in and around the brush in that area for a minute or two as I ease the boat around the brushpile until I find the "dining room".

This method is best in the Spring and the Fall when the crappie will hit your jig with a good THUMP but you can catch them in the Winter and Summer too if you fish slow enough and at the right depth.

I use different color hair jigs depending on the light and water condition but Chartreuse is usually good and it's hard to beat white or white with red. Around here in fairly clear water with plenty of light a white head, red neck and chartreuse tail tipped with a small Rosy Red is hard to beat.

[CrappiePappy]

Welcome aboard !!

I'll add another method for using a minnow with a jig .... casting ! I use weedless jigs about 95% of the time I'm casting. Sometimes I add a minnow to the back of a jig with a plastic or hair body - but, usually I just use the plain jighead and attach the minnow (as you described). Most of the time I will be using a weedless jighead in the 1/16oz size. That would be a P&S Custom Tackle brush guard type, or the Oldham's Surelock Weedless Crappie jig (thin wire loop guard). I use weedless jigheads, because I cast into timbered areas most of the time ... slow retrieving the jig over the limbs and thru the branches.
To assure that you don't kill the minnow, when putting the jig hook thru it - start the hook point at the V of the throat ... and bring it out between the nostrils (not thru the top of the head). Generally I'll use a Bluntnose Minnow, Creek Chub, or small Gizzard Shad ... but, occasionally, (when I can get them) I will use Threadfin Shad, or Brook Silversides. I rarely use Shiners, when casting. I find them a bit too soft, and they don't take the "punishment" as long as a Bluntnose (commonly called "Tuffies" or "crappie minnows").
Everyone's got their own favorite ways/methods, and the circumstances under which they use them, so experiment with them and find yours ... luck2ya ......cp

[Darryl Morris]

Ditto on what everyone else has already said. Using a plain jig hook and minnow under a float is a good way to catch crappie. The weight of the jig will depend on the size float you use needing just enough to stand it up and not sink it. If you don't us a jighead and float, you can just a light wire aberdeen hook and an appropriate amount of splitshot weight with a float.

All in all, there is nothing ever WRONG with any rig or way you want to fish, there are only ALTERNATIVES. Just experiement and find what works for you and what you are comfortable and confident with. True story, told my wife this once and she said "well okay." After that she stopped tipping her tube jig with a minnow and tipped it with another tube jig. It was the most unlike color combination one could ever think of. Well, it worked and she put it on all of us that day.

[Joe58]

Fantastic responses guys.....I wrote down all the info you gave me and know what I need to buy...can't wait to try it all out.

Question on using the 11 or 12 foot pole...are you using a reel on that then or just bringing them into the boat after they are hooked by swinging them over. That is what I'm assuming, but you know what happens when you assume...especially me.

And another question.....how do I know where the thermocline is?

Thanks!!

Joe

[Gar-Getter]

Joe, I believe there way a post a few days ago about finding the thermocline with your fish finder. If you set the sensitivity very high, some finders will show a dark band as the density of the water changes at the thermocline. Otherwise, if you have, or can find, a thermometer with a long (LONG) probe. That can be lowered from your boat to find it.

[Fishin_Magician]

I also fish jigs tipped with small minnows. I have found you don't want the total presentation to be greater then about 2" (1 inch jig + 1 inch minnow). If you try to put too big of a minnow on their I think overall bait is larger then it needs to be and tend to mess up the action of the jig.(this is for casting or slow trolling) I also like the minnow to be alive. If the minnow dies I usually pull him off and go back to just a jig or put a fresh one on.

~Fishing Magician~