Small, Medium, or Large?!?

[crappiequeennc]

anyone ever try shiners? or are they much to large?

Never used shiners...But we have caught shad, and we have caught alot of nice sized crappie with them...

[GRIZZ]

Well we used to be able to go to lake Erie and net these awesome emerald shiners but thats all banned now and I never use minners anyways. I'd say medium to small unless you have real whoppers down there that will hit the large ones. Index finger sized seems too large though in a minnow. I think you'd be better off with the little ones. 1-1.5 inches like Darryl said. Try hooking the little ones through the meat right behind the dorsal fin and use real small aberdeen fine wire red or chartreuse eagle claw hooks. Don't get the spine or guts. You'll get more hookups and great action with the minnows.

[Darrell Baker]

I usually pick the size of the minnows depending on the time of year we are in. During the Spring, when we are fishing close to the spawn the medium size minnows seem to work really well. As we get into a summertime pattern and then on into the Fall of the year, I perfer the larger minnows. But just as some of the other have said...if you can find the Rosey Red...buy them!

Darrell Baker
Weiss Lake Crappie Guides
PO Box 778
Centre, Alabama 35960
Tele/ 256-927-2232
Cell/ 256-557-0129
www.weisslakecrappieguides.com

[Darryl Morris]

anyone ever try shiners? or are they much to large?

We usually use the rosey reds because we can get them easily here in AR, but #4 or smaller shiners in the same 3/4 to 1.5" size range, if you can get them, works good too. In fact, we had a run in October where the crappie were taking the small shiners better than the roseys. I don't know why, but we usually catch our bigger crappie on small live baits and jigs. The smaller crappie are greedy and go after the bigger stuff for some reason. No matter what or where you are at, if the bite is slow and light, downsize the bait and present it as slow as you can and you'll boat some fish. Another bonus for using small live bait is when you buy by the pound. It's nice to get near 40 dozen per pound rather than 15-20 per pound. Size matters and I like small, lol, go figure.

[Cane Pole]

QUOTE=Darryl Size matters and I like small, lol, go figure.
Funny.

I got some minnows last year with bug eyes and big head. I don't know what type they were, but they sure were tough to kill. Lasted 3 times longer than the silvers I usually get. Haven't seen any more like them since last year.
Anyone know what these were?

[CrappiePappy]

QUOTE=Darryl Size matters and I like small, lol, go figure.
Funny.

I got some minnows last year with bug eyes and big head. I don't know what type they were, but they sure were tough to kill. Lasted 3 times longer than the silvers I usually get. Haven't seen any more like them since last year.
Anyone know what these were?

Could you have gotten into some "Fathead" minnows ??



The "silvers" you are referring to, are probably "Bluntnose" minnows :



Notice that the Fathead has a deeper body & stripe doesn't run entire length. Fathead males, during their spawning times, are much darker in color (some almost turning black) and may have "bumps" on their nose/face.
The Rosey Red is a Fathead variation. Fatheads have a "nickname", that most people recognize ....... "Tuffy Minnows" ......... cp

[Cane Pole]

Could be CP, but I don't remember exactly. They had big bulging eyes. Kinda like a guppy fish.

[sds888]

I have always used the medium with a number 4 hook but I have only been crappie fishing about a year now. I will have to try the small. I know about that wind I was hoping to get out there today but could so I worked on the boat.
stephen