Minnows vs plastic.......the winner is?

[Yaker]

Thanks for your response,honestly my intentions were never to say plastic out fishes minnows,or vice versa.Minnows do their thing naturally or somewhat naturally when used for fishing,plastic on the other hand does require some ability on the fisherman to simulate a live minnow, or something edible.
I have learned much from this forum,U -tube,and of course good old ground and pound time on the water.I have through trial and error,gained confidence in jigs,( I’ve always had confidence in minnows ),some much with jigs,I use them almost exclusively.Can jigs outfish minnows ? Yup,sometimes,my point is,learning to use jigs has given me the freedom of catching multiple fish on one bait,and the ability to switch up color combos.
I will always have a soft spot for natural bait,and will continue to use them,and will also continue to expand my learning by experimenting with artificial.

[deathb4disco]

... (I am sure I’m not using the jigs correctly either).

There is a learning curve with jigs, but it's worth it, IMO. I think Jimmy Carter was president the last time I used minnows.

[RobAnderson]

Yeah I know, there are too many variables,but the results are in.My last two outings have helped moved the needle towards plastics,and since I’m more into putting some fish in the freezer,It is what it is.
Mind you,the spawn is not in,both trips are pre spawn,( perhaps another variable).The first trip put me and another boat with two men fishing within yards of each other.I fished a beetle spin with a replacement plastic,my competitors were tossing minnows under floats,my beetle spin won easily 2-1.
Yesterday was a bit slower,but the results were astounding.I tossed a black and chartreuse 1-1/2” trout magnet on a 1/16 oz pink jig head,under a float.Two other men fished the same stump field as Myself,using minnows.
I worked hard,netting 14 nice crappie,the largest was 14”,the other two men told me they had one hit,but never landed it.Again,I know there are days that results may be different,but it’s hard for me to look at these results and not wonder.
Will I ever use minnows again?, absolutely,I enjoy the doing it the old time natural way so to speak.I will tell you,plastics will do the job,often better,with minnows you are pretty much restricted,with plastics,the sky may be the limit.

How are you restricted using minnows? I am with pretty much everyone else in they both are good. But don't understand how minnows limit you

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[catchNgrease]

My wife says fish eat minnows not plastic thingys. So when she fishes I have to have minnows. Water and air temp gets above 50 I stop carrying them for me.

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[JigRigPreacher]

How are you restricted using minnows? I am with pretty much everyone else in they both are good. But don't understand how minnows limit you

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First let me say that I’ll fish with anything that fish want to bite, and we all know that can vary from day to day (even within a day). With that being said though, I have primarily fished with jigs for the last 30 years because I don’t like the hassle of buying (hoping they’re not sold out), transporting, & keeping minnows alive. There are times that I like to fish in the middle of the thickest cover where it would be impossible to fish with a minnow. Also, when the “bite” is on during prime times (if hitting both jigs & minnows equally) I can usually have 2-3 fish in the boat before the average minnow fisherman can re-bait his hook. Finally, I LOVE TO FEEL THE THUMP!


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[deathb4disco]

... I don’t like the hassle of buying (hoping they’re not sold out), transporting, & keeping minnows alive.

This ^^^^^

[Eagle 1]

Single pole with jigs . long line, jigs only. Spider rig , both jigs and minnows .

[funfishers]

For me it's a confidence factor. I admit that I have fished for hours with minnows or worms and not caught a lot, when I fish artificial I don't give it nearly that much time.
I would love to gain confidence in artificial baits but with all the offerings at the stores I really get confused. My wife and I fish from bank and with the limited bank space we often struggle.
I'm 65 and can't always make the climbs and descents needed to get to the good holes. Anyway I nearly always start with a minnow, if no results switch to a worm, then to something else.
I don't fish for the table, we just fish for fun and would sure like to catch more,

[Spoonminnow]

I fish jigs exclusively these days. Like the fly fishermen for trout, it's more exciting (and fun) for me to "trick" them with something totally unnatural. .

That's the key to using lures vs live bait. Live baits are sensed as a real animals - even in the dark.
Lures on the other hand stimulate the senses in such a way as to irritate them and overload the fish's simple brain - IOW - provoke strikes rather than convince fish the lure is something or other that they should consume.

Of the hundreds of soft plastic shapes, colors and actions that fish readily bite, you can't tell me that all of them represent a certain potentially edible animal! Many anglers generalize that fish that bite lures put certain lure shapes and actions into a category such as tubes or bright yellow, Mr Twister curly tail grubs representing minnows. But fish aren't capable of such a leap of imagination which is a human ability. Here's an example:

Does a fish perceive the above as a minnow, a cricket-with-flash or something else? As long as they bite it, who cares!

Apart from the large number of lure designs fish are provoked by, jigs cover far more water finding fish that will bite at that moment and in that place and allow searching different depths. I can work areas horizontal to the bottom, vertically, on bottom and at different depths in any body of water and with casts of at least 30' or longer from where I'm standing - more so with a float. In fact sonar is limited finding fish in the waters I fish and only lures cast from shore or around the boat are actual fish finders.

I don't know how long a minnow would stay alive with multiple retrieve & cast searches, plus minnows by law are only sold in certified shops in NYS. Get caught transporting and using minnows without papers and you risk getting fined besides which - minnows aren't cheap! Lures on the other hand can last for a few dozen fish on average.

Are there better lure designs? Most definitely IMO especially when it comes to presentation versatility. That said, give me lures anytime!

[DRFISHDUCK]

A real head scratcher is when I see minnows used during the spawn. Them females will eat broken pencils or clothespins when squirting eggs, that's like squirrel hunting with a double barrel shotgun! I be jiggin and thumpin and havin fun!

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