Live Bait Cost Effectiveness

[THECrappieKillr]

Does anyone else notice when you go and spend the $10 on minnow it turns out to not be a good day? Happened to me yesterday. I trolled for an hour and caught nothing, then pulled out the minnow and wasted another 2 hours.

Seems to happen a lot recently. If the bite is on, jigs seem to work just fine. If not, its better to save the money. Anyone else notice this?

Of course in the spring minnows are like kryptonite.

[ET Fish]

I will occasionally take minnows in the cold months. Sometimes it seems to help the cold water crappie. For the most part, I live or die with jigs.....and I have been successful and unsuccessful!

[SlabSeeker0485]

I’m a minnow guy mainly because I’m not good with jigs. Never had anyone really show or explain jigging because there is definitely good and bad techniques. I have the bad ones mastered apparently lol. I minnow fish bc I catch more. I would love to be able to boat the same amount if fish on jigs bc I pour out minnows all the time.

[Hanr3]

I’m a minnow guy mainly because I’m not good with jigs. Never had anyone really show or explain jigging because there is definitely good and bad techniques. I have the bad ones mastered apparently lol. I minnow fish bc I catch more. I would love to be able to boat the same amount if fish on jigs bc I pour out minnows all the time.

Ditto.
I have a ton of jigs, but rarely catch crappie with them. Smallies, northern, walleye I have no trouble using jigs. I catch more crappie on minnows by far.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[THECrappieKillr]

I’m a minnow guy mainly because I’m not good with jigs. Never had anyone really show or explain jigging because there is definitely good and bad techniques. I have the bad ones mastered apparently lol. I minnow fish bc I catch more. I would love to be able to boat the same amount if fish on jigs bc I pour out minnows all the time.

Have you tried using nibbles or scent? Some guys use nothing and it surprises me because they just spit out jigs if you dont.

[deathb4disco]

Have you tried using nibbles or scent? Some guys use nothing and it surprises me because they just spit out jigs if you dont.

I never use scent.

[BuckeyeCrappie]

I never use scent.

Get some Slab and G Sauce from the store. It is some great stuff!

[SlabSeeker0485]

Have you tried using nibbles or scent? Some guys use nothing and it surprises me because they just spit out jigs if you dont.

If I use jigs I use scent or nibbles. Guess I need to just dedicate a few trips to jigs only and see what I can figure out.

[Jerry Bryant]

When fishing with my wife, we use minnows. It is easier for her so I don't pay any attention to the cost. I just bring what we have left and put them into our minnow tank. When fishing by myself I prefer to use jigs. Like the sport of that. But let's face it, when you enjoy fishing cost doesn't matter. If it does, go to the local seafood dealer and by some.

[eagle42101]

Well, we buy a 6000 dollar boat, put a 1000 dollar trolling motor on it, outifit it with 2000 worth of electronics and then worry about spending 10 dollars for bait? I just look at cost of bait as part of the hobby. I spend 30 dollars on gas for the trip up and back, 10 bucks for snacks, 2 dollars for sun screen and loose a handfull of jigs most days. If I wanted to save money, Id go back to work! I worked hard so I could retire and spend time fishing.


Bob