Banjo minnow

[budiva]

I watched Babe Winkleman ripping the lips off of some 40 + inch pike on his show using Banjo minnows. When I go up north I ussually stick with spoons and spinners, I am wondering if I should stock up on some big plastics for my next trip. Has anyone had luck with Banjo's or is there another type I should look for?

Thanks

[delmuts]

plastics will certainly work for pike! the way he was fishing them was sight fishing( which would be a riot!), but jigs and plastics, or big tubes is always an option .

[MLmusky]

I know I personally get sick of having northerns destroy my bulldawgs when musky fishing... If I were to only pick one lure for northern fishing it would be a regular bulldawg.. If I were to only pick one lure for musky fishing it would be a magnum bulldawg.. Lure can be fished in any situation at any speed, and fish love to eat them... Learn to repair them and keep several extras, because some lures will catch 10 fish before they are destroyed and sometimes it only takes one littel 20" northern to destroy the lure...

[bassNspear]

Great lure for pike. Can really hit it up.

[RK]

Hiya -

The show had Banjo minnows, but it could have been a Slug-go, a Reaper tail, a Mann's Jellyhoo - it could have been anything. Point is soft plastics should definitely be part of the picture if you're after pike. There are times when they'll outproduce anything else.

For some reason straight black is always a good pike color. I've cleaned house on pike in Canada on black reapers. A bass jig like a Northland Jungle Jig with a black 4" Power Grub can also be very good. For reaper tails the best place to get them is Bait Rigs Tackle. They also make what I think is the best muskie/pike jig on the market - the Esox Cobra jig. Awesome hook (Mustad 5/0 Big Bite Ultra Point) and stand-up/swimmer head. Can either use the jigheads plan with a Reaper or grub, or with the skirt and a Reaper, grub, or shad body. With a shad body the Cobra wobbles almost like a crankbait. Really a great bait...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[thewalleyeguy]

Hmm, I saw that same episode and was wondering where to get plastics like that

[delmuts]

many companies carry a plastic minnow that will do the same thing. check out your bait shops, or thorn, bros. ( a sponsor here!), cabelas or BP.

[Fish Head]

The Banjo minnows are much more expensive than the other plastics you will find at Gander, Thorne bros. or wherever. However sometimes you can find them on hsolist for about 1/2 the price.

[Meat-Run]

budiva,

Because I can't give you OUR HSOforum you can do a google for "winkelman" and then look up partners. There we have a link to the bango minnow your looking for.

The minnow is a very affective plastic lure like many others but Babe him self tried it mostly because of a challenge from another fisherman many years ago and loved how it worked. After that he contacted them for more lures and that's how you see it on his shows...

I hope this helps!

Meat-Run

[budiva]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I went ahead and ordered a few 7 and 9 inch banjo's with #4XL nosehooks (if I should go bigger or smaller on the hooks let me know). I will look at the other recommended lures next time I make it to Gander or Cabela's. Another question I have is that I couldn't tell for sure if a weight was needed? If you do use a weight what size and type. Last June the lake we fished in Canada was rusty colored water and 75% of the big pike where caught just beyond where you couldn't see the bottom about 10-15 feet of water.

[Meat-Run]

budiva,

If your using a steel leader I wouldn't us any weight. Let it free fall to give it the most realistic action(bango's). Regarding hooks I too would use the biggest one you can get away with that doesnt' effect the lures action. Don't be afraid to go up to 0/7--0/9 hooks. I personally love the 10" slugs and go with a seven strand leader for more flexibility and action.

Good luck.

mr