When minnow meets hook...

[Guest]

Every ice fishin trip with the buddies starts with the great debate. "Where ya hook em at?" Since this group of buddies is more apt to sabotage (putting depth bombs on the line when you're not looking, and cheer you on as you set the hook and reel up the lead fish) then giving out an honest opinions, I pose this question to all of you.

I picked up an underwater camera last year and spent some time testing hook placement affects on the minnow. Hookem in the tail, through the lips, under the belly, through the back, you name it. I have found that a wieghted jig hooked real thin through the back, just behind the dorsal fin, gives the most natural swimming position for the minnow. A tail hooked minnow will swim vertical up and sink down. A lip hooked minnow will do tight circles in all directions. The belly hooked minnow seems to be the most active as it tries to right itself.

All of these hook placements have worked to catch fish but do the odds favor one vs. another?

[Guest]

I have always hooked through the dorsal, and it has worked well so far, but that is usually when using tip-ups.

I was wondering what is the motion like when a minnow is hooked through the dorsal when you are jigging? I mean does it look natural when the bait is going back down or does the lure/jig fall faster and turn the minnow over? Would a slower drop help correct this?

hsolist&MEL

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"The Big One is down there, keep at 'im"

[This message has been edited by hsolist&MEL (edited 02-07-2002).]

[Matt D]

A friend and I were fishing LOW a couple weeks ago and I kept getting hits with my minnow under a bobber and he wasn't. He was using a jig with his and hooking them under the dorsal fin. I had a plain hook and was hooking them about half-way between the dorsal fin and the tail. I had no idea of what difference it made in minnow movement, but it made the difference in catching fish. Based on MTfreezer's description after watching them w/ a camera, I now have a guess: When jigging, when do most fish hit -- on the drop. Hooking them between the dorsal fin and the tail probably made my minnow swim up and fall, just like it would while jigging. Of course, they might have wanted a completely different presentation on another day, but that's generally how I hook 'em anymore. Seems to work well for me so I stick with it.

[widetrack]

Great topic!

I've found that stabbing in the back of the head and tearing them apart to be the best,
but thats just me.

[Guest]

It depends on the situation. When fishing crappies with a teardrop, I like to hook the minnow on top near the dorsil fin. If the crappies are negative, I like to hook the minnow through the tail so it can't swim as well. I hook the minnow through the head when jigging walleye. I tandem hook the minnow when using a quick strike rig on tip-ups.
Good Fishing, Matt.

[Scupper]

I hook the minnow in front of the dorsal and bring the point of the hook out just before the head.
Good Luck...>

[Guest]

I think wher you place the hook depends on the mood of the fish.I found MT's descriptions of the actions of differently place hooks very interesting and plan to check that out myself.I have had the experiance that the direction of the hook point will decrease your misses.I always try to point the hook toward the tail(When it rotates in the fishes mouth).If you are hooking in the back insert the hook from tail to head at a slight angle.When a fish strikes most of the time they will try to stike at the head,with the hook pointed toward the tail it is in the right position for a good hook set in the top of the mouth.I have also notice that if you are using a hook that has an offset make sure that you hook your bait so that the offset is pointed up.I have made this mistake all toomany times and missed many fish.When noticing my mistake my hook ratio immediatly increased dramatically.

[rap]

i hook mine behind the dorsal fin and making sure the hook is parallel to the body facing the head of the minnow instead of perpindicular to the body like alot of my buddies do...

[Nels]

If I am bobber fishing, I go through the back towards the end of the dorsal fin. If I am actively jogging the bottom, I hook'em through the lips, or through the mouth, out the gill, and into the back.