How to hook your minnows?

[NyQuiLlama]

Hi Folks, great forum here, I've been lurking and using the search function for a long time, but I couldn't find anything specifically on this question.

For northern I'll usually use a mixture of suckers and shiners on my tip-ups. I use a single treble hook on a wire leader with a spit shot on the tip-up line about 3 inches from the leader. My friends all hook the minnows right beneath the dorsal fin in the center of the back. In contrast, I like to hook them through the mouth and stick the hook trough the top of the head, near the front of their "face." The reason I do this is because I've read that predatory fish always swallow their prey head first. Imagine swallowing a perch backwards, that dorsal fin would hurt a bit going down the gullet. I haven't noticed any difference in longevity of the minnow's life with either method as both are non-lethal (at least at first, hehe). I also haven't been able to tell if one works better for hook-up percentage and ultimate catch rate either. Which brings me here.

How do you hook minnows on tip-ups? The head, beneath the dorsal, both with a quick-strike rig? Does it even matter?

[BobT]

I don't think all predator fish swallow their prey head first. I believe walleye will suck up their minnows off the bottom from behind, I think.

Anyway, I have heard that a typical norther attack is initially from the side. After the initial attack they may release the bait and then hit it head on to swallow. This initial attack has proven quite accurate as just about every time I have a northern attack a walleye that I am fighting with they have been holding them from the side.

By hooking your bait in the middle of the back, you are more likely to have the hook in the fish's mouth right away rather than having to wait for them to turn it head on.

Bob

[WalleyeWacker10]

If you fish for Northern in 6ft of water or less in the middle of the day (in a dark house) you will be able to watch them in the hole. This is how i learned all the characteristics of fish and how they bite. It's really fun. You will see things that will shock you. You'll see the problems first hand on why your missing those fish.

[slipperybob]

depends where they're biting and their angle of attack...

I hook the minnow in just about any fins, head, or lips.

walleye's - tail, anal fins

crappies - head, lips, pectoral fins, anal fins, tail, dorsal fins

bluegills - head, pectoral fins, anal fins

perch - head, dorsal fins

pike, catfish - dorsal fins

[DARTER]

I agree with BobT. While spearing i have watched many Northerns T-bone my decoy.

[NyQuiLlama]

Ah yes, I remember reading that northern usually hit on the side first, lay around for a little while, and then turn the minnow in their mouth to swallow it head first. If this is indeed the case perhaps it depends on your fishing tactics how you should hook the minnow? If you race out after any tip-up and try to hook the fish while it's still running (which is what we usually do) then you should hook them in the dorsal because it's likely that the pike is carrying the bait by it's side. If you wait for the tip-up to stop running, and then wait for it to start again you'd be better off hooking the minnow by the head, because that is likely what is in the pike's mouth.

It's interesting that you bring up a northern attacking a walleye. This summer I had a nice eater on and a scrawney 6lb pike decided to swallow literally half of the walleye... head first.

Maybe I'm overthinking this. Or maybe I've been UNDERTHINKING it. And so far we've only been talking about slime-jacks, I wonder about ideal hooking methods for other species as well.

[slipperybob]

About the only place I don't hook a minnow is through it's skull to kill it. Kind of hard to drive a good hookset while it's lodge in cartilidge.

[pike doctor]

When I am using live suckers I always take a treble hook and run it through the nasal passages of the minnow. I then take a small stinger hook that is attatched to the front treble and hook it by the minnows dorsal fin. I have found that the minnow will have unbelievable movement like this. I would say that I land 16-17 out of 20 flags this way. It is important to note that I would be using a bigger stinger hook with bigger minnows, but I just barely stick it in the fish.

[NyQuiLlama]

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When I am using live suckers I always take a treble hook and run it through the nasal passages of the minnow.

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Both passages? I mean, do you thread the hook through the minnow's nostrils, perpendicular to the body? Or do you mean that you sort of hook them through the mouth/head and out through the top of the nasal passages (which is sort of what I do).

Great idea on the stinger, I'm gonna try that as I was thinking of switching all of my tip-ups to quick-strike rigs.

[slipperybob]

With your larger sucker minnows, through both nostrils perpendicular to body. Some people go so far as to thread floss line through the nostrils (with sewing needle) then tie that to the hook.

[NyQuiLlama]

Great, thanks for all of the ideas everyone.

Now, how would you hook a fathead for walleye on a tipup? I usually give them one right through both eyes on a single sharp hook with a good mono snell.

What about crappie minnows for a deadstick setup for panfish? There I usually hook them through both eyes with a treble hook usually on a frostee jig or a small swedish pimple.

[pike doctor]

Stick one of the trebles in one side of the nostrils, and pull it out the other (you pass through both passages). The hooks will be facing away from the minnow when you are done. Then just lightly bury the stinger as far back as you can get it with out pulling it real tight. Remember you are going to want the minnow to move as much as possible, especially in staind water.

Then get yourself some little inline spinners(blades) and put them about 5 inches up the line from the head of the bait. Make them stationary by wedging a piece of tooth pick in there and breaking it off. Then about one foot above that put your weights. Use as little weight as possible to get the bait down to desired depth.

Your bait should really be able to move around. The little spinner should add just a little bit of extra flash and vibration, not to mention it makes a treble hook legal in MN. I spool my tipups with 30lb viynl coated line, then i splice on about 12 ft of 30lb Fireline and tie the treble directly to it. If you hook the fish by the gills or throat i always cut the line and pray that the hooks dissolve. I was told this was the right way to do it. If you have to do this you are only out a dollar at most and that fish might be a monster in a couple years.

Note- I only do this with live sucker minnows.

[NyQuiLlama]

Thanks for that detailed description of your technique, pike doctor. I totally get the nostril thing now and I'll give this a try the next time I'm using larger suckers. I'll also try the spinner-blade thing. I make my own bottom-bouncing snells so I have plenty of spinnerblades. I might even sting on a few beads to add some extra bling. Pike really do love the bling.

Okay, one follow-up question... what technique do you use after you get a flag?

[pike doctor]

First and foremost I like to be real quiet getting to my flag. Most of the time you wont be fishing real deep so you dont want to spoke the fish and make him spit the bait. I like to fish in the middle of the water column. If you are in 12 ft of water set the tipup six ft down. If you have ever been in a spear house you will see that fish come in at all different levels. I believe higher up is better.

Once you are to the flag take a look at how fast she is going. If it is spinning slow or not at all slowly remove the tip up from the hole and slowly lift until you feel weight. Once you feel weight set the hook.

I am using Fireline so there is no stretch in the line. You dont need to set the line super hard, just give it a solid jerk. you dont want to tear the bait/hooks right out of its mouth. If your hooks are sharp enough they will penetrate slowly after the hookset, especially with a big one. Make sure to keep constant pressure on the fish. I never wear gloves when i take a flag like some other people.

Hope this helps. Post if you get any monsters.

[Cletus]

I hook a shiner through the dorsal fin. Hooking the baitfish doesn't have as much to do with a "hooking percentage" as it does how the baitfish moves to bring in the predatory fish. hooking through the dorsal fin allows the shiner the ability to move and struggle. This in of itself can trigger a reaction bite to many a passing Northern Pike. You can still have a good hooking percentage regardless of how you attach the bait.

When tip-up fishing, using regular tip-up line and a hook or treble (with bead and spinner in MN), you need to be a little careful. my expereince has been where, when hitting from the back or side, pike will sometimes spit out the baitn and readjust taking it in head first. Baitfish are usually stunned and do not put up much of a struggle. A new rig on the market is a Quick Strike rig. This type of rig takes all that guesswork out of the equation. with a quickstrike rig, you can "set the hook" anytime weather the pike has stopped (pull in any slack first) or if it is still running. Quickstrike rigs are built in a fasion that you will get a good hookset no matter which direction the pike is running or how thoughout the pike has swallowed the mate. If it is in the mouth, it SHOULD be hooked.

[NyQuiLlama]

Cool, I do basically the same exact thing. I usually fish in really shallow weed beds, around 6 feet, if I'm going for pike (usually for little contests).

So you always wait for the fish to stop taking line to set the hook, eh? I know people that wait for them to stop taking line and then wait for them to start again. I'm not that patient and I wonder if it just gives the pike more time to spit the hook. Thanks again for exchanging ideas here, we're from different areas, so it's interesting to see different local styles.

[walleyeking19]

in high school i was in a class and we watched walleyes eat minnows and everyone one of them hit from the side. so from then on, i only hook my minnows under the dorsal fin.

[Cletus]

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Cool, I do basically the same exact thing. I usually fish in really shallow weed beds, around 6 feet, if I'm going for pike (usually for little contests).

So you always wait for the fish to stop taking line to set the hook, eh? I know people that wait for them to stop taking line and then wait for them to start again. I'm not that patient and I wonder if it just gives the pike more time to spit the hook. Thanks again for exchanging ideas here, we're from different areas, so it's interesting to see different local styles.

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As I stated above... use Quick Strike rigs and there is no reason to wait. Using single hooks... or even single Treble hooks... there is reason to wait. Not with QS rigs.

[NyQuiLlama]

Would a reasonable alternative to a pre-packaged "quick-strike rig" be the idea of adding an additional treble stinger hook to your primary treble that was mentioned on page one of this thread? Because that's my new plan. That way no matter which direction they are trying to eat the minnow from they are eating a hook or three.

[pike doctor]

You don't have to wait long when you do it my way. I just try not to take them on a big run, unless they are about to spool my tip up. If you walk over and it is spinning, spinning slowly, or even a little fast go ahead and take it. I dont like to wait to long. I dont want them to swallow the hooks.

[Cletus]

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Would a reasonable alternative to a pre-packaged "quick-strike rig" be the idea of adding an additional treble stinger hook to your primary treble that was mentioned on page one of this thread? Because that's my new plan. That way no matter which direction they are trying to eat the minnow from they are eating a hook or three.

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That is the general idea... but make sure you check your state regs to make sure your set-up is legal. In MN, there are regs regarding trebles.

[Cletus]

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You don't have to wait long when you do it my way. I just try not to take them on a big run, unless they are about to spool my tip up. If you walk over and it is spinning, spinning slowly, or even a little fast go ahead and take it. I dont like to wait to long. I dont want them to swallow the hooks.

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I understand what you are saying. I do not fish tip-ups exclusively with Quick strike rigs. I use QS rigs when the bite is regular or if they are biting lite. When the bite is almost non-existent, I downsize to a singly hook through the dorsal of a shiner. I also use a lighter leader such as some 8# Crystal fireline.

[NyQuiLlama]

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make sure you check your state regs to make sure your set-up is legal.

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Looking at the Wisconsin regs here:

http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/regulations/2007/documents/FishingRegs%2007-08.pdf

Page 6 says that you can't use more than three hooks. Hrmmm, I guess that could be interpreted in a number of ways (like most regulations).