Crappie minnow

[Dan Thiem]

Just wondering how everybody hooks a crappie minnow while ice fishing under a float.Say you were using a tear drop shape jig.
Do you lip hook the minnow , or through the top of the back(shoulder area), or back by the tail ?

Another question. What about waxies? Same way bobber and tear drop.
Some people hook it hot dog style others through the end. Is that little brown spot on the end the head ?

[wishiniwerefishin]

Dan:

For crappie minnows, i hook then back by the tail, at the top of the back. This has seemed to work better for me under a bobber, the minnows stay alive and active longer. As for waxies, i usually switch it up. Sometimes the hotdog style, others i will put it on the hook the long ways. I do believe that brown part is the head, but im no waxie expert.

[PikeTipper]

If the crappies are biting lite I'll sometimes hook the minnows through the lips but backwards so the tip of the hook is away from the minnow if this makes any sense. Seems like crappies like to inhale the minnow head 1st so this method gets the hook deeper in their mouth. This does take some practice to hook them right so they still give some action.

I always seem to kill wax worms so I can't help you there. I have had better luck with Eurolarvae though, they have tougher skin so I have an easier time hooking them without ripping them apart.

[CRAPPIEBAIT]

OK here is my big secret.Try hooking them on one side (ie.left or right) just enough to break through the skin then turn the hook to come right back on the same side.Do not go to deep or your minnow will be dead quick.This is real easy to do once you get the hang of it.I like to do this with just a plain small hook (sometimes the colored hooks work better)

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Greg

[Matt Johnson]

Good topic!

I like to hook my crappie minnows upside-down and slightly more towards the tail than the dorsil fin. There are two reasons why I do this, one, because the minnow will constantly try to upright itself but can't, and it will pefetctly immitate an injured/dying minnow, and two, the minnow is extremely limited to the range of motion it has (it can't swim around). On negative conditions, like during midwinter when fishing can be slow, this technique works very well, the crappies can't resist. I prefer to use pin minnows, or as small as possible for this. This is a technique where the Genz Bug is very effective. Those crappies prefer to take the minnow head first and the hooking percentage is awesome with the angle of the hook.

When hooking maggots I always just barely hook the back end (the end with the two little brown dots). If you are aggressively pounding a jig and the fish are aggressive it won't matter as much whether or not you puncture the maggot. But if you are in a negative situation where you need to fineese the fish you will want a lively maggot. You want the maggot to do most of the work in these situations.

I also like to "wacky rig" a maggot from time to time, or in other words, hook the maggot directly in the center and let both ends hang equally. This technique can trigger some fish into striking when they wouldn't normally hit your standard baits.

Sliding the hook through the maggot from back to the front works well too.

Good Fishin,
Matt Johnson

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Matt Johnson Outdoors
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[icehousebob]

When I'm rigging for Crappies with a plain hook, I like to hook the minnow by the dorsal fin. This works when the fish are a little spooky. When fishing a jig, especially near the bottom for perch or walleyes, I like to tail hook them. The minnows struggle to swim down and they stay in the bottom zone where the fish are. For waxies, I thread them on the hook, and then pinch them to let out some of their fluids. I rebait often, but heck, waxies are cheap, and the scent in the water seems to work.

[The Grebe]

Getting an early start, before the crew shows up for work!

When I hook a Crappie minnow on an ice jig, if the bite is fast, it's a quick hook directly under the dorsal fin...quickest and easiest spot for me. I just hook them and get them back down.

Other times when the action is slower, I hook them behind the dorsal fin with the point of the hook angling toward the front of the minnow.

I will hook them through the lips sometimes, bottom through the top, and that is how the fish want them sometimes?

When the bite is a little harder and fineness is needed, I will sometimes hook them behind the annal fin, it gets them off balance and they seem to struggle more?

Lastly, I will sometimes hook them through the lips and pinch them off, so that only the head remains.

On the Larvae baits, I'am strickly a waxie fan..I have been out fished a few times by others using alternative baits, but I get my share!

Here is a little trick I'll share, to thread a waxie on so that he does'nt roll up and "Invert" or "Splode" when you stick the hook in em, just start the hook into him on the under side of the little round head...slips in real easy, no muss, no fuss.

[Bobberboy]

I've had excellent results using a center hooked wax worm and then hooking a second by the head and squishing the tail so the juice runs out. This method seems to work well in negative situations. It seems to add a bit of chum to the water column and has a tendency to create a bit of a feeding frenzy in inactive fish.

[The Grebe]

You know, if you get into a bunch of them little 6 inchers and smaller, it does'nt matter what you use, or how you use it, they will bite on just about anything, hooked any variety of ways!

[McGurk]

for the waxies, I've always threaded them along the hook on a tiny panfish jig, but try to get as little of the hook showing. i don't know if there is any merit to this or not, but it seems to make a difference. if i suddenly stop getting action, i'll reel up and usually see a lot of hook showing, re-thread a new one, and see good action again almost immediately. any comments?

[psegriz]

Matt

Explain how you hook them I guess i'm wondering which way the hook is pointing towards the head or tail. Sounds like a good idea.

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Goosin now but Ice is coming soon!!
GRIZ

[Mr.Seaguar]

I hook minnows for perch on a horizontal jig with the hook thru the spine right by the tail. If the perch doesnt have the hook he doesnt get the minnow. For vertical presentaitions i hook the minnow under the backbone right behind the innards. if the minnow dies its cause the fish arent biting on them and he died from boredom.