Fly the Team Iceshanty Flag! Iceshanty Proshop
I use a #8 eagle claw two prong hook instead of a treble,on minnows 3-6". 90-100% hook up rate,miss a few small fish.Mostly fishing walleye but catch a lot of trout also.Use a threading needle, hook tied to a 6-8" leader,start needle into the bait just behind the head and slide it just under the skin coming out behind the dorsal fin. Hook the leader on the needle and pull the leader through the bait, when you get to the hook slide the hook shank under the skin.Your left with a very lively free swiming minnow with the two prongs of the hook riding up, just above the minnows back ,behind the head. Nearly 100% hookup,almost never have a bait stolen. Kind of time consuming and has to be done quickly if its really cold. When done fishing gently pull the leader out of the bait by the hook,i have minnows stay alive for 3-4 weeks after doing this to be used again another day.Usally they will die after the second time being rigged though. Also sometimes catch 2-4 fish on the same minnow as sometimes they will slide up the leader away from the hooked fish and not recieve much damage,but not always. Just my 2 cents worth.
Thanks for the pictures.Do you use this on live bait ?I don't know how long a minnow would live after being skeward like that.Wiener
What do you guys use for hooks on your leaders? I've tried the octopus circle hooks and my hook up ratio is about 40% but usualy its in the corner in in the throat . Lately I tried the sureset hooks by VMC and I went 3 for 6 on flags which is just a little better than the octopus hooks. I didn't set the suresets I just slowly pulled in the fish because I am so use to the circle hooks. Anybody got any ideas of a good hook? Also with the octopus hooks sometimes the hook will turn into the minnow and a fish will just hold on for the ride then let go at the hole . Also I fish with meduim heavy to large baits like in the 3 to 5 inch range so a big old treble isn't really necessary.