IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: firsticerules on Dec 13, 2003, 12:51 PM
-
some people say that fish attack their pray from the front so that is where they hook the minnow but other people say to hook it at the tail or on the spine
don't know which one to use ??? i usually hook it where ever i grab it but also miss hits.
any inputs would be appreciated ;D
thax
-
I hook mine behind the dorsal fin.Just the way I like too do it.
-
I am with Polar have always hooked mind under the dorsal fin.
-
Back to front...along side the dorsal fin or through the lips.
RG
-
sounds like different people hook their minnow in different places but i also supose you need to think of the size of the minnow
-
For a horizontal presentation I rig it with the hook through the spind right in front of the tail. Makes fish get ahold of it to steal it. For vetical applications, right behind the guts just below the spine. Stays on well and stays alive. Once it gets below zero I get less picky, just dont let them freeze becomes my motto.
-
I hook mine behind the dorsal ...but you have to watch out not to hit the spine,they will lose alot of their movement and die quickly.Another thing I do (learned from an old timer)bite or clip off about half of their tail it makes them work harder in the water and they attract move fish when the bite is off alittle.
8) FOG
-
If I am tipping a spoon for agressive jigging, ill hook it through the skull ( or just use a piece of minnow) if i want my minnow to swim for deadsticking or jig fishing, behind the dorsal fin. The minnow will struggle to swim almost non stop. In fisherman ice fishing videos shows this technique alot, it does work well! Through the lips for ice fishing, I seem to miss alot if strikes, or the minnow will keep falling off. During open water fishing however lip hooking on a jig works well for drifting & trolling.
-
The other thing to consider is the type of fish your after. Northerns, for example, ussually attack from the head/front end of the minnow. other fish like bass.... attack from the tail end. I dont know what walleye and the panfish do...... anyone else know?
Melbs :'(
-
Try Anything
When its slow reverse hook them. Or even hook them upside down Try anything. Fishing is not an exact science, you must do this or that. If you listen to some people thell argue the sky is pink. Just keep your mind open to change. And change could happen 10 times a day. That will make a better fisherman out of you. And when you find something that works that your buddy tells you that it will never work Do Not Tell Him how you caught the fish. Experament with hooking them till there is nothing left to put a hook in.
Cold Feet
Melbs
I believe the pike hits the bait from the side then stops turns the bait in its mouth and will swallow head first. That is useally why they will make 2 runs before you set the hook. the first strike is to capture and maim the fish the second run is to turn and swallow.If you set the hook fast after the first run you will most of the time not gut hook them If you clean a pike with a fish in it stomach you will notice it has been swallowed head first almost always. This is what I was taught but I could be wrong.
Cold Feet
-
I lip hook. Down through a nose hole, and through the bottom lip. I usually use smaller minnows and size 2 or 6 hooks. My dexterity is poor and worse in the cold. Whenever I try under-the-dorsal-fin hooking, I kill too many minnows :(
-
point of hook through lip's up through roof of mouth and out of the eye socket. the lip's stay moving,the shiner will last all day.and stay on your hook.but i do like to use the dorsel fin.
-
For perch or other panfish, we've most of the time hooked them thru their eyesockets. It's true though, that changing things has to occur from time to time. One lake they might prefer them lipped or back hooked. The next lake they might prefer something different. The next lake they might bite one that's dead, and the hooking method won't matter. I guess it depends on how hungry they are.......... For pike, we've always hooked our minnows behind the dorsal, and cut the top half of it's tailfin off. This will cause the minnow to struggle downward, which pike seem to like. We also hook dead smelt thru the tail, and then fish the bottom with a bellsinker on our tip-ups. Pike go crazy for an easy meal of dead smelt. Whitey.
-
For northern's and muskie, at least here in NY.Hook just behind the dorsal but not into the spine (hook size depends on minnow size)ie:the barb of the treble should just touch the side of the bait. For me it's been good for about 80% hookup.
wally's and perch are a different set, through the lips for the most part, however I never use trebles for either, usually just #8 single. Somewhere around 70% hook up using tip-downs. They just shy away from tip-ups too much to make them effective.
-
I hook behind the dorsal fin on tip-ups and on dead sticks. If i'm going to jig the minnow i hook it through the lips. If i'm dead sticking for walleyes I hook the minnow through the tail so it can swim better.
-
I use both methods of rigging a shiner,i get more fish on a tail hooked shiner though,the hooks im using are size 10's for perch and crappies,if im fishing for wallies and bass i'll use a size 6>))>
-
i hook mine in the back just under the fin,, and yes becareful not to break the spine or hit the air sac :'(
-
thanx for all the inputs i guess i'll have to try different tecniques.
-
How often do you use minnows or minnow heads when jigging with a spoon?
-
I use minnow heads on a spoon some, when after perch or walleyes. I rarely use whole minnows with a spoon but will with a Hali. I also use minnow heads for perch and just rig them on a horizontal jig. I will deadstick these and they really catch fish, especially late season. I only use it when its working better than whole minners. I got a buddy who uses minnow heads for crappies. I have done it also but he has more confidence in it so it works better for him.
I have learned a trick about using minnow heads, put the minnow on the hook before removing back part of body. This is a lot easier to hold and place on hook. I just hang minnow alongside bucket or something and use pocket knife to slice boddy off. Much cleaner and hands not so nasty.
-
There is alot to consider. Basicly if I am using tip downs or tip ups I hook minnows in the back in front of the dorsil fin so if they die they hang in an idle position ,I found in mid ice sometimes that is best. If I'm using my pole I hook they're tails because its easy to check them . When using ajigging rapala try putting a minnow head on the center/bottom hook [through the skull] put it on whole and pinch it off as to squish it releasing more scents , but its true try different things because you might find something that works better for you...! GOOD LUCK !: ::) ;D :'( H.W.W.
-
i've always found this very important--if the fish are biting aggressively i hook the minnow by the tail once only but if they are biting softly always thru the dorsal front to back ensuring not to hook into the spine--lol >:(
-
I've always hooked minnows through the top lip only. By threading the hook through the upper and lower lip you are preventing the minnow from opening its moutha nd thus not allowing water to pash through its gills and the minnow dies quickly. When going for big pike or muskie I useally always hook through the upper lips but sometimes use a stiger hook or two.