Tipping jigs with minnow heads

[hammerhead]

I read of lots of guys who do this, do you kill a live minnow to use his head, or do you use packaged minnows? Are the heads so good that you just throw the rest of the minny away?

[vipercat64]

I don't have an answer, but want to see what people say. 

Stay on top, it's still early!!!!

[holeinhide]

I save the minnows that die on my tip ups or in the bait tank and use their heads on the jig.

[icejunky]

I start with the dead minnows, but have been known to pop the head off the odd live minnow, try to leave something hanging it helps to get the fish to hold on....I also use bodies, I trim them into pieces with a knife and use them if Im getting low on heads, the body works ok, if you are using shiners as the scales give you nice shine..

When using the head, if the eyes get plucked from a fish,  it;s time to get more bait, I have found if Im getting bites and fish on a minnow head then it stops, It;s usually because the eyes are gone

[hammerhead]

Thanks guys, I rarely take very many minnows when I go so seldom have any die. I think I will give the packaged minnie heads a try

[littlesturgeonguy]

most times i use the head, but leave just a little meat behind the head i just think i gives off a little more scent with the little bit of meat. if i run out of  minnows i start using the body or part of the body depends on the bite sometimes the whole mimmow is the ticket though depends on the mood of the fish.

[Sgt. Pepper]

it sounds pretty cruel, but take the live minnow and squish it in two. i think live minnows are a little jucier. icejunky is right, leave some guts hanging out.  the things we do to catch fish.

from what i have seen on camera, heads do not outfish tails.  if the perch is hungry, he is gonna eat.

[fish_finder]

I usually use the heads off of dead minnows in teh bucket or ones that get killed by fish on teh tip-ups. Mostly tho i use the eye balls out of any perch im going to keep

[Josh B.]

Alot of times a perch or gill eye works well.  But whole pin head shiners (1-2")  are great to tip a spoon like a swedish pimple, little cleo, bluefox etc.  It minimizes small perch.  Who honestly enjoys reeling in and getting their hands wet for 3-6" perch?

[littlesturgeonguy]

Alot of times a perch or gill eye works well.  But whole pin head shiners (1-2")  are great to tip a spoon like a swedish pimple, little cleo, bluefox etc.  It minimizes small perch.  Who honestly enjoys reeling in and getting their hands wet for 3-6" perch?

kids do they don't care how big they are as long as they can catch alot of them

[Hando]

I mostly fish perch with small spoons tipped with minnows to start.  Once the minnow gets beat up I'll pinch the head off & keep jigging the head.  I save the bodies and when things slow down I will "chum" with them and then drop my minnow head down there.  Personally, I think just the head works better but every day is different and my approach is just something that has worked for me.  Good Luck!