Live bait question

How many of you guys fish fathead minnows and hook them in the lips?
I have not hooked a fat head through the lips on a jig…. for years. I go deep inside the mouth and out the back of the head.
Wiggle? Nope… I know that I am realy cutting down on the minnow’s ability to wiggle on the jig… but I seldom get the short strike and almost nerver get cleaned off!
I do the same with crappie minnows.
I also never use a whole crawler. On a jig, I “worm” on the crawler… then pinch off about one inch past the jig hook. I’ll then attach the left over piece to the hook point and pinch it off even with the first one. This leaves two tag ends of the same lingth…. makes a “Crawler-Crayfish” that has two little arms that dangle… How you guys fishing crawlers?
Hawger

On jigs, I hook my minnows through the lips if I’m fishing real slow, letting it rest on the bottom, vertical, etc. If I’m fishing fast, with a twister tail or something else, I’ll go right in the bottom of the head and out the top.

Crawlers on a jig I always thread them on, and when the hook comes out, hook it through both sides again, it seems to help them stay on better, and clip it off about 4 inches behind the hook.

I’ve never tried that crawler/crayfish idea, but I will now.

With small fatheads I lip hook them. With largerfatheads or other larger minnows(Redtails!)…I go through the mouth, out the gill, and hook them in the low end of the stomach. They stay alive, stay on the hook, and get the short strikers. With crawlers I pinch them off….unless….I am “light jig” dragging(1/16th or 3/32oz) in shallow water, then it is almost like fishing with a light lindy rig, that long dangling sure seems to entice em!

Well, thanks guys for the heads-up on hooking bait… I guess my deal on Tetonka has made me adapt to the “in the mouth out the head” deal… those little bait stealing rascals… man, they’ll clean you off in a second! I have a photo somewhere with a 1 pounder cit open to reveal 11 fathead minnows inside! Hard to think they can eat that much at once….
Anyway, another question… do you ever use a chunk of crawler and a minnow both? A combo? I have with some fairly good success…. seems to realy make them hit. Not good if Sheepies are round. They can smell a crawler a mile off.
Hawger

Hey Dave, Threw the mouth and out behind the head or I lose toooooo many. Crawlers mostly 1/2 to 2/3 or seem to get short bites. Haven’t tried hooking in the middle but will have to try it-bigger profile. Thanks, Bill

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but this is the last time so PAY ATTENTION!! Two pieces of corn, half a worm and a fish eye on a gold hook….gets em every time. If you must fish minnows hook them through the eyes……………B

If you keep taking all the worms and drinking all the beer, I’m going to hook you through the eyes!

B, what does the corn do? Is it just for color? Do you use it no matter what you’re fishing for (‘gills, eyes, cats)?

Just wondering, ‘cuz I would think every third fish would be a carp, unless the fish eye keeps them at bay. If it’s just for color, it probably looks about like my favorite live-bait rig: Slip sinker, 3’ leader, yellow floater, plain hook with 1/2 crawler threaded on.

Has anybody ever fished unweighted bucktail streamers with live bait behind a bouncer or slip sinker? I was considering tying some. I would think the action would be a lot more erratic than a jig. When I’m plastic wormin’ for bass, I usually do better with the slower fall of a carolina rig.

I’ll tie some bucktail to an aberdeen hook and tip it with a crawler or minnow when runnig 3-ways somtimes.

Gianni, You’re close to the secret of this rig’s success! It works like this; the gold hook is for color, it works well with the half worm to attract gills,bass,cats,and certainly walleye. The corn keeps sheepshead away from the worm, sheepshead are finicky and simply will not eat their vegatables. The fish eye keeps the carp, which are very superstitious fish,away from the corn. Carp fear the evil eye and won’t touch this rig!!!

Keep it up BFD and I’ll reveal you’re real name. And then it’s back into the program for you .HA!!!!!

Hawger, seriously, I do alwas hook my minnows through the eyes, both for jigs or hook applications. They stay alive and it helps with the short hitters. I use large minnows even fishing for crappies,they help the jig sink slower and give me the confidence edge………but you need to have large hooks on your small jigs which means pouring your own or buying from a good source………..B

I had a guy p/m me and tell me that he hooks a bit of crawler on to the trailer hook of his spinner baits… added scent and texture. I have been doing this too… and for a long time,… only I do not use the trailer-hooks. I just worm on a crawler to the spinner bait hook.
I have actually caught big walleyes in the grass while fishing bass this way… I figured it was the extra bit of crawler that did the job.
Hawger

You have been doing weird things with your fishing tackle for years. Must be nice to have “Secret Lake” to experiment in. I am due for a trip there you know.
Chris Beeksma

Chris…. you have only to come!
Open door, couch that makes a bed…. and food on the table! My friend, you are welcome here anytime.

Yes… I have been blessed, that is for sure. But so are you…. to live where you do and have good water that you can fish…. right out your back door! And Lake Superior close by with the world’s greatest Smallmouth fishery…. I guess we are both sitting pretty good in the blessed isle.

I will try to make it up soon… and will let you know when asap. I plan to go to Mille Lacs in two weeks for the weekend… should be fun. Out for big-tooth-monsters.
Hawger