Hooks for Smallmouth Fishing with Suckers

I’m a novice when it comes to smallmouth fishing with sucker minnows in the fall. I’ve done it a few times and had some success using Gamakatsu finesse wide gap hooks in the 2/0-3/0 size and also some Gamakatsu circle hooks or octopus hooks. I’m just wondering what other anglers are using. Also, what are you doing when the smallie picks up the sucker? Do you give the fish a few seconds to run or do you set the hook right away?

Also wondering if the mood of fish makes a difference on hooks or hook sets. If they pick up the minnow and move slowly, do you give them more time before setting the hook vs. a more aggressive bite where they grab the minnow and run fast or just hammer the minnow? I want to maximize hook-ups but more importantly never want to deep hook them.

One more question….how does using like an original floating Rapala or husky jerk on a long leader behind a worm weight work this time of year? Basically just replace the sucker minnow with a stick bait. It seems like a stick bait would prevent gut hooking.

We have been using these and Octopus hooks of the same size. Not really sure what the difference is between the two.

As far as when to set the hook I think the mood of the fish has a lot to do with it. Most of the time we give just a second or two pause. Nice thing is if you pull the sucker out of the fishes mouth just stop and that fish will not let it get away a second time. I’m fishing the river up north so the majority of the time we get to see the bass hit the minnows and then just figure it out from there.

Bring a long curved hemostat with for the deep hooked fish. It works amazingly well going in through the gills grabbing the shank and twisting the hook to pop it out.

Went through three dozen sucker minnows today on the river.

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I give them maybe 3 seconds at most. I’d rather miss a fish than kill one.

On GB I use 2/0 Kahle style. Don’t have to give smallies much time at all to set the hook. Love feeling the chub getting nervous before the bite. Amazing the size chub or sucker those smallmouth will hit.

Mike W wrote:

Nice thing is if you pull the sucker out of the fishes mouth just stop and that fish will not let it get away a second time.

Thanks Mike. I learned that the other day. If the smallmouth didn’t get the minnow on a missed hook set, if I just dropped the rod tip right back down, often times I’d get bite real soon afterwards. Fishing in 16 feet of water, I couldn’t see what was going on but I assumed it was the same fish, or another one competing for the minnow.

I use the same as Mike. I like when the big ones just grab it and start spooling line. Takes the guess of when to set the hook right out of it.

Don’t overlook fatheads or shiners when available, specifically on the river there are days I’ve easily outfished live bait guys with super flukes on weighted hooks

Tight lines! It’s that time of year for the bends!

Mike is 100 percent on the money. Same hooks same size. I prefer a red hook but that’s just personal preference. If your just trolling them along the smallies usually just hammer it and want to rip the rod out of your hand

Any other rigging tips?

No Tim. That’s it.

Actually we will add a small split shot a foot or so up from the hook if the fish are not up tight on the bank that day.

Second tip. Don’t throw your dead minnows away. You may be very happy to have them towards the end of the trip. Our last 4 trips we used up every last minnow dead or alive. Some where not even full minnows anymore.

Pro tip,
When you buy 3 or 4 dozen suckers I keep them in the livewell and bait well and keep fresh water circulation all day long. They will last a weekend this way if need be

Another tip. Don’t buy suckers at Johnson’s Portside. Unless you have an extra $60 laying in between your truck seats.

One more thing on the Kahle style hook,if you use that 1\0 or 2\0 hook they don’t swallow it the majority are in the roof of the mouth.

We use a 1/8 or 1/4 oz jigs for smallies. River chubs early (first two weeks in October).
Then walleye suckers.
It seems like the fish are more aggressive the first two trips where they just smack it. Then they get sluggish where you have to be very slow setting the hook.
Then the walleyes start biting. (fist part of November)

biggill wrote:

Another tip. Don’t buy suckers at Johnson’s Portside. Unless you have an extra $60 laying in between your truck seats.

Don’t know there price, but 12$ a dozen or more is not uncommon around the lake.
Just north of the lake you can get them for 8$ a dozen at a certain shop on 169.

I use all sorts of different colored hooks. Blue is one of my go to’s on Mille Lacs. No idea why but they like it.

Don’t think I’d tie a blue hook on anywhere else for anything else.

I use a more traditional lindy rig up there vs small split shot but could definitely do that when under ten foot exclusively up there.

For all the bass die hards that say they would never do it. I bet you would if you were in my boat and put your personal best five in the boat. LOL.

Circle hooks. Let them take it. Just reel in don’t set the hook. Always in the corner of the mouth.

$12/dz for suckers?!?! As if I needed another reason to not fish that lake….

ganderpike wrote:

$12/dz for suckers?!?!

I kind of thought that was high priced too, especially for suckers. I thought that was more in the realm of shiner prices. Too rich for my blood, especially since you usually don’t just buy a dozen either. Probably more reasonable than leech prices though, if you can even find any now.

I saw muskie sized suckers for 16 bucks EACH on Saturday.

ganderpike wrote:

$12/dz for suckers?!?! As if I needed another reason to not fish that lake….

That’s been the norm for a couple years. Ive seen much higher prices than that. Late ice pike fishing a couple hours ago i saw medium suckers for $6/ minnow. Bait prices have been going higher and higher since they banned importing from Wisconsin. There’s cheaper options, just have to shop around before you get up by the lake or go to Malmo, they’re usually the cheapest near the lake.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Don’t know there price, but 12$ a dozen or more is not uncommon around the lake.
Just north of the lake you can get them for 8$ a dozen at a certain shop on 169.

Don’t quote me on the exact price but I think they were either $1.25 or $1.50 EACH. They don’t sell by the doz anymore apparently.

Ripjiggen wrote:

I use all sorts of different colored hooks. Blue is one of my go to’s on Mille Lacs. No idea why but they like it.

Don’t think I’d tie a blue hook on anywhere else for anything else.

Blue Gamakatsu octopus hooks are about all I use up on Namakan and Rainy when I’m lindy rigging for eye’s

I didn’t even know this was a thing. I spend many days fishing just trying to keep my expensive bait out of the mouths of the Smallmouths and in the target species. Even specific colors? I’m going to try one of those turd things next time I go out for smallies, and there’s no way I’m going to spend money on live bait for them. For the price of 3 dozen suckers you can just drive here and catch them on rubber chickens. Not trying to say it’s wrong, just shocking to me. Is this on a float rig like a big bobber or a live bait rig?

Tutts in Garrison had chubs for about $18 a dozen. I don’t know what their suckers were priced at.

I know the big minnows catch smallies this time of year. But next time I think I’ll also try a stick bait or a swim bait to experiment and see if those might also catch fish. I’d be nice not having to buy suckers or chubs.