Crappie time, Now, let’s dig in…
Crappie time,
Now, let’s dig in…
Some of the most popular bait among
anglers is minnows. These small fish are
perfect bait for just about any fish
you’ll be going after. They’re one of
the best live baits you’ll find out
there. Not only can you buy live minnows
for fishing but you can also catch your
own.Catching your own minnows with homemade
traps is another very popular thing
among anglers. It can save you money and
it can also be fun to do. A minnow is a
small fish that is often used as bait.
They are usually between half an inch
and one inch in length at the largest
point so rigging them can be difficult
for the first time. Once you have your
own minnows though you need to learn how
to rig them properly. There are actually
several different ways in which you can
do it which will usually depend on the
type of fish you are fishing for.Rigging a minnow properly can mean the
difference between a good and bad day.
If you don’t properly fit your bait on
the hook you’ll find that you’ll just
end up losing the bait.Losing bait can be frustrating and can
cost you money. Losing money is never
good but losing time while fishing is
even worse. When you don’t rig the bait
properly you will spend more time fixing
your bait than actually fishing. So now
it’s time to learn how to rig properly.Get Comfortable With Your Bait You don’t
need to take your minnows out for dinner
or anything but you definitely need to
be comfortable with handling them. Know
their anatomy and where specific parts
of their body are located. This really
helps you better appreciate and
understand how the minnow will sit on
the hook. You’ll also find that knowing
this can keep your minnow alive longer
than it normally would if you simply
just throw it on a hook.You can hook a minnow through the
nose/mouth, the eyes, the back at the
dorsal fin and further back through the
tail. This is why it’s important to know
where these parts of the fish are and to
be able to proper identify them. This
way when we discuss the different ways
to rig a minnow, you will know what
we’re talking about.Different Methods to Rig a Minnow One of
the most important things to remember
when you go to rig your minnow is what
type of system you’re using. If you’re
going to be fishing in deep water you’ll
want to rig the minnow different then if
you’re going to have them float around
the surface of the water. The next thing
you have to consider is the size of the
minnow you’re going to be hooking. The
bigger the minnow the more problem you
could have with hooking it just right.Knowing the anatomy of the fish is
really important when it comes to this
step in the rigging process. If you know
exactly where to put the hook you won’t
have any trouble.As we talked about earlier, there are
different places on the body where you
can rig a minnow.The basic way to rig a minnow is simple
and will not require leaders or any type
of fancy rig. You will want a cork or
bobber, a sinker, some split shot weight
and a small hook (minnow hook). These
are all really easy to rig up and the
cork can help you adjust the depth that
you want your minnow to go into the
water. How much weight you put on the
line will also help you lower the minnow
to greater or lesser depths. Minnow
Rigging for Trolling Now if you’re going
to be trolling for fish the way people
do when they fish for crappie or maybe
for stripers, you will rig the minnow a
bit differently to accommodate this. You
will want to hook the minnow through the
mouth and nose from the bottom lip to
the top.This will give the fish a more natural
look as it moves through the water and
your fish will be much more likely to go
for it. If you hook the minnow in the
back, it will make it look like it is
swimming backwards, pulling the fish
sideways and this will appear unnatural,
even to the fish. The more natural you
can make your bait look, the better the
chance of you catching a lot of fish
that day. It is suggested that you use a
barbless minnow hook about an inch
longer than the minnow to rig your
minnows.You should hold the minnow firmly in one
hand and with the hook in your other
hand, lead it through the fish in the
specified location according to your
choice of rig. Then when it’s on there
securely and the rest of your rig is set
up, you’re ready to cast in the water
and get to fishing! Remember to check
out the details about a little-known
secret "weapon" some lucky crappie
fishermen are using to double their
catches of crappie.So get out there and "test, test, test"!
That’s the name of the game.
If you put just 1 tip a week into play,
you’ll stay a step ahead of your buddies……and the crappie! 🙂
I’ll be back with you next Friday with
more crappie catching tips…Have a great weekend!
Ohio Sportfishing http://www.ohiosportfishing.com/