by slim'n'none

Created on: July 17, 2008

A minnow is a small fish, often used as bait when a sportsman pursues any of a wide variety of fish. They are small, between half an inch and an inch at largest for the most part. Rigging a minnow can be done in several different ways. The method to choose depends on what you're fishing for, how you're fishing, and what the area you are fishing in is like. There are essentially four ways to hook a minnow. It can be hooked through the nose/mouth, through the eyes, through the back at the dorsal fin, and further back, through the tail of the fish.

The basic rig used when fishing a minnow is simple. There is no need for leaders or fancy rigs. All that one needs, for the most part, is cork (bobber for you Yankee types), sinker, usually a small split shot weight or 3 will do well, and a small hook that can be purchased as a, you guessed it, minnow hook! Any other rig you see will be a variation of this most basic of rigs. The depth the minnow reaches can be adjusted by adjusting how far above the hook the cork sits, and how much weight is on the line. The cork acts as a bite indicator, as when a fish takes the bait the cork will be dragged under.

If you are trolling the minnows, as many people who fish for Crappie (white perch/black perch) or open water fish such as hybrid and stripers (minnows aren't actually used for this, but the same theory applies to the shad or herring which are used) Then hooking through the nose, is probably the best. The reason you would want to hook the minnow through its mouth and nose, usually from the bottom lip to the top, is that it gives the fish a natural look as it moves through the water. Hooked through the back the fish would be pulled sideways, and through the tail the fish would be seen to be swimming backwards. A fish is not the brightest creature in the world, but it is not stupid either.

If you are still fishing, where you are not moving and the minnow is free to move around, you can use any of the above mentioned methods for rigging the minnow. However, more natural movement is still gained by hooking through the tail, or head of the fish. Hooking the minnow through the back handicaps its movement.

Adjusting how deep the minnow sits, via the cork and the amount of weight, also adds to the effectiveness of the bait. And, for an added twist, you can bottom fish by removing the cork from the line, and keeping tension in the line to tell when you have a bite. Hopefully, these guidelines have helped, and the best of luck in your fishing excursions.

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