James RickardHow to hook a minnow
March 27th 2009 01:25
One of the best live baits you can use is live minnows.
The exact size of a minnow is going to vary according to the kind of fish you are stalking.
When you're new to angling, it's only natural to wonder how to hook a minnow if you want to use it for bait.
There are a lot of ways floating around but a lot of them are wrong. These are the methods most widely accepted.
I'm going to use an artificial minnow for illustrative purposes but I think you'll get the idea.
The exact size of a minnow is going to vary according to the kind of fish you are stalking.
When you're new to angling, it's only natural to wonder how to hook a minnow if you want to use it for bait.
There are a lot of ways floating around but a lot of them are wrong. These are the methods most widely accepted.
I'm going to use an artificial minnow for illustrative purposes but I think you'll get the idea.
This is one way to hook a minnow.
The most effective method is to hook the tiny fish right behind the top fin (the dorsal fin) about 1/3 of the way down from the top You don't want to go too high on the back because you can pierce the spine with the hook which will paralyze the minnow. Aside from that, the minnow will probably tear off your hook during a cast.
Hooking a minnow through the lips is also accepted.
The other way is to hook the minnow through the lips. You take the hook and pierce the lower lip around 1/4" down and bring the point of the hook out through its top lip. Again, the distance will depend on the size of the minnow. I guarantee this--do it once or twice and you'll get the hang of it because it's one of those things you can do with a little experience. If the minnow suddenly stops squirming, you're probably doing a lobotomy and you'd better try again because movement is going to attract bites.
I'm afraid you're on your own as to the exact size of minnows to choose. That will depend on the fish you want and even if the fish go for minnows. Even though your quarry may be a predator, worms may be in order rather than fresh minnows. Unfortunately, that's something you have to find out the hard way unless a local is nice enough to tell you ahead of time.
When it comes to minnows, always use the liveliest specimen you can get. Although fish may bite a lifeless minnow, you're better off using something that squirms in an effort to shout, "Here I am!"
When it comes to minnows, always use the liveliest specimen you can get. Although fish may bite a lifeless minnow, you're better off using something that squirms in an effort to shout, "Here I am!"
Until next time--watch your line and watch yourself!
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