Minnows

[Dan Miller]

What's the best way to hook or rig a minnow for panfish? I have rarely used minnows.

[Josh Milczski (Omaha)]

I would imagine it'd be the same as with any other species, but maybe not. I always hook them under the jaw and up through the nose.

[Josh Milczski (Omaha)]

Hey, cool, I was taught the 'top secret' way. :)

I'm going to have to try the first method you mentioned sometime. That seems like it work work on any number of species.

[Dan Miller]

Thanks I'll try them all. I just picked up an old minnow trap at a junk sale for two bucks!!

[Rudy Reynosa (True Shot)]

On a jig I hook them through the lips but if I'm floating them in a river I use a very strong dry fly hook and stick it through there mouth and out there gills. DONT HOOK THEM just let it slide through there mouth and gills, the barb will hold them there, if you do it this way you will not only get them every time but your minnow will live 4x longer. Another way I do it is through ther tail or behind the D fin. Good fishing.

[GLENN MARTIN MILLER]

Agree with all the commentary - but I find that hooked through th elips a light wire aberdeen or chesterton(sp?) style hook is best, and I always place a piece of powerbait or gulp waxie after the minow's been hooked over the hook shank to prevent the minnow from slipping off in casting and in wriggling underwater.

[robsabloke]

Tried this in illinois when I lived in Chicago.

We were fishing for crappie... (not sure how it would work on Bluegills)

Put point of hook through minnows eye and out the other side... bend minnow into circle shape and put point through tail. Sounds absolutely ridiculous but when we hooked the minnows that way it out caught other methods 5 to 1. the minnow would kind of shiver in tiny circles and wham.