Jig fishing with "Fresh dead" shiners

[REW]

I don't know how many folks try this fish.
If walleye fishing with jigs, and the bait of choice is a shiner - you will often have better luck, if the shiner is "fresh dead".
To use this technique, take a few shiners and put them on top a cooler, or on the floor, but don't step on them. Let them expire, and dry a bit in the sun. As the expire and die, they will tend to assume a curve to the body, due to the drying of the body.
Now, when you jig fish with these fresh dead shiners, your jig will tend to assume a "darting action" due to the bent shape of the dead shiner on the jig.

I first ran across this technique several years ago, when I was fishing with my wife. We had a bait well full of shiners, with a few "floaters" on the top of the bait well. Since, she was having problems catching lively live shiners, she would simply bait up with shiners that were floating dead on the surface of the bait well water. After outfishing me for about an hour, I caught the trick and started fishing with dead shiners. Immediately, I caught up to her success.

Now, when ever jig fishing and if it slows a bit - I always resort to the "dead" shiner trick.

Notice I said "fresh dead" shiners?
If you try using shiners that have been dead for more than an hour or so, they will be so soft, that they won't stay on the hook.

As I have said many times for spring walleye fishing, "I will take a dead shiner any time over a live fat head."

Take care
REW

[Bob J pool 12]

Every time I ever bought shinners they always end up fresh dead in about a hour.Then I would throw away all that good bait.Thanks for the tip, will give it a try.

[appleye]

Last fall I bought some shiners on the way to the lake. I had some friends from out of state and they wanted breakfast. Well the siners died. When we got to the lake everyone fighting for the live ones. So I put on the dead one wupped everyone ars. At the time I didn't know why and now I do, THANKS!

[Mattman]

Shhhhhhhh!!



Better to have and not need than to need and not have!

Matt Davis

[stewart]

In the summer all I have access to are frozen shiners, and freshly unfrozen isn't bad, but they get mushy fast. Drying them in the sun hardens them up a bit. I was wondering how you hook the minnows REW? Is the curve from side to side, or up and down when the minnow is on the hook? I've tried different ways, and passing the hook through the eyes, pushing the head up to the collar, and then pushing it through the back pruduces a sickle shape with the flat side down. The degree of curve can be controlled, but is this what you mean?

[Upnorthwalleye1]

Have done this many times while fishing the rivers with Fatheads too---Was out there one day and my buddy was out fishing me 5-1 and I just couldn't figure out what was going on----Well, He was using the dead fatheads--They were just a little whiter in color and that was the ticket!!---We started to leave them out of the water because the eyes would really only hit the dead ones more then the live ones!---Still do it today also!!!...Good fishing!.....Ray(Upnorthwalleye)

[Otter]

My dad used to fish a lot with bottom bouncers. He was always scooping the dead minnows out of the bucket and using them. He didn't dry them in the sun - used them right out of the bucket - and insisted that they outperformed live shiners at least five to one.

[Tom B]

We fish for cats this time of the year with cut shiners. I have caught my biggest walleyes on cut bait. We catch wild shiners and salt and freeze them. Salting them helps them maintain their firmness when they are thawed.

When they are really going, it does not take a very big chunk either.

Tom B

[REW]

The shiners curve mostly from side to side. This bend, gives the shiner the sideways movement.
Because shiners tend to be large, and if, using dead shiners, can get a big mushy, I typically use a longer hook on the jig, to get more of the hook into the shiner. To keep some of the meat around longer - I also tend to use a stinger hook quite a bit- using this technique. With the stinger hooked in the back of the shiner - even if the jig hook tears out of the bow of the shiner - you can rethread it into a different spot. Since the shiner is dead - it really isn't necessary if all of the head is on the shiner or not. Lots of times, you can catch a half dozen fish on one dead shiner. This is especially true, if you use a stinger hook.

Take care
REW

[Hook]

I cut the heads off when the bite is slow or for ice fishing. I usally keep a good supply of heads in zip lock baggies in the freezer and just put one in in my pocket when Im heading out, by the time I get to the lake they are ready. I think cutting the heads gets added scent out there, excellent on perch too.