How do you hook,minnows, leeches, and crawlers????

[wiswalleyenut]

I have always wondered if I am hooking on my live bait properly. I have usually hooked minnows through the head. I just get the leeches on the hook as I really don't like the little blood suckers much. And I haven't used crawlers much accept for bottom feeders like suckers or red horse. For that application I just clump them on the hook to keep from getting stripped every couple minutes. I am always up for learning, and am sure I will get good info. here as usual. Thanks in advance all...........

wiswalleyenut

[Birdog]

I think you'll find people do it many different ways. I hook my leeches just under the sucker. Minnows, in through the mouth and out the top of the head if rigging, through the bottom lip and out the head if jigging, and just under the dorsal fin if bobber fishing. If rigging a worm I thread the worm up the line till I'm half the length of the worm, pop the barb out and reinsert the barb back in, the eye of the hook and the barb will be inside the worm. I'm interested to hear how others do it.

BIRDDOG

[ChadM]

Minnows-Thru the lips, thru the skull, out the gill and thru the neck, under the dorsal fin, back by the tail

Leeches- in the sucker, in the tail, just lightly in the middle

Crawlers-in the head, threaded on in the head, sometimes in the middle

[REW]

Essentially, stick a hook in a piece of live bait - where it will catch fish.
Sometimes it is in the head, sometimes through the lips, sometimes under the dorsal fin, sometimes in the vent, sometimes through the eyes for a minnow.

For a leech - generally through the sucker, but now and then through the tail.

For a work, typically through the head, sometimes threaded on, sometimes through the tail, sometimes gobbed on hooking multiple times, and sometimes cutting the work into two inch long pieces and using only a piece.

-
If you are constantly casting a minnow for example, and doing an active retrieve - generally hook through the skull, which kills the minnow, but gives it good durability for staying on the hook when you are imparting all of the action.

When lindy rigging, generally hook through the lips, so that the minnow gets maximum action, with out drowning.

If ice fishing or bobber fishing, generally hook under the dorsal fin, or through the vent, so that the minnow gets constant action and is always trying to swim away.

With a worm, generally single hook through the head, to maximize the action, when lindy rigging. If get short strikes, and are always nipping off the tail, will thread on the worm up the hook, or only use a portion of the worm to preclude the short strikes. If using a multiple hook harness, simply run one hook through the head, one through the middle and one through the tail.

Experiment, try all hooking positons, and continue to use the technique that puts fish in the boat.

Moods change, fish activity changes, water temperature changes, wind and sun changes - so you the fisherman must change to adapt to the changine conditions in and under the water as it affects the fishery.

Take care
REW

[muskybob]

This ought to be some help. http://www.thenextbite.com/site/tip_of_the_day.cfm?owner=3F477566-3048-2AB2-0278BA86500C2AC6


"Gone Fishin"

[EYE STALK]

I always use my fingers now. Tried holding the bait in my mouth, but it always left a bad after taste.:9

[Ristorapper]

No one mentioned hooking a minnow through the tail. When they are extremely small minnows(like in spring time) I'd put two on a hook; one by the lips one by the tail. Seems the one by the tail would last a little longer and at times would catch more fish