Question on Rigging Golden Shiners

[Kayote]

I'm looking for techniques on rigging golden shiners for fishing Loveland Reservoir in San Diego. Artificials havn't been producing for me, so I'm going to follow the locals lead and try live shiners. Anyone have any suggestions?. Thanks in advance.

Good Fishing, Kayote
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[lonehunter]

hook em' in the nose , the tail or just below yhe dorsal fin , keeps them alive for a while .
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[TubeDude]

[cool]If you are fishing big shiners in or near cover, be sure to use the hooks with weedguards. You can buy them with wire guards already attached, or make your own with either fine (.015 or .020) wire, or heavy stiff mono...at least 40 or 50 pound test.

I tie in mono weed guards on a lot of big flies and on a lot of jig heads too. It is easier if you have a fly tying vise. Start by cutting about a six inch length of the mono and then crimp it in the center to make a "V" instead of a big loop. Lay it on the underside of the hook and wrap a few turns of thread around it to loosely anchor it. Bend the crimped loop over to catch it behind the barb on the hook. Now...the critical part...pull on the tag ends to adjust the loop so that it wlll ride in a semi flat line between the hook eye and the hook point. A little bow is okay. Finish wrapping the mono securely to the hook, making sure the loop still fits right when you bend it down to anchor under the barb.

For a little extra attraction, You can use fancy colored thread to finish off the hooks for shiners. I have some hot red, chartreuse and orange...as well as black, brown red, etc.

Use big hooks with sharp points. Size 1/0 is about the smallest, unless you are fishing for finicky bass in clear water. On the big shiners down in Florida you might use 5/0 or larger.

The best way to rig them, so they cast easily without tearing free of the hook, is to pin them either sideways through the snout, or op through the bottom jaw and out through the top...being careful not to stick them too far back and give them a lobotomy.

Another key is to keep a lively bait on. After a couple of casts, the shiners get punchy and don't swim much. A skittish and wiggly shiner attracts more attention.

Oh yeah, you can either fish them with or without a bobber. Bobbers are best to keep baits next to thick cover without going into it...or when fish are suspended above or hiding in submerged weeds. If you are in deeper open water, then you might need to add a small split shot or pinch sinker to get them down. I also hook them back near the anal fin to get them to swim down into deeper water.

Good luck. What lake(s) are you going to hit?
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[Kayote]

Loveland, Jennings and Southerland in San Diego..........
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