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I keep reading about people using minnows for bait when fishing from shore and ice fishing. I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to share their insights on how they rig up a minnow when they fish with them. I'm sure there are a bunch of different ways of doing it so any info would be helpful. Every time I go to Scofield or Strawberry I find dead minnows and drag them behind my float tube or sink them to the bottom. I have yet to catch anything on one but keep hearing about how everyone uses them. Details on how to rig them, how to use them, and how to store them to keep them some what fresh and fishable would be great.
Also, I don't know the difference between a legal one to fish with and ones that are not legal. Any advice on telling the difference would be great because I don't want to use what I'm not supposed to. I'm not worried about getting caught, I just don't want to hurt or be a detriment to future fishing for everyone else. If anyone doesn't want to share on the forum a PM would be great as well.
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I use minnow a lot, and for a ton of diffrent species. The best way to fish for trout with minnows is either casting out with a sinking bubble and reeling in slow. Also, if you can see the trout cruising, put a dead minnow on a jig head, and put that bad boy about a foot ahead of him. When he see's the minnow going down, he'll instinctivly strike at the minnow, and inhale it. Its a killer way to target bigger fish. At electric lake, the cutts were taking the minnows right off of the bottom. That dosn't normally work, unless the fish are keying in on weed banks or structure, though.
A good way to be sure your using the right fish is to use a minnow trap. That way all game fish minnows arn't hurt. Once you catch a trout, gut him. 90% of all the minnows they'll have in their stomach are the non game fish minnows. Then, kill the minnows that look like what they've been eating, and your good to go.
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I rig them several different ways. One method is to use a minnow hook and run the hook under the jaw and out the top of the head of the minnow. Another method is to run my leader the full length of the minnow, using a minnow threader (large needle) from the vent out the mouth of the minnow, and then leave the hook in the vent. Another method is to fish them backwards. Put the hook through the fish near the mouth or on top of the fish just behind the head, and then use two or three half hitches around the fish, so that the leader ends up near the tail. It works best to cut off the tail using this method if you are going to be trolling the minnow. Depending upon the species I am fishing for and at what depth they are holding, I will either cast it out with no weight at all other than the minnow, and let it slowly sink, put it below a slip bobber, with or without weight, or attach some weight to the line (split shots, clear bubble or whatever) and cast and let sink or cast and retrieve. Vertical jigging can also be effective. I have purchased some colored heads that have a stinger hook on them, that I am going to try next time I vertical jig with them. I have also fished them behind my downrigger, with and without a flasher. I get my minnows at Strawberry, and there I will typically see red shiners and the good old Utah Chub. I have netted a few minnow trout, but very few. I dump my net into an ice box that I have put a few inches of water in, this allows me to sort through the minnows and return any trout to the water without harming them. I then remove the shiners or chubs and put them in a plastic bag directly on ice, and keep them on ice all day.
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Thanks for taking the time to reply with good explanations. I appreciate the insights and information. One follow up I have is are there any markings or how do you tell what a trout minnow looks like compared to a chub or a red shiner? Is it obvious or do you have to know the fish pretty well? I have never looked really close at the minnows I have caught. Thanks for the info.
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I would be searching online for some really good pictures of the minnow species present in that lake and some really good pictures of the juvenile game fish so you can be certain to tell them apart. I would not take any chances with that.
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If you have ever caught a chub, then the chubs are easy to recognize. I spent a couple minutes trying to find a good picture of the red shiners, but couldn't find one that resembled the ones that I get in Strawberry. Perhaps someone else can find a good picture.
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This is the DWR web site with some info and pics .
[url "http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/SearchSelection.asp?Group=OSTEICHTHYES&Species=VERT"]http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/SearchSelection.asp?Group=OSTEICHTHYES&Species=VERT[/url]
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