Fishing With a Minnow on the Bottom?

[Duckslayer100]

Interesting video of pressured walters, both of the reaction to the suspended dead bait, as well as the broken/minnow jigs laying on the bottom.



Got me thinking of doing an experiment mid winter when the bite gets tougher. Set up two dead sticks, one with a live minnow suspended a foot or two off the bottom, and another with a dead/dying minnow on the bottom. See which gets bit.

Also might not be a bad idea to use a standard jig head and tail hook a minnow, then rest it on the bottom. Could be good tip-up fodder.

Thoughts?

 

[guywhofishes]

there are times when nothing BUT a minnow on the bottom will work ;:;banghead

 

[Vollmer]

I like the idea. Another tactic to add in on those tough days.

 

[Duckslayer100]

It's an eye opener. I've always visualized walleyes traveling deep and coming UP to the bait. I've never actually considered them traveling higher and going down to get something off the bottom.

I mean...it makes perfect sense.

And one year on Red when the bite was super tough, I wound up catching a mess of perch by pounding the bottom and then just resting the jig and checking it after a second or two to see if a fish was on.

 

[remm]

Caught lotta fish on the jigging rod by just setting the jig on the bottom, letting line go slack, and just wait for the line to start moving around the hole or tightening. Lotta times that works well when you see them come look at the jig and any sort of jigging seems to scare them away, drop it to the bottom quick and a lot of times they'll chase it down into the ground and pick it up.

My ice fishing luck is usually pretty horse shit and a good day is markin a couple so take that advice with a grain of salt

 

[KDM]

I've been known to hook a minnow right in front of the tail on a small jighead and lay it on the bottom with just enough tension to suspend one of those small pencil bobbers at a 45 degree angle. When a fish takes it the bobber tips down. Caught many a jumbo doing that, but you need a bottom that's not all muck for it to work real well.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I think this may be a perfect year to try my new dead stick setup with the bait runner reel. Tail-hooked minnow on a 1/8-ounce jig, resting on the bottom with a tight line.

Honestly can't see why that would fail. It sounds too perfect.

 

[Bri-guy]

I do this a LOT with jumbos and have done it on LOW for eyes. Sometimes it's all that works. two pops of the jig. Let it sit on the bottom for 5 seconds. lift up slowly to see if there's weight on the line. repeat.

 

[Bfishn]

I need to start trying this. All three times I've been out this year the walleye have been very picky. I'm sure the cold front has something to do with it. I've managed 8 walleye in three trips, but have marked about 25 that wouldn't hit any jig or bobber.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I need to start trying this. All three times I've been out this year the walleye have been very picky. I'm sure the cold front has something to do with it. I've managed 8 walleye in three trips, but have marked about 25 that wouldn't hit any jig or bobber.

I think it's certainly worth experimenting, especially in ND where you can have four lines down per person. Set up two dead sticks, or at the very least a tip-up with a bait on the bottom. See if it works. I'm sure a live minnow raised off the bottom and/or a jigging spoon will still call them in, but if neither gets a bite, that lone struggling minnow on the bottom could be toast.

Give it a whirl and post up with your results! I'm super curious.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Those fish would have most likely sucked in a semi-lively minnow tail hooked on a plain hook as well. Even if it was not on the bottom. If you notice, the jig brings them in and the plain minnow closes the deal. Quite common on a tepid bite.

 

[bigv]

You guys ever chum? I'll take several minnow bodies that I popped heads off for spoons or whatever, then use my boot to mash them up on the floor. I scrape as much as I can down the hole. Try to get all chunks and juices-oils into hole. It all slowly sinks. I swear when I do this on slow days it brings more fish in. Or..maybe the bottle bass fools me.

 

[Migrator Man]

There have been some slow times on Devils where only a deadstick with a minnow on the bottom will catch fish. Wouldn't hit a jig or deadstick with a swimming minnow.

Some of these early bites are related to walleyes feeding on frogs borrowing in the mud. Pounding the bottom has worked to bring them in. Caught a fish last weekend that knocked my depth finder off when I was trying to readjust the depth.

 

[Lou63]

last winter when I wasnt seeing fish on my camera I would use it to stir the mud a bit and it seemed to draw in curious bluegills and crappies

I read/heard years ago to pour cement in a 1 lb coffee can and put a loop in the top to attach a rope. when perch fishing out of a boat pound the bottom and stir the mud then get ready for the perch to come in and investigate what was going on.

 

[Kickemup]

I've put a lot of fish in the bucket using this trick but always with a jigging spoon and minnow head. I'll have to give this a try under a bobber this winter.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Thinking this should have been tried yesterday. Was about the only trick not tried.

 

[NDSportsman]

last winter when I wasnt seeing fish on my camera I would use it to stir the mud a bit and it seemed to draw in curious bluegills and crappies

I read/heard years ago to pour cement in a 1 lb coffee can and put a loop in the top to attach a rope. when perch fishing out of a boat pound the bottom and stir the mud then get ready for the perch to come in and investigate what was going on.

We have always done this when perch fishing. Keep a rod with a heavier weight/hook on to stir up the bottom. Lot of times it will help keep moving fish in the area longer.