Everyone knows that a weedless jig head is a good way to reduce hang-ups, but what about fishing a minnow?
One tactic is to place the sinker close to the hook. Giving a minnow four inches to swim, instead of 12 inches, reduces the number of limbs or weed stems it can hang the hook into.
Another tactic is to use a weedless jig head (no plastic) with a minnow. It gives good control of the bait and the weed guard protects it from most hang-ups. Crappie sometimes prefers the head and over a plain hook.
In extreme cases, the minnow hook can be bent slightly to move the hook point closer to the shank. There will be fewer hang-ups but more missed fish. However, if it will help you get to fish that wouldn’t be fished otherwise, it’s worth a try. –TH
