Action is better but kinda strange too

[Dahitman44]

I have had the bites pick up in the last couple of days. Has anyone else seen that?

But while the bites are increasing, the fish are harder to catch.

Between three times out -- two night and a morning we have had about 14 bites and zero fish. The minnows have been beaten up pretty badly or gone.

A buddy of mine is seeing the same thing.

We have fed them line and hit them right away. Nothing seems to get them to stick.

Any thoughts?

Anyone else seeing this?

Hit.

[Paul]

tis the reason god created stinger hooks.

[Dahitman44]

Pauly --

R U kiddin me?

Do you use them in the winter? I have never tried that in the winter. Which ones do you use? Have they worked?

[Paul]

I have only used them on Devils Lake with pike rigs fishing with frozen smelt.

I tired som ereally small ones that hooked on to the back of a jig once and I got a few extra fish but getting the stinger out is hard some times.

[gonefishin11]

Hit,

Use only half a minnow. I had the same problem until I started cutting the minnow in half.

[DEADhead]

I know you like your LE buddies hitman, but here's one to keep you out of trouble in MN:

http://ros.leg.mn/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT_CHAP_SEC&year=2007&section=97C.315

97C.315, Minnesota Statutes 2007

Copyright © 2007 by the Office of Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota.

97C.315 ANGLING LINES AND HOOKS.

Subdivision 1. Lines. An angler may not use more than one line except:

(1) two lines may be used to take fish through the ice; and

(2) the commissioner may, by rule, authorize the use of two lines in areas designated by

the commissioner in Lake Superior.

Subd. 2. Hooks. An angler may not have more than one hook on a line, except:

(1) three artificial flies may be on a line used to take largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,

trout, crappies, sunfish, and rock bass;

(2) a single artificial bait may contain more than one hook; and

(3) as otherwise prescribed by the commissioner.

History: 1986 c 386 art 3 s 25; 1991 c 259 s 23; 2006 c 281 art 2 s 48

For legal definitions, the two hooks on a quick strike rig are not considered a "single artificail bait". They are currently in the works of trying to make quick strike rigs legal in MN, but at this point in time, they are not legal to use in MN.

[DEADhead]

yeah minnow heads are deadly. that's why I don't use a whole minnow on a spoon, otherwise the fish strike and miss all the time. good tip gonefishin11

[dragon81]

I fish Lake of the woods a lot but it should be the same all over.

The last two years I have taken a Kastmaster or Rapala flyer type jig, take the treble hook off the bottom and hook a stinger treble hook there instead. I guess its just called a dropper Rig, (thats what we call it) Or tie your own about five inches below the lure. I have never caught more fish jigging then last year doing this. glow Rapala is the best.

But I should add that its been slow this year so far... But still more fish on the Kastmaster then a regular jig or dead stick. And always use the vexilar !!!!!!!!

[dragon81]

Oh yeah I forgot, I always cut the minnow in half with my fingers, not a knife (god only knows but it works better) then attach both ends to the treble hook. dont miss many when they hit....

[giwoyna5]

Boy, I'm sure glad we have you around DEADhead!

[Dahitman44]

GF and Dead --

Good points. I use the head and can't get them to hit. Thatc is my most effective jig action that is for sure. But they seem to want to hit the whole minnow on the spoon.

Some of the other problems come with the bobboer or rattle wheel. They seem to hit these more than the spoon and we lose them.

???

Thoughts?

[Dahitman44]

Dragon -- I rip the bait as well -- much better option.

[Dahitman44]

Dead --

So all "stinger" hooks with live bait is against the law?

Really?

[Paul]

Try a Hal's Rocker Jig. It is a spoon with a chain on it that hangs the hook a 1" or so below the spoon. Great Panny rig.

[DEADhead]

hit,

If the stinger hook is not part of an artificial lure (like a rapala) then it is not legal. I think a crawler harness is deemed legal because there is typically a spinner blade in line with the harness. If you were to take the spinner off and just use the harness, it would then be considered a quick strike rig. I know some anglers have tried to skirt around the issue and put some beads in line with the hook to constitute the setup as a "lure". I don't think enforcement has agreed with their line of thinking though.

My advice would be to hold off on these rigs until the rules get passed, hopefully in the 2008 legislative session.

[dragon81]

Wow!!!!! thats news to me. We even explained that set up to a C.O. and he seemed to think it was O.K. Maybe we didnt explain it the right way or something. Better watch myself then.

[perch_destroyer]

Cliffy, if you read this, pay special close attention to what DeadHead is saying. I had a special conversation with the Pike Pickler about this very topic at the GTG'r on HOL. the Perch

p.s. - When you coming back to work? Not that i miss you, just, you seem to be enjoying all of your free time and i have to put in 10 hrs a day.

[DEADhead]

All, this is just my interpretation of the rule and what constitutes as a quick strike rig. Don't take what I say as gospel, but I believe it to be true to the best of my knowledge. In the end the CO and the judge have the final say.

Maybe Rob Kimm can chime in on this one, as I think he knows more about the legalities of quick strike rigs than I do.

All I know, is that they are trying to legalize quick strike rigs, and it is in the rules package for 2008, yet to be approved by the legislature.

[Dahitman44]

Yeah --

Rob Kimm where are you? You have been a little quiet this year.

Cheers,

Hitman

[stezoman]

Northland makes a jig with a short stinger pre-rigged on a second eye on the bottom of the jig. They work pretty well for short striking fish. It's pre-manufactured and should fall under the "one lure" rule. You can also buy the double eyed jigs in bulk if you want to save a little money and rig the stinger yourself. Your best bet is to read and interpret the regulation for yourself. If you can show the regulation that lead you to believe you were within the law, the crappie cops will generally let it slide.

[stezoman]

The other suggestion I could give is to downsize, downsize, downsize. If they want a whole minnow, go smaller; maybe even a croppie minnow. They have been sleying eyes on croppie minnows for a couple years now up on Red Lake. Get your line down to 6 or 4 pound test. Go with a 1/32 or 1/64 oz. jig; maybe even an ice fly. It's been a week or so since I've been out, but I'll give it a try this week sometime.

[Bison9]

Let me chime in on this convo if I may. I grew up fishing the rivers in Wisconsin as a kid. In those bodies of water, no stinger = no fish! Literally! I went back there this Spring to do some river fishing and was talking all this trash about not needing a stinger. Yeah, my Dad and his buddy were out fishing me about 6 fish to 1 until I switched to that stinger. It worked wonders.

Anyways, this is not the main part of this post however. The thing I want to add here is that when we tie our jig on our line, we have always left a lot of line on the "tag" that is left over after pulling the knot tight. You then would use the line on that "tag" to tie a trebble hook onto and then that trebble hook goes behind the minnow's dorsel fin (after he is hooked through the lips of course on the main hook as well). We learned this little trick back in the day when the Old Man and I went Wisconsin river fishing with Larry Smith, the guide that shows up on Gillespie's show a lot on Saturday morning...

My $2.00 worth for the day!

Oh yeah, my buddy and I may hit LOW this weekend or next. A little bird told me the action is pretty dern good up there right now. Yeah to the weekend warriors!! Good Luck all!

[Bison9]

Oh yeah, let me also add, I only do this in Wisco - not in MN or ND. I stay legal!

[Dahitman44]

Thanks, Bison.

Tease me then remind me that it is against the law.

Great.

[Bison9]

[Cicada]

I kind of think the stinger on a jig is legal. Isn't a jig considered a lure? Doesn't Northland Tackle sell jigs in Minnesota that have stingers with them?

[Dahitman44]

C-man --

I think it is like going to L and M in DL and picking up some deer licks that can be sold, but DNR also considers to be bait.

Very sticky, if you know what I mean.

[Ray1]

I believe that you can use a stinger hook. It is on a lure, and i have been checked on the rainy river by a game warden and they never said anything about the stingers hanging from the end of our lines.

[Dahitman44]

If Dead thinks they are border line or against the law that is good enough for me.

[BiffleFan]

The thing you have to do is get away from KRUMP. His luck is like a spreading cancer. Move SOON!!! I moved away and things are much better. I havn't caught anything yet but it's still better.