Type of Minnows

[Hoovey]

I am a newcomer to Leech and will be up for opener. Looking at some of the posts it looks like minnows are the bait of choice come opener. I was wondering if there was a particular type that works better than the others (i.e. shiners vs. fatheads). Also, does jigging produce better than dragging live bait rigs? As long as I'm at it, I suppose I should ask about a depth range to catch those eyes. Any suggestions would be aprreciated...Thanks!

[Gofishleech]

Hoovey you will want to use the spot-tail shiner. They will be available at the local bait shops. Jigging is typicly the method of choice but if the weather is high sun and no wind (not likely) a live bait rig is the way to go. I you jig in these conditions go very light and get it away from the boat.<BR>Also a factor to keep in mind this year is that we have had an early ice out and water temps could be much higher then normal, this means leeches and crawlers on live bait rigs may also be produtive early in the season.<P>Depths to find fish along with location will vary. If the wind is banging a mainlake point the eyes can be as shallow as 3ft but most common depths are from 8 to 12ft. <BR>Leech is a "fish the wind" lake.<P>Good luck<BR>Gofishleech<BR>

[limitedout]

SHINERS are definitely it. get the smallest run of shiners you can find. 1/2-3 inches are best. that way you can whack em when they bite. kelly green,gold,black or even on a rainy day the all white(glow) jig is good. go with as light as you can when jigging. the windier and rainier itis the shallower the fish will like to be. you could go from walker narrows to big hardwood and find fish pockets all the way. opener is fun and generaly pretty easy to catch fish! good luck! welcome to the area.

[Guest]

Go to the bait shop and pick up 5 dozen shiners and 3 dozen jigs in green/chartruse, gold, white, etc. When you get on the water you will notice that there are a lot of boats close together on some of the main points and flats. Most people tend to join the crowd and catch one fish per hour like everyone else in the pack. Better strategy is find a small point or rock shoreline with little or no pressure. Look for areas with the most wind blowing on them, that you feel comfortable fishing. Make a drift across the area. Depth 4-10 feet depending on the wind. If you don't catch anything try again. If you don't catch anything or get a bite the next time, go on to the next spot. Most likely you will run into a pode of fish and have them all to yourself or at least just a few boats. You will catch more fish and have a lot more fun than if you sit in the crowd and play bumper boats. have fun on the water and good luck.<P>------------------<BR><B>Big Rock Guide Service</B><BR><A HREF="http://bigrockresort.com/guides.html" TARGET=_blank>http://bigrockresort.com/guides.html</A><BR>E-mail: [email protected]<BR>Call Toll Free: 1-800-827-7106

[blgoose]

Chuck that was a excellant post..Right on!

[Blaze]

Bingo, Chuck. Amazing how some early season fisherman can turn a 111,000 acre lake into a turf war because they have to drift over YOUR fish marker.