# Minnows for Brookies?



## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

I have almost zero experience fishing with Minnows. But I have been wanting to try using them for Brookies, on one segment for sure, and am considering one other one too.

How would one rig up to do this?

For a walk-in type stream segment, what could best be used to carry the Minnows in?

Tactics? Only thing I can think of is using a float. Probably using a center pin reel would work better with that I would think. But that is still a some day, some day for me to own one of those. So using just a regular old spinning reel - possible?

One thing I have figured out when fishing for the bigger Brookies - find the deepest holes. I have caught nice ones, even in the low double digits, from "flat" water, even water that has that intriguing look of being perfectly calm and still but is actually part of a dynamic stream current (those little pieces of water are especially good). But a spot that is not actually a deep water hole will also likely hold lots of small Brookies and especially also small Rainbows. The deep holes are where you will most likely find a big Brook Trout - so that is where I want to fish a Minnow for one.


On The Other Hand - Brook Trout aren't exactly difficult to catch, once you reach the just exactly perfect water, where they live, and you understand how to present something to them just like a Swiss watch, without spooking them. (Lots of people don't get that part, I think). Anyhow, is it even worth all the work involved in presenting a Minnow in very remote undisclosed locations where the big Brookies live?

On the simpler front, I have thought about trying this via an easier method than buying 'em at the store: when I catch a little Chub. But when that happens, it is a pretty good sign there aren't many Brookies around either, as water temps are probably a tad high.


----------



## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

Im not a big trout guy, but as far as a natural presentation I would say a 3 way rig would be a good look. Try and match the weight so u can bounce it down current. Nose hook the minnow. This is the only way I can think to keep the presentation looking natural.

Sent from my LM-X410(FG) using Tapatalk


----------



## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

Can't keep chubs off in water that you know holds brookies? I have had great luck cutting off the tail section of a smaller chub, hooking it solidly and twitch it ever so slightly on a slow retrieve in deep, slack water or holes. Not only does it seem to catch nicer fish than garden hackle but keeps those *&$%#* bait stealers away. FM


----------



## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

Above is threading live minnows or salted could be used. It also has a clever little minnow bucket in it. I knew a dedicated trout fisher many moons ago that after the early spring fishing with mini spawn sacs for brookies and such that he went to salted minnows for the summer. He would lay multiple pieces of newspaper down on a cookie sheet. Then he would put a bed of regular salt down. Then he would lay fresh dead shiners on the salt and cover them with salt keeping them separated. Then he would put them in the freezer for a period of time, probably when they actually started to shrivel up and dehydrate a bit. Then he would put in a container and kept in the freezer until he went to the stream.

I did a quick search and only seen the threading of minnows. I did not see the sewing of minnows. Sewn salted minnows were a top bait for big browns in yesteryear. They did take a little prep time. (Now there is plastic and Gulp and this and that.) Where the needle or hook went through the head and then did a half hitch type knot and then through the abdomen a couple of times. That method creates the slow roller type action like salmon trollers use. With a slightly dehydrated minnow you might be able to thread it on a slightly bent long shank hook to produce the slow roll or leave it straight. Check out youtube for threaded, sewn, drifted, salted, live, etc minnows for trout fishing.


----------



## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Carry the minnows in a zipplock bag. Hook them thru the nose put a light split shot foot or so above them and drift them thru the holes. Trout don't care if they are dead or alive.


----------



## slowpaya (Oct 23, 2011)

salted minnows


----------



## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

We did really well on salted emeralds last weekend. Actually, they took our bigger fish!!


----------



## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

I spent the last week in the Keweenaw looking for Brook trout and pretty much came up empty. It had been really dry for the last while then we arrived along with the rain. The creeks are way high and all I managed were some four to five inchers but it was still fun poking around on a stream in the woods. Tried minnows and worms but they weren't buying.


----------



## cruiseplanner1 (Aug 6, 2012)

Slowpaya has it right. Get a quart ziplock put some kosher salt in it and throw a dozen or so minnows on the salt. Carry it right with you in the stream. As Martin said they do not care if they are dead or alive but will have movement floating down in the current.


----------

