Baiting Jigging Rapalas

[Hooker]

Gentlemen !!!!!!!! Heading to the great north (Black & Mullet) Thursday for 3 days of QT with mother nature.

Question 1: Bait or no bait on jigging rapalas for walleyes?

Question 2: If so - which hook (middle or back)?

Question 3: If minnows - whole minnow or just the head/tail?

Any updated reports on Black/Mullet?

Thanks for your knowledge.

Gartefully Yours,

Hooker

[Fishfoote]

I've had hits with no bait and with a head on the middle hook. Guess I'd start with nothing and add bait if you're marking but not catching.

[Southend517]

I try a few ways - Head on the middle - a a whole one on the middle, a whole one on the back, a head on the back.

[wally-eye]

I always use 3 perch minnows on the middle treble. One on each hook of the treble. If they are fussier then I just snip off the bodys and go with the 3 heads.............always works for me. Perch minnows are always cheaper also.

[bosbo]

I usually use 3 minnows, hooking the upper lip of each minnow with the front and back hooks. I then hook the bottom minnow through the back to give more movement when you're not jigging it.

[wolverine301]

Fished Mullet all day Saturday...Caught about 100 perch, kept 7 10 - 13". Caught one nice 21.5" walleye 3.5 lbs. 1 Cisco.

[Hooker]

I have to admit, I initially thought that you guys were F'ing with me about the 3 minnow thing !! I would have never guessed !! I figured the minnow on the jigging rap would be mostly for the scent - it appears they are mostly for action - 3 to 5 minnows.

Thanks for the help. I'll be sure to update yall' on Black & Mullet on Monday - HOPEFULLY GOOD REPORTS !!!

Thanks again.

Hooker

[krt]

If you are going to try minnows on an end hook, you might want to jig it where you can see it first. Adding the extra weight changes the action. Also, I know some people cut the end hooks off because they don't want to risk the chance of them catching the ice on the way out of the hole.

[schaaed1]

Usually put a head, tail, or middle section of a shiner on the middle hook. If I don't have any ... I do not use any and do not worry about it.

Ed

[Houghton laker]

On Houghton either a Minnow head on middle hook or nothing at all!!.......Up in LBDN either nothing....or a whole minnow off the middle hook with a stinger attached!

[ih772]

I use a minnow on the treble and cut the front and back hooks off. You'll understand why when on of those hooks gets stuck on the bottom of the hole and you loose a fish. Make sure the the jig still does the correct swimming motion when you jig it otherwise you could just use a round jig and accomplish the same for less money.

[double trouble]

for me it depends on the bait. if the fish are eating blues and u have them, like the sagnasty, i use 1 large blue on the middle hook.this works when the water is cloudy. if the water is cleaner and the fish are lethargic (mid day) i use a freshly torn minnow head with a bit of guts or skin hanging. i think it gets more scent and is not so active to spook fish.these make good baits when u have a vex and can spot fish coming in. just barely quiver the bait till they slam it. at dusk i go back to a whole minnow and jig it harder. this takes a lot of monsters who just can not resist.

[Crooked Dave]

Take Jigging Rap out of box. Take some wirecutters out and clip off both the front and rear hook. Replace factory treble hook with split ring and red treble. Tip front hanging hook on treble with the smallest minnow head in the bucket, for scent purposes. Jig accordingly. If you nail a fish, don't take the time to screw around with baiting back up. Get that bait back down in the face of another. If a couple minutes go by, bring it back up and rebait.

I will say, I saw Chief Papenau on a show taped up @ LBDN, and he was hanging a pretty health blue off his treble. He also was landing fish over 26", so there may be a little corelation there.

Everybody has their own system, but this works for me. I also have a few Raps with 2" droppers, and for finicky fish, this will sometimes intice them for a meal.

[Houghton laker]

I will say, I saw Chief Papenau on a show taped up @ LBDN, and he was hanging a pretty health blue off his treble. He also was landing fish over 26", so there may be a little corelation there.





I took a guided trip with Chief...thats where I learned the whole minnow with a stinger trick for the larger fish off Portage pointe in LBDN;)