Live Bait

Live Minnow

All lures

The top live bait for predators.

Technique

Float or slip-sinker

Depth

2-25 ft

Water Clarity

Any

Best Conditions

Cold water, tough bites

Spring Fall

About This Lure

A hooked live minnow fished under a float or on a jig, irresistible to crappie, walleye, and bass.

How To Fish It

Hook the minnow through the lips or behind the dorsal fin to maintain maximum vitality. For Crappie, suspend the bait under a slip-bobber at the exact depth the school is suspended. For Walleye and Bass, use a live-bait rig to slowly drift the minnow near structure or along current breaks.

Retrieve Cadence

Use a dead-stick approach for Walleye or a slow, rhythmic lift-and-drop twitch to keep the minnow struggling in the strike zone.

Best Colors

Silver/Shiner— Clear water with bright sunny conditions

Gold/Fathead— Stained or murky water

Chartreuse-tail— Aggressive feeding in low-light dawn or dusk

Sizes & When To Use

1-inch to 1.5-inchIdeal for finicky Crappie and panfish

2-inch to 3-inchStandard size for Walleye and Largemouth Bass

Commonly Rigged On

slip-bobber rigCarolina rigdrop-shot riglive-bait harness

Recommended Gear

6'6" to 7' Light to Medium-Light power, fast action spinning rod paired with a 2000-series reel spooled with 6lb fluorocarbon or 8lb monofilament.

Pro Tips

Keep your minnows in a filtered, aerated bucket to ensure they are active when they hit the water.
Change your bait frequently; a sluggish minnow rarely triggers a strike from a neutral predator.
Use a circle hook to prevent deep-hooking fish when letting them take the bait.
Match your hook size to the minnow size to avoid weighing down the bait and killing its action.

Species This Lure Catches