shiver minnow quick fix

[packrat]

For a easy fix to the treble hook flopping over the lures back. Tie down the ring to the bottom of the loop tight (cinch it down good) with some light 4# mono line seems to work good and its easy to do. Just run it through the belly loop then back through the ring 3 or more times make sure it is still tight then tie it off with a knot that will not slip. Good luck

[retardedherring]

Maybe stupid ? But why do these only have the rear hook? When most of the fish that I have caught and also watching Ken & Kevin's videos the fish take the bait from the front.
Most of my raps have the rear hook snipped off. Figured that was the one that was catching the bottom of the ice when pulling up a fish.
Any input and reasoning welcome.

[finaddict]

I can honestly say that I have caught a few walleye ever on the front hook only on a jigging rap. Sometimes the fish will engulf the bait and the front hook gets used along with the treble and the back hook. I know many people that actually cut off the front hook on rapalas.

Usually when a fish is chasing my swim bait I keep lifting until the fish slams it. If you were to look with a camera you would see the fish coming up from below and usually taking the bottom or back half of the bait as it swims up and away.

[CaptainKenLee]

I think my brother would agree, I would say that at least 85 to 90% or more of our walleyes caught on swim baits (jigging raps, nils masters, ice darters, etc.) are inhaled head first, and most of the time the front hook is embedded in the roof of the fishes mouth. This is the case with most fish over 18 inches or so, smaller fish are usually hooked by the bottom treble. I don't know if I've ever seen a fish with the front end of a rapala sticking out of it's mouth, it's always the tail end of the bait. That's why I've modified all my Shivers and drilled a 1/16 inch hole in the nose and cut off a 1/0 hook and epoxied it in...and it works great! The Shiver Minnows are an awesome new bait, they have a unique roll when jigged, which can trigger sluggish fish, I just modified them to fit my needs. Good luck fishing...

[mecosmo]

Hi Ken, can you post a picture of how that hook is attached to the shiver minnow?
Thanks, mecosmo

[The Bait Shop Guy]

Regarding the problem in the original post, there have been a couple things done to correct that problem. We mentioned before about how to bend the eye on the bottom of the jig forward, to keep the hook from flipping onto the lures back. Since then, Tom has started putting a new hook on the baits. They now come with a split treble hook that attaches to the bait without using a split-ring (many blade baits have a similar hook.) It eliminates that little bit of extra play that allowed the hooks on some of the baits to flip over. Can't happen anymore.

[CaptainKenLee]

Hi Ken, can you post a picture of how that hook is attached to the shiver minnow?
Thanks, mecosmo

here ya go... I just drilled a hole, mixed up some 2-part epoxy, cut off a 1/0 E/C Lazer Sharp hook, insert... and presto!

[mecosmo]

That looks like it was made that way from the lure company, "nice job" I'll have to try it!
Thanks, Ken

[slammer]

Don't want to sound like a jerk , and I really do like the long lasting glow , but if I have to be using rubber bands and tying knots and drilling holes and buying epoxy and mixing it and buying extra hooks and cutting them and then putting it back together and still spend $5 to $7 a pop for lure, then I guess I'll wait till the testing period is over and stick to raps or pimples for the time being. Really do love that long lasting glow though. Slammer!!!!!