Quote Originally Posted by Justretired View Post
May I ask how big do you make these pieces and what shape and how do you hook them on the hook?
I will slit the belly as if to remove the entrails in about a 2 to 3 inch long cut. Then cut up toward the gill at one end and up toward the back dorsal fin, then cut across so I'll end up with a strip about 2 inches long and a good 1/2 inch across. Repeat on the other side. I use the thin Aberdeen Hooks. Simply "thread' the bait 2 or 3 times on the hook in a sort of "S" pattern. Some only hook it once and let it "trail". Other parts can be used as well, the eyes are a good attractant along with strips cut from the rest of the fish. I think the belly meat is used first because it's easiest to get to. You will notice that the bait will stay on the hook a lot longer than minnows. I've caught 5 or 6 fish before changing it, not because it fell off but because a lot of it was eaten away! If you want, look back to the discussions posted here last September-October. It'll take some digging but there were a lot of people writing in.