I have heard that some people tip their jigs with shiners. Many do not. I've had people tell me that its simply a bait store tactic to sell bait so they tell people that's what they need to do...

I've only used hair jigs with no bait. Went out yesterday an limited in a couple hours on jigs with no bait. We wanted a big one for the last fish so we threw 18 others back that were legal but small... I don't think minnows would have made a difference.

Research I've done says that the males that are biting the jigs aren't feeding. They are protecting eggs from gobies and such and it is a defensive strike. If this is true then minnows wouldn't matter.

I'm no expert. That's why I am asking. Has anyone ever tried tipping with minnows at the same time as a bare hook and the minnows proved better? I talked to a guy this weekend about this and he said he got laughed at for bringing minnows jig fishing when he came up to fish with some locals that were veterans and they called him a "tourist."

He took the minnows anyway and was convinced that he was going to show them up. He failed. He said that he never hooked a minnow up because they were catching walleye before he had a chance to.

Any thoughts?

-Matt