To Tip or NOT to Tip... That is the question

[Madd Matt]

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

[OffShore24]

I have a few friends who own bait shops.... with that said.... I never buy them for jig fishing erie reefs. In other places at other times of course they work so i think that is where the idea comes from. As you said Erie reef spawn walleye are not hitting jigs because they are eating it is more of an aggression/defensive bite. I have been on the same boat while some use minnows and the others do not. i have never seen the minnows out produce bare jigs. The jig action is by far the most important factor.

[gregnwtf]

There are surely times when you would need to tip with live shiners. Proven fact to me anyway. One morning of fun fishing with a few other guys, we were not doing well till a call from a buddy and asked if we had minnows. " No" not that day. Since he was headed in, he stopped by and gave us all his left over big shiners. It was an instant change as we took a limit of eyes in a couple hours. There are times when you dont need them as they turn aggressive enough to hit anything. Very early April with very cold water, prob no bait, all mid April I would take shiners and early May would be bare jig and maybe tip with some worm. Alot of times it could be just how you are moving the jig. Many diff ways, fast , slow, really rip it, cast ahead of the drift, jig the swing, jig under the boat, just drag it little hops in back of drift, turn your hat around. Try a blade, it could make a diff.
One guy may just not feel anything all day and another guy is throwing fish back. Watch the one that is catching and how he is catching, line angle, rod position, jig weight and color.

[walleye2go]

What Greg says...depends on the bite. I've also seen days where you had to tip to get the bite.

Greg

[ALFREDO]

I think its a mater of what you feel confadant with out there i always have a minnow on one live and one gulp minnow jig with 2 rods straight down and do good with both buddy dosent use any and does just as good casting and jigging i agree think its about protecting the eggs..

[BossHogg]

Can probably catch them without bait, but for $5.00 I am taking bait and tipping em. A little flavor never hurt.

[Always looking]

I've been jigging for just a couple of years now and I've been very successful with jigs tipped with gulp shiners. Saturday used one minnow to catch a limit.

[wakina]

Can probably catch them without bait, but for $5.00 I am taking bait and tipping em. A little flavor never hurt.

Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.

Like BossHog says for 5 bucks worth of shiners that is a drop in the bucket compared to a jigging rod and reel, boat, gas money for the boat and money spent on gas getting to the launch as well as jigs, leader material, and other tackle. I throw away more money than that on other foolish fishing things but never considered cost for minnows or nitecrawlers as a wasteful expenditure. But that is only me.

[Madd Matt]

I understand that I is not a cost issue... And I have no issues with "touching" worms or shiners... But if I don't need to worry about it and it makes no difference then I won't mess with them.

I don't need to worry about getting the aerator and fresh batteries, an extra trip to the bait store, the slight mess on the boat, or any of that if it has no bearing on the catch.

I am more just asking for informational purposes... I guess this week I'll just try both and post my results.

-Matt

[Lakeerieguy]

Of charter buddies both on Friday and Sat and all caught limits both days without a minnow.All boats had the Captn plus 6. Just personal choice this time of year. Out east got out Sat for a test ride and 4 of us pulled 13 on Blade Baits close to the harbor.

Dale