# Fishing with cigar minows



## Chiefsway

How do you guys keep the cigar minnow on your hook when fishing the reefs? I sometimes go through half a box to catch one fish. I hook through the eyes and back on the belly of the minnow using a 6.0 or 7.0 circle hook. I must be missing something because I am holding my mouth right.

Thanks


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## lastcast

Depends what kind of rig your using as how to fish it. Most times I'm fishing a knocker rig with 1 or 2 oz egg and 5/0 circle. Drift it down to em and hang on. Small Triggers will steal you blind sometimes. Braid seems to help me. Oh yea, I usually only hook the dead ones from the bottom lip through the top.


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## Chiefsway

The rig I am using is a 24" mono leader with a swivel on one end and a 6/0 hook on the other end. I put a lead sinker on the fishing line and tie the of the line to the leader swivel. Fishing for snapper in about 85' of water. As soon as I hit bottom and start to pull up I usually loose my cigar minnow.


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## lobsterman

Where are you hooking the cig? Go to a longer leader also. Go from under the chin and out through the top hard part of the head.


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## Chiefsway

Good to know, thanks


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## Trophyhusband

I have the same problem. I've tried long leaders, short leaders, thin hooks, thick hooks, hooking them in every conceivable way, and still have one hell of a time hooking them. Next time I go out I may not even fish for snapper, instead I'll just slow troll for kings. That way I can use a stinger and probably still limit on snappers as a by-catch.


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## Mike W

We've had good luck just hooking the frozen cigs through the back. Seems to get us our limit :thumbsup:


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## IrishBlessing

Can you cut them in half? Can you catch a snapper slow trolling?


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## flukedaddy

If your in less than 100ft or so chum em up and use small chunks drifing in the chum with no weight, saves allot of bait. Also try maybe cuttin th cigs down some so they are just one bite for the snaps. Any time you can catch your own thats the way to go, I get mine usually in the spring, and then brine them in rocksalt and Ice seemed to also help if they were alive going into brine so they sucked the salt in, allot tougher to take off the hook than the rotten box cigs.


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## grey ghost

Chiefsway, IMO u may not be using a heavy enough weight, meaning ur bait is going down to slow and the smaller fish are eating it of the hook before it ever gets to the bottom. Try at least a 6 oz min depending on current may have to go bigger. Flukedaddy is also correct on chumming up snapper drift ur bait in chum with hook buried up in cig, small weight depending on current. Look on machine to see where fish is in water coulum?? U also have to hold mouth rite !! LOL


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## Chiefsway

Good input guys. There are 3 things I am going to do different.

Hook them thru the head instead of the eyes
Use a larger weight
use a longer leader
I've neve used chum, so I'll have to learn about that too.


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## lobsterman

Here is a dink.


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## Trophyhusband

IrishBlessing said:


> Can you cut them in half? Can you catch a snapper slow trolling?


Sure, but if you are targeting them with bait you can't use a stinger. If you're targeting kings you can though.


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## ateupwitit

this is gonna sounds wierd but I go in the mouth of the cigar minnow hook point first come out gills with the whole hook pulling the line through also then I hook the cig in the middle back from side to side then pull the leader tight so the line comes back through the mouth with the hook eye just inside the gills.

sounds wierd I know but it works hands down for me


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## TOBO

And not to be insulting but bow to the fish. Using circle hooks at a 9 o'clock position with the rod, bow the rod down and real until it is very tight before you even think about lifting your pole. 6oz weight in around 100 ft of water, even more if current is ripping.


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## hjorgan

I go through the eyes, pull the leader through, then hook them behind the dorsal fin. That way if they get the back half you have a chance of hooking them from what's left of the head.

Or, just use live pinfish.


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## Rich

Zip tie thru the eyes. Cheap, fast and simple.


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## Chiefsway

Hey, I like that zip tie idea. I"m not proud. LOL


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