# Anyone tried the Banjo minnow?



## Kachok

I went to basspro a while back and saw they had a video for the new 006 Banjo minnow, it looked more lifelike then any lure I had ever used. Has anyone tried these? If so how do they work for you?


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## timeflies

When we were kids and they first came out, I got a kit for christmas. They worked as good as any other lure out there. Remember that most anything on the shelf will catch fish, the lures that catch fisherman are the most successful.


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## Yakavelli

Well, they caught this fisherman. I bought the hundred pc (or whatever it was) kit. First and foremost, the piece count is bs. About half of that number is the little p.o.s. rubber bands that make the hooks weedless. You do still get a nice little pile o lures though. Well, I used them here and there, with mixed results. Until one fateful day at Merritts Mill Pond, in Marianna. That place is crystal clear water and packed with huge bass. Everywhere you go, you see a handful of 5+ lb bass just hangin out under a dock, or next to a stump. I've seen a couple that would go 15lb...easy! Well, they don't bite anything but live bait, at least in my experience. I had two banjo minnows in my box, figured "hell, this is what they say they're made for". I put the big one on and 20 mins later a freakin HOG (10lbs) blew up on it and took me around a stump...snap! I caught some smaller ones on the small banjo over the next little while. Next year, when I go back, I can assure you, I will have the whole kit with me! Just make sure you use them exactly the way the show you. Let it "die" ten times on each retrieve.


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## CatHunter

Back when I bass fished banjos was hands down my favorite lure in the box. I have caught more bass over 5lbs on them than probably ever other lure I used combined. The trick is light line and a flexible rod tip. Spinning reels seem to work best.


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## Kachok

Anyone tried them on reds, specs, or flounder?


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## PERDIDO PIRATE

They should defiantely work in both fresh and saltwater. the bigest thing when it comes to lures is confidence in the lure you are working and focusing on putting life into the bait. 

one of my good fishing buddys used to wear the fish out in the river on the old infomercial helicopter lure!


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## Yakavelli

Kachok said:


> Anyone tried them on reds, specs, or flounder?


I have no doubt. I have couple in my saltwater box, but I seldom have the patience to work it properly while casting blind. I like them as a sightfishing lure, but I never have it tied on at the right time. Give 'em a shot, and like cathunter said, light line/flexible tip. You just want to make it spaz a little and die...over and over. Haven't had any luck on a fast retrieve, but it does look real good.


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## CatHunter

We had some schooling miah miah come by the boat one time. There must have been 100 of them under 5lbs. I tied on a banjo with no hook on it and played keep away. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. They was flying threw the air, smacking the boat, just going crazy trying to catch it. 

For like 10 min we took turns teasing them.


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## nojerseydevil

Hopefully my buddy Amarillo Palmiro (AP) chimes in. He used that thing in Idaho and swears it will catch fish. I think its a gimmick bait. I joke with him about it and have a picture of the package as my ringtone for his cell number. Wait to hear his story of what he caught in Idaho--funny...

NJD


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## Kachok

Well if it is a gimmick it has been the longest running gimmick I have ever seen, I remember seeing adds for them years ago. I bought a pack today, and if I ever get another day off ever again I'll wright a review. I live right on Styx river, while not a mecca of bass fishing I normally snag two or three wading down to the bend.
I am funny about not using what everyone else uses, I used to catch tons of bass in a local community pond with spinner baits, this year everyone else started throwing them now I can hardly get a hit, switches to weightless worms and caught 16 in 3hr. Never seen anyone use the banjo so mabey I can catch them off guard with them too.


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## Amarillo Palmira

nojerseydevil said:


> Hopefully my buddy Amarillo Palmiro (AP) chimes in. He used that thing in Idaho and swears it will catch fish. I think its a gimmick bait. I joke with him about it and have a picture of the package as my ringtone for his cell number. Wait to hear his story of what he caught in Idaho--funny...
> 
> NJD


Well here I am. Its true. I was up in Idaho and the guide catches an ENORMOUS largemouth. I look at his lure and ask "what is that????" He laughs and says The Banjo Minnow, believe it or not. He said he got his butt whacked by his fishing partner one day on Banjos and he's kept one tied on ever since. Anyway, I came back to Florida, bought a huge pack, and never caught a single fish on them. He had his rigged exactly like the package shows. I did not like the hooks and tried to change the set up. Plus NJD has repeatedly embarassed me over it, so I don't fish them. His fault, not mine.....LOL


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## Kachok

Ok just got back from playing with my Banjo Minnows, mixed review to say the least, I have NEVER gotten so many bites from bass in such a short time frame in my entire life (no kidding) first 5 casts got hit each time, they love the stupid thing! The downside is due to the funky hook placement I had the WORST hookup ratio in human history, missed 10 bass in a row! I might as well have just tied the line streight to the plastic and hope it got lodged in their throat. Mind you I was playing around with 10-15" bass, ratio would surely be better (I hope) with larger bass that can mouth the whole bait. I want to figure out a stinger hook system that won't kill the lures action because bass REALLY do love that silly thing. Tried 20 other lures today and none of them got anywhere near as many hits.
I also tried the Rage Tail baits while I was out, while they were all top notch in their respective catagory I fell in LOVE with the eliminator! It is a soft plastic that wants to swim upward like a soft reverse crankbait, this makes it ideal for Carolina rig fishing over submerged grass, and it works like a soft buzzbait when fished weightless, throws a nice wake no kidding. Bass slammed it alot but again playing with those small bass hookup ratio was a little weak on a bait that thick, they should make a smaller one


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## nojerseydevil

Kachok, 

Where were you fishing? Don't need your spots, but just curious on of you were in the NW Florida area. Sorry to say, I'm still not convinced and thinks its a gimmick lure like the ones the guy from the Love Connection hocks. Funny...

NJD


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## Kachok

Faircloth pond, about 4 acres in Daphne AL. Lots of small bass, with a few 5+lbs in there, but they are smart due to the heavy fishing pressure. Try them before you discount them as a gimmick, they get alot of hits when the bass are feeding shallow, but once the front blew in and the bass went deep switch to something that will get down to them faster, as happened today.
When I got back home I put in the DVD again, they tell you to always leave slack in your line for more hookups, I will try that next time, but I still think they need a stinger hook.


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## Charlie2

*Banjo Minnow*

They're definitely not a gimmick. Lots of fish have been caught on them.

There are some 'knockoffs' around. The real ones have 'Banjo' on the sides.
C2


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## nojerseydevil

Kachok, 

I'll give it a try during Speck trolling season. Those damn Specks will bite anything during that time. And, I'm sure my buddy AP has a treasure troll of those things--he'll buy anything...

NJD


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## Kachok

nojerseydevil said:


> Kachok,
> 
> I'll give it a try during Speck trolling season. Those damn Specks will bite anything during that time. And, I'm sure my buddy AP has a treasure troll of those things--he'll buy anything...
> 
> NJD


LOL I would not think of them as a trolling lure since they get their best action from quick twitching the rod tip, but hey is they bite anything give um a shot, and I think the term is treasure trove not "treasure troll"
Give them a try when bass are feeding shallow, especially around weeds/brush.
The biggest advantage of the banjo is while other lures imitate healthy swimming bait fish the banjo appears to be a badly wounded baitfish hence very easy pray for a hungry bass, they are much more likely to expend the energy going after something that they know is not getting away.


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## captken

*You'd better believe it!*

It doesn't have to be a Banjo Minnow. Use the technique in the video.

Most any soft plastic will work when rigged Banjo style.

Here is how I do it. Tie several knots in a 2" length of hollow core 80# Dacron.

Apply a couple of drops of super glue to the Dacron and feed it into the head of the lure with a large needle. Burn the end of the Dacron where it comes out of the head of the lure. Insert a hook into the Dacron and fish it like the video shows.

This rig is about 100X as tough as the original Banjo Minnow.


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## Bo Keifus

When I first moved to Pensacola and started fishing this area my uncle gave me a couple and told me to try them out. He said "when fished properly these are like fish crack" He also said "Don't tell ANYONE I have these in my tacklebox" haha. The way his ego is I figured he didn't want any of his fishin buds to know he had some "as-seen-on tv" lures. My uncle always caught alot of fish (he had pics to prove it and was sure to ALWAYS let me know how much better at fishing he was than me...) and every time I visited pensacola(before moving here) he'd tell me where to go and I NEVER CAUGHT ANYTHING. I assumed that was his way of joking, which if you knew him you'd know that he would be the person to do something like that :headbang:. Anyways, when he gave me the lures I assumed he was doing the same thing and just tossed em in my box of lures i dont use. I may just have to dig em out and give em a shot here soon. If I can find that goofy looking hook at least.


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## Cracker

It's the same as a jerk worm isn't it ???? Just a little more action ??


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## Kachok

No not like a jerk worm, it is like a very limp unweighted swim bait, it tends to roll over on it's side before beginning it's slow fall, that is when fish usually hammer it. I have seen dying fish in the water, it is a very very good mimic of that motion.
BTW you don't need that goofy hook, a regular ol #1-1/0 seems to work just fine, that goofy hook is just for the weedless bands, which do work perfectly but not needed in open water.


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## OP-FOR

The original banjo was a fish catching machine. The new design, I am not sure of. I bought as many as I could before they went off the market. I have never bought any of the new designs. I am curious on how it works.


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## WIRENUT1

Merrits mill pond in Marriana Fl sure brings back alot of good memories....i used to go there every year on vacation....arrowhead campground...went there a couple of years ago and they still have the same swings i used to play on.....Damn those are some old swings.......BEAUTIFULL PLACE....see it if you can.....


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## lsucole

They work a lot better than the Roland Martin "Helicopter" lure or the Bill 
Dance "Swimmin' Eel".


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