Black Minnow bassing
How to make one of the best bass fishing lures even better for your winter bass sport
Make this lure even better for winter sport.
T he beauty of the Fiiish Black Minnow is that it is designed to be fished vertically, with just the weight of the articulated jig head used to get the lure down – rather than a traditional lead weight and trace set-up – making it ideal for tackle-hungry ground.
The head and hook set-up is articulated, meaning the hook has free movement from the head, which allows the lure’s soft latex body to ‘swim’ more naturally.
The hook point nestles in a shallow groove along the back of the lure, and is designed to be weedless, so the hook point has minimal chances of catching on weed and rocks. A feeding fish’s mouth will expose the hook point when the fish grabs the lure. It’s very simple and extremely effective.
ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES
There are many different weights and size options available, and I’ve used almost every version produced in recent years for a huge range of fishing applications.
There are six different lengths available in an assortment of colours, along with various weights of head in Shallow, Shore, Offshore and Deep categories. Prices vary for packs of lures and packs of jig heads, with prices starting about £4.99.
The tiny No 1 lures are 7cm long and come with either a 3g or 6g jig head. I’ve used the 6g version with success when targeting bass feeding near the surface on whitebait. It’s an exciting way to fish, but you need the right gear though. I use a 7-35g lure rod with a small fixed-spool reel loaded with 12lb braid, and a length of 10lb fluorocarbon leader. I tie the lure directly to the end of the leader, cast it out into the feeding frenzy and let it sink of its own accord.
Because there is minimal resistance, the lure swims as it falls slowly through the water – it must look so natural. Takes are savage; one minute you have slack line, the next your rod is almost ripped from your hands.
I’ve used the largest No 6 lures for extreme offshore wrecking. These are 20cm long and can be fished with either 30g, 60g, 120g or 190g heads. I like the 190g heads because they drag the lure down fast – ideal for fishing over a wreck. So far I’ve caught bass, cod and pollack