Does size matter

[Chevy]

Your thoughts on bigger minnow equals bigger fish ?
I mainly stick to smaller minnows and think I catch more fish. I’d like to catch a big boy but think my offerings aren’t there.
What are your thoughts. Walleye is my target fish.

Cheers

[chazD]

Hey Kerry, I find it depends on when you go fishing, earlier in January I think the fish are more aggressive and seems like they will hit bigger baits, come February I find the bite is very lite and the fish don't seem to be as aggressive. That's when I downsize. I picked up a tip up this year that I will rig up with a large minnow to see if I can get a larger fish. I've never used one before. So I'll see how that works out.

[Drew]

It can if you’re in a ‘big-fish’ spot. There are areas where it seems big fish just don’t hang out.

[Winterfisher]

I've never fished the nip, but I have a georgain bay spot where I hardwater fish. There, if I want a 20" plus fish, I would only use the big minnows, even good sized chubs. They don't seen to bother with the small minnows, just swim on by looking for a bigger meal.

[Chevy]

Hey Chuck, I always bring up my windlass tip up. My go to setup is a pickerel rig with bigger minnows.
It’s caught me many pike and walleye but no monsters. It will be coming up again this year.

Cheers

[swannie]

Agreed... If the fish are active... bigger bait, bigger fish.

[bws44]

I always put a bigger minnow on my jaw jacker. Just a split shot, treble, and biggest minnow in the bucket. Catches fish, no monsters, but got me my second of two keepers just over the lower limit of the old slot a couple years back.

[Longshank]

all of my biggest Nip walleye have come on the larger minnows maybe they send out more vibrations

the others were taken on larger lures

for me it's usually from dawn till 9 ish and then again late afternoon till dusk


the smaller ones seem active most of the day along with perch if they are around

[reardrag]

I’ve only used large shiners and have had success but my bigger fish are caught jigging minnow pattern baits like jigging raps and chubby darters

[longfish]

I look at it this way.....Just like everything else there is a bell curve affect at play here. There are more average fish caught because there are more of them. The big boys are more scarce.......so if you want to take the chance of no fish but sometimes be rewarded with that personal best.....use the big minnow. If you want to go home with fish most of the time use the smaller minnows. Yes there is always that exception that a lunker hits that small one. My two cents.

Arnie

[canadadude]

I fished Nipissing one year during an extreme cold front -25 to -30 everyday the only thing that saved my trip was down sizing to 1/32 or 1/16 oz hornet jigs with the smallest pin head shinners I could get. When I ran out of small minnows, small 1 inch plastics worked. I've also caught fish when they are around but not active running small ultra light jigs on Nipissing, and not small walleye either I took a 25" fish and a 27" walleye the same day on a 1/32 oz jig with a 1" plastic buggy thing. So what I'm saying is if the big minnow are not getting bit or your stuck in a cold front, bring out the ultra light gear and down size, you may be surprised and save your day on the ice.

[Longshank]

agree wit the downsizing during big cold fronts......thanks canadude

[BIGFILTHY]

AGREED.
I CAUGHT MY PB WALLEYE/PICKEREL (THATS A WHOLE OTHER DEBATE. LOL) ON ONE OF THE SMALLEST TUNGSTEN JIG HEADS I HAVE WITH A LITTKE SHINER ON IT.

[BIGFILTHY]

OOPS.
LITTLE