Johnson Silver Minnow 2024

Lard_Bass reply :

Anyone use these? And what do you use for a trailer? And what is the color of that trailer?

I typically use a 1/4 oz silver minnow with a grub trailer (typically white). I love using these for the kids rods (1/8 oz size) because they can chuck them with their little spincasting outfits and I don't have to worry about picking weeds off of them.

Matt Fly reply :

A very good bait, sometimes I use the garlic marker to make the tail chartrues in the winter.

Matt

Garnet reply :

Your kids bait is my hidden gem. White curly tail thread round the bend. Why trolling motor overthere I will get it.

Garnet

Papa_Tom reply :

Been using this forever. Favorite setup for vegetation is to add a trailer hook. On that trailer I thread a six inch Jelly Worm--or some portion of one. I rig the worm weedless. Can also use a weedless hook. Paint the Silver Minnow black and use a black worm. Killer. First read about this in BASSmaster back in the early seventies. Still works.

riverat reply :

I've been using the Johnson Silver Minnow here in South Louisiana since the mid 60's, especially around vegation (any kind) or areas with wood and vegation mixed. It's a great lure for a young person or someone that does not have much experience because once it's adjusted correctly it's almost impossible to hang up and will come through vegation with no problems. My kids have caught untold numbers of bass on a Silver Minnow.

I use the 1/2 oz. size 95% of the time, but the 1/4 oz. and 3/4 oz. have their place at times. I've had the most success on the black Silver Minnow with a yellow or black & yellow rubber skirt, or the gold with a chartreuse or chartreuse & white rubber skirt. To place the skirt on the hook, I run the hook point into the rubber sleeve the skirt is made on to prevent the skirt from sliding down the hook. I use the large size skirt (40 tails) on the 1/2 oz. and 3/4 oz., and a medium skirt (30 tails) on the 1/4 oz. I usually pull a few strands out of the skirt to increase the action on the spoon, but I don't really think it makes a difference.

If you don't have a local source for rubber skirts, you can purchase online at Brannan's Bass Shop. Do a search on the site for Ol Ben's Rubber skirts. I think they sell them in packs of 10 for about $3 a pack.

You can also use an Uncle Josh #11 Pork Frog (Green Spotted or Black) as a trailer. I always have a few spoons without skirts available just in case.

The hook on the Silver Minnow straight out of the package will need to be sharpened. I use a file to sharpen the point to a triangular shape, but I'm sure you could use almost any good hook file to accomplish what you need. Also, the weed guard needs to be placed slightly above even with the hook point or you will find that you miss more fish than you hook.

As for tackle, think heavy. One thing about the Silver Minnow --- it will catch the biggest bass in the lake. My biggest is a 9.3 that I caught 2 years ago. For years I used 20-25# test mono, but the last few years I started using 50# or 65# Power Pro Braid on at least a 6'6" or 7' Medium-Heavy or Heavy action rod.

Throw this bait into lily pads, hydrilla, milfoil, etc. and just take your time with it. It's also a good idea to have a follow-up rod with a worm or tube for those occasions when you miss a fish. I started using the Spro Bronze Eye Frog last summer for my follow-up and it seems to work just as well, as long as I can get it back to the fish fast enough.

Like any other bait, there are times when it works and times when it doesn't, depending on the mood of the fish. But it's worked for me for over 40 years enough that I always have a small box of Silver Minnows stored in my boat - just in case. I have found that it works best for me from post-spawn through mid-Fall (April-November where I live) .

One more tip, I have at times removed the inline spinner from of a Hildebrandt Snagless Sally and attached it to the spoon with a split ring. It doesn't always make a differnce, but I have seen days that it does.

Hope this helps.

Matt Fly reply :

Riverat,

Firstoff, welcome to the information highway of bass fishing. What a great detailed report, you will find a group of guys who will enjoy those types of reports.

I would love to see a picture of the modified spoon w/ inline spinner.

again,

Welcome and hookem from Tx.

Matt

Lard_Bass reply :

Welcome riverat! Nice first post.

The fish up north are smaller so that's why I gravitate to the 1/4 oz over the 1/2 oz. Like Matt Fly suggested, I also use a garlic marker. I like the rubber skirt idea also. I have a couple laying around a will try it. Do you use a trailer hook as well with the skirt?

Shad_Master reply :

I haven't used one of these in almost 40 years, but used to pick bass out of the lilly pads with 'em when I was knee high to a grass hopper (did I really say that?). We used 'em with an Uncle Josh trailer in white and would cast 'em up on the pads and let 'em fall down in the holes. Thanks for the memories. I may have pull one of these out again this year.

Rob G. reply :

The Silver Minnow is a good bait. It is a great bait for a kid or newbie. It can be fished as a topwater, or submerged. It is also relatively snagfree and weedless. A frog colored Uncle Josh pork trailer and a Silver Minnow were what my Dad rigged for me when I was a kid. Caught bass and northern pike on them. I still rig them for my wife. The Miller Wobbler might be a bit better though.

CrazedL.IFisherman reply :

I love using these lures, like people have already stated they are extremely easy to use and catch fish, one thing is in my opinion it seems to be one of those lures after using them for years with success that we put them down and forget about them, im going to make sure to use them as often as possible

Alpster reply :

1981 my wife (now deceased) and I were fishing (she loved to fish, one of many reasons I married her) 1/2 mile down stream of the ramp in a 14' jon w/0.5lb thrust sears TM. I was rigged with a 3/4oz Johnson Silver Minnow with a # 11 Uncle Josh pork frog trailer. I reared back to cast to a patch of lilly pads and on the fore cast the rod stopped abruptly and my wife screamed. Yep, I buried that big ole hook in her scalp, big time (with a pork frog, no less). It started to rain as we headed back to the truck. It took over two hours to get to the hospital and get the spoon surgically removed from her head. For years we looked back and laughed, but at the time, it was anything but funny. It's a great lure and I still have a couple in my box, but this is always what I think of when I hear "Johnson Silver Minnow". We always called them 'weedless spoon'. Sorry for the long story, I couldn't help it.

Ronnie

guest reply :

Hey Ron,

There are at least 3 good jokes that came to mind immediately.

But out of respect I won't mention them.

I'm so sorry for your loss. But the memories will last a lifetime.

God Bless you.

avid

riverat reply :

Matt Fly,

Thanks for the compliment about my first post. I've been visiting the forum for quite a while and decided recently to give it a try.

I'll try to get a picture of the inline spinner/Silver Minnow set-up when I get a chance. It's not real hard to figure out though. Just remove the inline spinner from either a 1/3 oz. (#4 Colorado Blade) or 1/2 oz. (#4 1/2 Colorado Blade) Hildebrandt Snagless Sally keeping the split ring attached to the inline spinner. Put the split ring on the the line tie of the spoon and you're ready to go. I always use the gold or black nickel spinners. I'm sure that a silver blade would work just as well. This set-up will work at night also if you have a lot of vegatation that makes using a standard spinnerbait difficult.

Also, I never use a trailer hook on a Silver Minnow. I think the key to hooking fish with this lure is to wait until you feel the weight of the fish and use a power sweep to the side to set the hook. I will admit though that even after 40 years of fishing for Bass, there are times I seem to forget and set the hook to soon.

Catt reply :

riverrat is dead on

The problem with using a Silver Minnow is you are gonna miss a lot of fish because like a buzz bait you have to wait until you feel the fish and the drop the rod, reel the slack and set the hook. Silver minnow can be worked on top by holding you rod tip up and reeling just fast enough to keep it skimming across the grass.

FillupD reply :

I have fished the silver minnow in the sandhill refuge lakes in NE for Northern Pike and Bass and it is a favorite in that area as the refuge lakes are large, shallow and weedy bodies of water that are drinking water clear that promotes some heavy weed growth as the season progresses.

They are great with a Uncle Josh bass strips (yellow or green spot) used as a trailer. Years ago the lure was sold in a presentation box with a Gold Silver minnow and a jar of Johnsons bass strip pork rinds.

I am fascinated by the lure and have a vintage lure collection of aprox 80 silver minnows and boxes in various size and colors. Does anyone remember the Caper lure that was redesigned to become the Johnson Silver Minnow?

Cabelas have an interesting array of new colors for the silver minnows on the stores web site. I haven't used the new colors yet but they sure are pretty, sure to catch a few fisherman.

BASS fisherman reply :

Welcome to the forum River rat!

It seems this thread brought up alot of memories for the seasoned anglers.

I have one question, make it two.

Could the Silver minnow be catagorized as a "winter lure"? It seems to me that you could fish it very slow and smack dab on the bottom. I mat give it a try tomorrow if the lake isn't frozen.

and also.....

It seems to me that the lure would be good for tageting suspending bass on ledges. Has anyone fished the lure in open water? It sounds like everyone fishes the lure exclusively in cover.

Catt reply :

Could the Silver minnow be categorized as a "winter lure"?

You can fish em all year round any type of brush, stumps, lay downs, rocks & vegetation

Has anyone fished the lure in open water?

I have slow rolled them in deep canals (8-12') but never really tried them in open water for bass. I've caught speckle trout and red fish with them in open water.

Garnet reply :

Everybody and there dog is fishing frogs in shallow junk so that makes the minnow even better and your hookups are better.

Garnet

.ghoti. reply :

And here I thought I was the only one still using this classic. It is one of my "secret" eapons. Appears to be not so secret. I used to use a pork eel for a trailer. Now use mostly grubs in the 3" - 4" range. I will put on a trailer hook and use a worm from time to time. If you get the right size grub, the bait will fall in a horizontal fashion, wobbling all the way down. This is an awesome rig for the outside weedline. Just let it fall to the bottom, and then pull it up a couple of feet. Sort of like higher speed senko fishing.

Cheers,

Lard_Bass reply :

Alpster,

I am sorry to hear of your loss. Thanks so much for sharing that story with us.

Lard_Bass reply :

For a trailer, I was thinking of using the bogee tail this year. Especially a black one with silver flakes. I think that attached on a Silver Minnow would look like a nice baitfish for a bass to eat. I wonder though if the bogee tail is too long though?

guest reply :

Being a self proclaimed takcle junkie

Me............."Hi, my name is avid and I'm a lure addict."

Group....... "Hi Avid"

Anyway, one of my earliest bass lures was the silver minnow, in silver (of course). I used to fish it with the classic #11 green dot pork frog trailer. It caught alot of bass.

I have never NOT had at least three.

they have never NOT worked.

Florida is made for this lure. All weedy and shallow.

Of course I don't hardly use em because I've got a gazillion fancy pants japanese lures to cast.

But when I do tie one on, it is a rare day I can't pull something out of the weeds with it. I have a gold, silver and black. I like using a single tail grub, but over the years I have tried every imaginable trailer from bitten off pieces of worm, to one rear leg of a horny toad. They all work.

One of best lures ever made for the shallow water bass angler.

Yes, do sharpen the hook.

Lard_Bass reply :

"I've got a gazillion fancy pants japanese lures to cast"

............ah, the good ole bait monkey's trademark.

I think the Johnson Silver Minnow may be considered the Anti-Bait Monkey given Avid's testimony.

WhiteMike1018 reply :

Not to hijack the thread, but i have one of these and I noticed the hook is very dull, its almost how sad how unsharp the hook is right out of the box...what do you guys do about this? hook sharpener maybe?

BASS fisherman reply :

Yes Mike, I have a couple little stone sharpeners. You can get them at Dick's for around 50 cents each. I have to fish the minnow more often this season. I have one 1/2 oz and a couple bigger johnson like lures. Never had much luck with any of them. Never gave them a fair chance though.

Garnet reply :

Those yellow handled files in the BPS are the best available almost all tackle stores. Just file away from you and don't make to thin on the end. Most shop files are to course.

Shapening hooks is becoming a lost art.

Garnet

Tucson reply :

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who dislikes that hook. I wonder if it would be better to remove it altogether and solder something decent on it.

Vekol reply :

Great thread and information. I've got at least 5 Silver Minnows tucked away in a corner of my tackle box that I never use (like a lot of the things the Bait Monkey seduced me into buying over the years.) Sounds like it would be perfect for the weed choked areas of the Potomac during the late summer months. I'll definitely try this out.

Brad_Coovert reply :

Johnson Silver Minnows, Jitterbugs, Jelly Worms, Big-O's.

Old baits that have been busting bass for a long time. I had several of each when I was a kid, now all I have left are two black Jitterbugs. The rest have been replaced, lost or forgotten.

I'm gonna have to get some more Silver Minnows. I love fihsing weeds, grass and pads. Would be a good bait to try again.

Brad

Garnet reply :

Take the weed guard pull it up as high as possible then make the last 1/2 to 3/8 inch go strait towards the hook piont and just pass the pionted. This helps to move the weeds away from the hook and it gives more area for the fish to move the weed guard.

Garnet

guest reply :

I have a diamond hook sharpener that I think I got at Wal-mart. It's a blue pencil shape with a pocket clip. you loosen a screw and the sharpener (round, has a groove and comes to a point) comes out of the blue sleeve. a couple of passes is usually all it takes.

I test the sharpness of hooks by tapping it lightly to my thumbnail. If it skips off, the hook ain't sharp. If it sticks, it is.

good luck and have fun

avid

Vekol reply :

For hook sharpening I use a Dremel tool with a small grinder. Be sure to use the lowest speed and use a light touch. The sandpaper drums work great for removing any rust that might have formed on hooks too.

Lard_Bass reply :

Just dawned upon me, what knot does everyone use on this? I have been using a cinch and palomar knot. I think if I use the rapala knot, the Johnson silver minnow would have more wobble / action.

7972

Johnson Silver Minnow 2024

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