How to Fish The Johnson Silver Minnow: Tips and Tricks


How to Fish The Johnson Silver Minnow

You’re fishing during the heat of summer on a blistering hot day. The morning action persisted longer than normal, but as the sun goes up overhead the bite dies. Before you know it you’ve been sitting for 30 minutes without even a nibble.

So do you just pack up your gear and head for lunch? While that’s what most of us do, you don’t have to. You’ll lose hours of potentially great fishing when you could be hitting the weed beds. The Johnson Silver Minnows has been around since the 60’s and it works as well today as it did back then.

Where to Fish Silver Minnows

Silver minnows have long been one of my favorite spoons, but they aren’t always the best option. They’ve been around forever and proven themselves in a wide variety of applications.

It’s simple to use, almost entirely weedless(if you know how to use it), nearly indestructible and affordable. Perfect for inshore fishing when treble hooks are going to get snagged. I’ll primarily use them around weed beds, shallow flats, and thick grass lines.

  • Pros: Very easy to fish with a slow and steady retrieve. Weedless in most situations when fished around structure and grasslines. Nearly impossible to damage when properly cared for.
  • Cons: It will get snagged on grass if it’s fished too quickly. Make sure you rinse it off after fishing in saltwater to avoid rust.

When to Use a Silver Minnow

I’m well aware that most fisherman don’t like fishing the midday sun, and for good reason. The bite slows down and you need to change up your approach. That’s when you need to head for your nearest weed bed and bring out your silver minnow.

We all have our favorite weedless bass lures, but the silver minnow has long been a staple in my tackle box(check out a few of the best weedless lures). It all comes down to the fact that silver minnows are cheap and they work really well.

How to Fish a Silver Minnow

First off, I’m just going to assume that you know of a few good weedy areas in your favorite lakes(if not here’s a quick guide on fishing grass). I always keep a few silver minnow spoons in my tackle box.

I’ll mostly use the plain silver or gold version, but sometimes I’ll change things up(black, fire tiger and Chartreuse Flash are a few of my favorites).

Silver Minnow Technique

Fish the silver minnow just like any other spoon. You can get off long accurate casts thanks to the weight of the silver minnow. Make long casts parallel to the shore right along the weedline.

Let the spoon sink to the bottom and don’t retrieve it. Count to 10 and start with an extremely slow retrieve. After 2-3 turns let it sink again and wait. Repeat the 10 second count and reel in your lure/trailer once again.

This is the real secret to fishing weedbeds. Go to fast and you’ll get caught up in the weeds. The flash will draw in bass you don’t need to reel fast.

Know When to Call it Quits

I’ve tried a lot of spoons in my days and the Johnson Silver Minnow is still one of my favorites. That being said, it’s a tool in your arsenal, not a miracle worker.

If you insist on ripping it through weedbeds you won’t have much luck. Go slow and you should get a few bites. After 20-30 casts without much luck it’s time to change things up. That’s when you bring out your black/purple or flashy spoons.

What Silver Minnow Color?

Go with the basic silver/gold spoon on your typical fishing day. When the weathers in the 70’s simple patterns work the best. On especially hot days I’ve always had better luck using darker colored lures. That’s when I bring out my dark black/purple patterns.

How to Rig a Silver Minnow

Rigging up your silver minnow is pretty basic. Just setup a swivel between your main line and leader to prevent twisting. Spoons are pretty crazy underwater so without a swivel you’ll experience line twist. Check out the video below for more information on rigging.

Spoons might not look as cool as your favorite crankbait or jerkbait, but that doesn’t stop them from catching a ton of fish. They might look boring, but they’re one of the most versatile tools in your tackle box.

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