How To Fish The Johnson Silver Minnow

[Glenn]

Old school time! The Johnson Silver Minnow has been around for decades, yet many anglers haven't fished it and don't know how to use it.  It's been a "secret" lure for me, and now I reveal all the tips and tricks to catch more fish with it.  Enjoy!

 

 

[Ski]

Bought a couple a few years back and found the hooks on them to be junk and dull right out of the package.

[scaleface]

I'm the same way . I use to fish it but havent picked one up in years .

[the reel ess]

I used a gold one last summer during the dog days. I bought it at the beach to use for inshore. It's a frog replacement for me. A trailer helps out a lot. I just slowly retrieved it over the lilies. And yes, the hook needs a good sharpening. One of the cool things about the spoon is if they bite and miss you can let it sink. If they miss the frog, they often lose sight of the lure. It also shows the fish something they probably have never seen.

[Scott F]

34 minutes ago, Ski said:

Bought a couple a few years back and found the hooks on them to be junk and dull right out of the package.

Yep. It’s worth the time to file a point on them. 

[TnRiver46]

I trolled one behind a canoe the other day while I paddle back to the ramp and a nice bass grabbed it but my line broke halfway to the lure . Guess I should’ve checked it but this thread reminds me to go to Academy and get another one

[Captain Phil]

Good video about an all time favorite that's been forgotten over the years.  There are many reasons why this lure was a standard fifty or more years ago and why it isn't used as much these days.  In the early days of sport bass fishing, reels were not like they are today.  You needed a heavy lure to get any distance.  It wasn't until free spool reels hit the market that lighter lures were usable.   The Johnson Silver Minnow was the frog lure of it's day.  It could be cast farther than a wooden lure and it was weedless.  Al Foss made a similar metal lure a hundred years ago that was actually shaped like a frog.   The Silver Minnow added the side to side wiggle and the weed guard.  In Florida, I knew great anglers who never fished anything else.  You could throw the lure a country mile and into places where other lures were impossible to fish.  Those anglers used pork chunk or pork strip trailers.  The added distance and weedless nature made these lures perfect for fishing the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee.

 

The hook on these lures as they come out of the package is one of the worst hooks I have ever seen.  Why they haven't fixed this by now is amazing to me.  In any case, buy a good hone and sharpen it before you use it.  I have caught fish on this lure in open water, but that's not the best place for it.  It works in the same places you would throw a frog.   The hookup percentage seems to be better as well.   Some people put a plastic worm on the lure as a trailer.  I use a Zoom split tail trailer.  For years the standard big fish lure in the Everglades was a black silver minnow with a black worm trailer.   The gold silver minnow is still one of the best Red Fish baits even today (if you are so inclined).  You need strong line to fish these lures as they are heavy and you will be fishing in heavy cover.

 

So why don't you hear much about this lure today?  Because there are better lures that can be fished in the same places.  Plastic frogs and buzz baits have replaced the Silver Minnow.   The Silver Minnow is still a great lure, it's just not the best.

[Glenn]

47 minutes ago, Ski said:

Bought a couple a few years back and found the hooks on them to be junk and dull right out of the package.

Actually, the hook is really good, but you do need to sharpen it for reasons that might surprise you.

 

Watch the video to learn more.

[Tatsu Dave]

33 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I used one last summer during the dog days. I bougyht it at the beach to use for inshore. It's a frog replacement for me. A trailer helps out a lot. I just slowly retrieved it over the lilies. And yes, the hooks need a good sharpening. One of the cool things about the spoon is if they bite and miss you can let it sink. If they miss the frog, they often lose sight of the lure. It also shows the fish something they probably have never seen.

I still have at least thirty of them from the early days some in perch color. They work much better with a frog trailer on the back. Caught more fish in the weeds than with any other lure in late eighties. Agree with Glenn take the time to sharpen up, but the hook is fine.

[2tall79]

Thanks Glenn, Great Video.

I've been fishing these for over 40 years.  Still use a #11 pork frog trailer.  I actually have some of these in copper and use them a lot in stained water.

[TnRiver46]

Great video as always. Just stopped at academy and got the last silver minnow. It was 3/4 oz and gold but I got it anyway. Satisfied my thirst for a half ounce silver one with the house brand. Hopefully trying these after “work” aka spoon shopping. Also got two bags of zoom split tail trailers, one white and one chartreuse 

[Catt]

Never quite using em ?

 

 

[the reel ess]

Anybody remember Virgil Ward's fishing show? If I recall he caught about half his fish on this bait with a pork trailer.

[Tatsu Dave]

They used to sell them with small plastic frog's called perk tail trailer's. Small enough to not disturb the wobble but still catch the fishes eye. I found a stash of them with my spoon's so I had just pushed them to the back and stopped fishing them. I would wager that the bass where I fish have never seen one and would hit them like a new lure. The hooks are steel on all mine and the same hooks we used for striper's. Large barb but takes a good edge with file or hone. 

[Mobasser]

9 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Anybody remember Virgil Ward's fishing show? If I recall he caught about half his fish on this bait with a pork trailer.

Yes. My dad and I watched Virgil every week. He was endorsed by Johnson, and caught a lot of fish on the Silver Minnow.

[Basseditor]

I bought some a few months ago because I couldn't find my old ones. I remembered all the big bass I caught with them, so I gave them a go again. I always used a pork chunk. Now just use a Zoom chunk. 

 

 

[HaydenS]

Never realized this is what they were for.  I figured you cast it out and popped it back in like a flutter spoon.

Thanks Glenn, hope Johnson is giving you a commission for all the spoons you're about to sell, I'll be buying some for sure!

[Glenn]

50 minutes ago, HaydenS said:

Never realized this is what they were for.  I figured you cast it out and popped it back in like a flutter spoon.

Thanks Glenn, hope Johnson is giving you a commission for all the spoons you're about to sell, I'll be buying some for sure!

Actually, no I won't.  I don't have any agreement at all with Johnson.  It's just something I wanted to make a video about.  Just sharing knowledge.

 

[Bluebasser86]

6 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Actually, no I won't.  I don't have any agreement at all with Johnson.  It's just something I wanted to make a video about.  Just sharing knowledge.

 

In the age of everyone looking for the "Silver Bullet", why not the proven fish catcher that is largely ignored by modern fishermen? What's old is new again right?

[Happybeerbuzz]

Thanks Glenn.  I am excited to trying this lure.  

[Tatsu Dave]

I think its cool that we get reminded about lures from the past that never quit working......most just quit using them. I bet it will have a very noticeable effect on silver spoon stocks and a lot of new and older anglers will give them another try. Well Done Glenn.?

[desmobob]

18 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Anybody remember Virgil Ward's fishing show? If I recall he caught about half his fish on this bait with a pork trailer.

"Gone fishin' instead of just a-wishin'..."

 

"My... ain't that a dandy!"

[SC53]

I can’t tell you how many bass I’ve caught on these over the years. My favorite was always the black one with a white culprit worm trailer. Cut the culprit at the egg sack and just use that portion. On cloudy days, the gold with a yellow trailer was what we threw on Toho. 
Always have a backup rod ready with a worm and 3/16 sinker ready. If they miss the spoon, real in and toss the backup, more times than not you’ll get that fish. 
And yes the hooks are dull but a little work with a file/sharpener will get it ready to fish. 

[billmac]

I never caught a ton of fish on the JSM, but I always loved the look of it.  The Timber King spoon was another that looked awesome coming through the water.  When I was a kid, if you were spoon fishing, you were pike fishing.  And if you were pike fishing, you were spoon fishing.  And if you were spoon fishing for pike, more often than not you were using a red and white Daredevle.

[HaydenS]

7 hours ago, Glenn said:

Actually, no I won't.  I don't have any agreement at all with Johnson.  It's just something I wanted to make a video about.  Just sharing knowledge.

 

We sure do appreciate it!