Florida Shiner Fishing

[basswest1]

Ok Guys,

I might........MIGHT......just do some shiner fishing this year......I want to know what you real shiner professionals do to provoke those big bass.  

What the best tackle is and what the best techniques are.

Thanks

[Bassn Blvd]

I use wild shiners only, 6-10".  I use a 7'H, rod with 20-25lb mono.  I use a balloon for a bobber and fish the the edge of grass beds.  

[SouthMiamiBassMan]

To make them last longer hook'em through the upper lip through the nostril, try to keep them in the water and not recast them as much as possible. Let them do there own thing but make sure they don't swim under structures or you will only get hooked up.  

[Al Wolbach]

I use a 7'6" H rod with 50lb braided line. Braid cuts through weeds better. I hook the wild shiner through the nose, as stated above, when fishing in heavy weeds. When fishing open water or weed lines I hook them through the back just in front of the dorsal fin. The shiner will swim more when hooked through the back. And don't conserve any energy on your hookset. One other tip, if you lay down your rod, always, always open your bail first. I have never lost a rod but I have jumped into the water(more than once) to catch one...........Al

PS- Shiner fishing is about as much fun as you can have with all your clothes on.

[gar-tracker]

I  never had one in my boat. but what bassnblvd explains is how i see them do it.

And of course wild rather then domestic.  

[bassbanger]

Wild shiners?  Do you net these?   Whats the technique to catching?

-Randy

[gar-tracker]

Small gold hair hooks, bait them up with bread, a tiny piece of bread, these hooks are small.

[CFFF 1.5]

To bait your own shiner hole get a bag of hog feed and a 1 qt. ziploc bag and 20lb. mono line. fill ziploc with hog feed pellets and stab bag with pen multiple times. Tie 20 lb. mono to bag tie other end to tree throw bag in water. come back in 24hrs. Throw some pellets on top of water wait 2 minutes and throw cast net. 2 doz. wild shiners in one good cast net throw.

If you are baiting this hole for the first time time bait 48hrs before and then 24hrs before.

Use a 7' MH or H rod and some type of braid. The best I have found to use is either Berkely Gorilla Tough 35lb (it floats really well and will help when it's windy, easier hookset) Berkley Fireline 27lb (Also floats really well) Use a 5/0 or 6/0 Kahle hook with weedless wire guard. Make sure you hookset hard and fast. You never know how big the bass is on the end of your line.

[-HAWK-]

Does it really make a huge difference between using "Wild" and "Domestic" shiners??

[gar-tracker]

Yes, they say the domestic don't run, they don't trigger the strike like wild.

I find that hard to believe buut everything I have heard is that wild are much better.

[CookieMonst3r]

I've heard you can chum an area with Oats, then use a small piece of  bread and catch them does this work efficiently?

[CFFF 1.5]

Yes wild shiners work wonders better than domestic. Domestic shiners don't know that a bass is going to eat them. Wild shiners will run from bass and provoke that strike. I have seen this first hand in my fish tank. If I guy domestic minnows the bass take days to eat 20 domestic minnows but I can get wild minnows from the lake and 50 - 60 don't last more than a day.

Yes you can use oats and a piece of bread but it is slow going catching them one by one.