If I choose to fish with a bobber and live minnow, what is the best hook size to use for these papermouths? I know too small, you will never hook them as their mouths are so big. Also, do the minnows have to be live for these guys? I've had good luck jigging with gulp! minnows, but on a kayak, no livewell for live minnows!

Secondly, I think I have decided to use a carolina rig for locating bass in the lake. What hook size and sinker would be best for that? I have attached a depth chart link for the lake I will fish.

http://www.dcnr.state.al.us/fishing/...disondepth.cfm

http://www.dcnr.state.al.us/fishing/...lakes/madison/

Size 10 gold hook for the crappie..hook through both lips carefully..they must be alive..try to find the depth of the water..fish the minnow about 2 foot off the bottom..


Carolina rig...with nothing on your line...

Slide a 1/4 ounce slip sinker ..forget the name..this is not a bullet sinker...

then tie a barrel swivel on...

then tie on your leader..can be aabout 30 inches of 12 pound monofilament..

and attach a 3/0 worm hook..

your set..


OR as I was saying...use a BB split shot as a Texas rig..if you figure your bass are suspended ..simply slide your BB shot up ..anywhere from 18 inches to 30 inches..this acts like a Carolina Rig..the bass don't know the differnce..Actually 30 inches is a little far for me..I generally go about 18 inches. If that doesn't work..slide your BB split shot back down and your back to Texas Rig.

I like a size 2 thin wire hook for crappie. Their mouths are big enough, and with the thin wire you can bend the hook if you get snagged in the timber. Set the hook lightly or you will rip their lips.

For the Carolina rig, I like a 2/0 or 3/0 for a lizard, but also fish a lot of 4" worms and Centipedes (Zoom) with a size 1 hook.

A size 10 is just one size bigger than this ..I bleieve this is a size 8