A Forgotten Fluke Rig

Anyone who has been fishing for any good amount of time has heard of and used a fluke-style minnow bait. The fluke minnow bait has been around for years, and has been a go-to bait for fisherman who fish lakes with game fish that feed on small bait fish. There are numerous ways to rig a fluke, such as weightless Texas style, double fluke rig, as well as drop shot style. However, there is one forgotten way to rig a fluke that is absolutely killer, and that is the Banjo Minnow-style nose hook rig. Throughout this article, I will be discussing how the Banjo Minnow rig originated, how to rig it using various hooks and baits, where, when, and how to fish it, and the gear that will give you the best results when fishing this rig. Banjo Minnow Origination: When the first fluke-style bait, the original "Slug-Go", first came to market in the '80's, it revolutionized the way we fished soft-plastic minnow baits. It employed a life-like action by darting and swimming all over the water column with the twitch of your rod tip. Anglers generally rigged the bait weightless Texas style, since it was weedless and was thought to give the bait the best action possible. As the Slug-Go gained in popularity, numerous companies tried to mimic the fluke-style bait by modifying the shape, swimming action, and profile in order to make their baits unique. However, one lure designer and guide named Wayne Hockmeyer set out to create the most realistic and unique fluke bait, in which he called the Banjo Minnow. What made the Banjo Minnow different from most flukes like the Slug-Go was that it was a lot flatter in shape, while still maintaining a larger profile. However, the thing that made the minnow so famous and effective was the way it was rigged. Instead of being rigged weightless Texas style, it was nose-hooked. The rig consisted of having a kahle-style hook in front of the bait, with spring dangling on the bend of the hook, which was how you attached the bait to the hook. This style of rigging removed the stiffness the Texas rig and gave the minnow a true life-like swimming action. Anglers quickly took notice to how deadly this presentation was, and eventually was endorsed by pros like Babe Winkleman, Host of the TV show "Good Fishing". However, as years past and new lures and techniques hit the market, the Banjo Minnow rig was quickly forgotten. Despite the lack of popularity, the rig is still a solid choice whenever bass or any other game fish are preferring a minnow bait-style presentation. How To Rig It: As I previously stated, the main thing that sets this presentation apart from other minnow baits is the way that it is rigged. Before I dive into the rigging process, I will list the various materials needed to set up this rig. First, you will need baits! There are many different choices available on the market today, so there is no shortage of options. Over the past few years, I have narrowed my bait selections down to about 6 different baits that I have had the most success rigging Banjo Minnow-style. Those baits include: -Zoom Fluke, 4" -Strike King Z-Too, 5" -Strike King Zulu, 5" -Cabela's Aquaglow Action Tail Shad, 5" -Lunker City Fin-S Fish, 4-7" -Gitzit Chub Tube, 3" Each of these baits have produced fantastic results for me, and I highly recommend these 6 options listed. When selecting baits, pay attention to color. As a rule of thumb, if you will be fishing clear water, stick to natural colors, such as shad patterns, watermelon, and green pumpkin. If you are faced with stained water, try brighter colors like Chartreuse, Bubble Gum, and Orange. Once you have acquired the right baits, it's time to get the right hooks for the job! The original Banjo Minnow hooks were a Kahle style of hook, and have proven to be the best style for most situations. I recommend using the original Eagle Claw Kahle hook in sizes 1/0-3/0, depending on the size of bait you plan to use. It has a good hook up ratio, and is easy to use for rigging due to its wide gap. Along with the Kahle hook, I have had good success using the Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Worm Extra Wide Gap hook. Originally designed for Texas rigging, this hook works great for the Banjo Minnow technique, as it provides a wide gap like the Kahle hook, and has a large hook up ratio as well. However, around heavy wood cover, it tends to snag easier than the kahle hook. For best results, I recommend using it more in open water and sticking to sizes 1/0-3/0, depending on the size of bait you plan use. Once you get the hooks, you'll need to get springs. The springs are one of the most important pieces to this rig, as you'll twist your bait onto it, and that is how your bait stays onto the hook. For sizes, they usually range from small to large, so relate the size of spring to the bait size. And lastly, you'll need some rubber keepers. Having them is not crucial, but they are a big help in keeping your bait from sliding up and down the hook while casting and retrieving. On the original Banjo Minnow rig, rubber o-rings were used to hold the bait in place. They were good for a few fish, but they were so small that they quickly wore out and broke, requiring constant replacement. Instead, I recommend using replacement spline that is designed to be weather stripping for windows and doors (I have attached a picture for reference). It has a hollow core, so it can be easily tread onto a hook. You can find this at your local hardware store, where you get a large amount for a cheap price. Once you get the spline, cut it into small chunks (attached picture for reference) so that they can be easily threaded onto the hook. The spline is much tougher and thicker than the old o-rings, and it takes much longer for them to ware out and break. Once you have all of the necessary materials, it is time to rig it up! In a simple 5 step process, this is how it is done: 1.) Tie your kahle/Extra Wide Gap to your line 2.) Take one of the two spline chunks and thread it onto the hook 3.) Take your spring and thread it onto the hook 4.) Thread the second spline chunk onto the hook, making sure the spring sticks straight out on the bend of the hook. 5.) Screw the nose of the bait onto the spring. Once the bait is on the spring, keep a little bit of gap between the spline chunks and the spring so that the bait can move freely, which will give it the best action. Once rigged, it's time to go fishing! Where To Fish it: Near my home in Nebraska, I fish a lot of sandpits. These pits usually have clear to stained water, man-made underwater structures, and laydowns that line some of the banks. They also have strong weed growth, as well as a number of drop-offs that lead to deep water. These types of lakes with somewhat few snags and clear or stained water are ideal for the Banjo Minnow rig since they tend to snag easily around thick cover, and they are most productive in clear to stained water. However, if you are using it around heavy wood cover and you are using a kahle hook, it is a good idea to take a small rubber band (ones for teeth braces work best) and attach one end to the hook eye, and the other to that back of the hook barb. This will cover the bend of the hook just enough to keep it out of snags, and should the frustration of snagging. If you are fishing a rocky lake, try using it around shallow rock piles, shallow or mid-depth rock/weed flats, as these are usually solid high percentage feeding areas for Pike, Smallmouth bass, and Largemouth bass. In deep, clear lakes, drop-offs are always a high percentage area for technique like this. When To Fish It: This is a good year-round technique, and can be used in a variety of situations. However, the key to being successful with this rig all year long is that you must be versatile with it. Different types of baits work better than others at throughout the year. During the summer months, larger baits, such as the 5" Aquaglow Action Tails work best, whereas during the winter months, the 3" Gitzit chub tube works best. As far as weather conditions, it is best to throw the Banjo Minnow rig when there is little to moderate chop. When you are faced with heavy wind, it makes it much more difficult to control the bait, making it less effective. How To Fish It: Fishing the Banjo Minnow rig is similar to fishing a hard plastic jerk bait. Cast it out, and let it sit for a few seconds. On the retrieve, make quick a couple of quick jerks with your rod tip, and then pause it. Repeat this for the entire retrieve, and your strikes will normally come on the pause. With this being the standard retrieve, it also is good to experiment with your retrieve speed. As a rule of thumb, during warm water periods, speed it up, whereas in cold water periods, slow it down with longer pauses. Gear Needed For This Technique For baits 5" and up, I like a 6'8" Shimano Compre Medium-Fast action Baitcasting rod, with a 6.4:1 gear retrieve reel, and 14lb Sufix Siege mono. For baits 5" and under, I like a 6'9" Medium-Fast action Fenwick Elite Tech Spinning rod, paired with a Shimano Symetre FL 2500 size spinning reel, spooled with 8lb Berkley Fireline Crystal, tipped with a 7', 10lb Sufix InvisiLine Casting Fluorocarbon leader, or a 7', 10lb Sufix Siege mono leader. I like medium action rods in both cases because they not only increase casting distance, but they also cushion a hook set so you don't end up ripping the hook out of the fish's mouth. As for line, I like heavier mono on a baitcasting outfit because it not only casts better, but it also float higher, keeping it above structure and in the strike zone longer. For spinning rods, I like Fireline and a leader because there is minimal stretch on the hookset from Fireline, while the mono and fluoro leaders act as shock absorbents. I'll use a fluoro leader when the water is clear, and when I want a particular bait to sink quicker. If I want my bait to stay high in the water column and still be stealthy in clear water, I will use a mono leader. Wrapping Up The Banjo Minnow rig is a rig that has been around for a while, and has proved to be a now hidden trick. It is a rig that is very versatile, covering many different depth zones for a many different species of fish. If used with the correct gear setup, at the right place and right time, a Banjo Minnow rig can sometimes be the difference in getting 1 bite to getting 30 bites. I highly recommend giving this a try on your home lake, and I guarantee that you will have a new go-to technique when the bite gets tough! Tight Lines and Bent Rods! -Chris Calabro