Prolly a silly question from an old man who should know this but, what's the best way to rig up minnows when fishing brush piles? Wifey doesn't jig fish and it's all I can do to keep up with retying from her getting hung up. Currently I just split shot about 6" above an Aberdeen.

cant go wrong with that set up, we use #2 light wire hooks with Mr.Crappie 8lb test and most times they will bend out if you get hung up. and the hook will bend back and be perfectly fine to re use.

I use 14lb main line, worm weight then a swivel. I pre make my hooks up with 6lb leader and a snap. You can bounce the worm weight to get unhung most of the time. If you have to break off 99 percent of the time it's the leader or hook. Snap on another one and your back fishing.

Just use a jig and tip it with a minnow. The jig's hook hangs horizontal, instead of vertical like an Aberdeen hook, it hangs up less and comes through the brush easier. Once she catches on, she'll love fishing jigs. Teach her to count her bait down and stop just before it hits the brush.

Don't know what size split shot you're using but a 3/16 or 1/4 oz will help bounce the hook loose. And moving that split shot about 3" above the minnow hook will also help bouncing it loose. The heavier weight and shorter leader will keep that minnow from getting hung as much since he can't swim around as many limbs. Light wire hooks work best as James Davis suggested. A slow steady pull will usually straighten the hook if the weight won't bounce it loose.

tie a light wire #2 hook on using a loop knot, make the loop about 1 1/2 - 2 inches long,
leave about a 18" tag line for your weight. I use the little bell weights, about 3/8 to 1/4 oz.
Now you have a weight on the bottom, and a loose hook about 14" up.
Now you can nose hook or tail hook the minnow. Slowly lower the line into the fishing area,
when the weight hits somwthing the line will go slack, engage your reel and reel up about 6"
your just above the brush or the bottom. Crappie feed up...and the minnow will move around about
on the loop knot...works great...

Most of the time in the situation asked, I do something similar to Jim Sr.; except I use 3/4 oz weights year round. There are times I change this routine but it is specific to the environment being fished. The #2 Aberdeen light (long shaft is better) is the ticket as expressed by many above for reasons stated.

If you want to try the jig head and minnow technique, consider a weedless jig for her, especially if she is not good at finessing BPs. She might miss a few fish, but less hang ups is the offset to missed fish. I would use a 1/8th or heavier jig for this in her situation (not necessarily for others or myself).

In my experience, the weight above the hook provides leverage to unsnag better but lets the minnow swim more freely (better); however causes more hangups because of the free swimming minnow. The weight on the bottom provides better touch (again, my experience), less snags, but more difficult to unsnag, especially for the angler without finesse touch/feel.

BTW, and you've probably tried this, but making her tie her own rig helps with learning to finesse the rig, etc. She will not hang up as often if she has to do the re-rigging. With most family and some friends, unfortunately, I'm in your shoes, I have to do the rigging.

welding rod trick

hammer both ends flat , drill small hole in each. Split ring and hook on one end,
just split ring on the other.

Amazingly , this works like a champ in really heavy brush,

MO

This is what I do.(drop shot in bass fishing terms) If it does hang up point the rod tip at the hook and pull as straight up as you can and most of the time it will straighten the hook before the line breaks. Re-bend the hook, a new minnow and back in business. I use 6lb. hi vis line.

Thank you guys for the tips. I think first, I'll make sure I have the light wire #2 Aberdeen and choke up on the split shot a bit.

Caught thousands of crappie this way, first time I saw it, I went fishing with my barber back in the early 90's. I thought WTF, my daddy taught me the minnow had to be alive, had to use light line, and on a gold Aberdeen hook. We rig ours with 1/0 hook on 65# braid. If you get hung up, just give it slack and normally it comes out, but if you do get it stuck just pull till you straighten out the hook to get it back, then bend it back, we hook the minnow behind the head, then in the tail, dead or alive it don't matter.

Dont forget a trusty dropshot rig, lower it down and tick the brush with the sinker and then hold still the crappie will come investigate and see the minnow and nail it.
another way is to use a light wire true turn bass worm hook. hook the minnow thru the lip, then the top of the back.. he is completely weedless. lower it into the brush and let it swim around. he wont last long before getting bit.

I forgot to say , " hammer the flux off the rod before use "

Mo

Go to Tractor Supply and just buy the plastic tube of 1/8" diameter brass braising rod, they come in a package of 7 that are 36" long cut them 3 equal spaces and you will have 21 of them, the brass is easy to beat flat to drill the holes in on each end to allow for the snap rings on each end.

yes