When I can get minnows in the summer, I use them to fish for crappie and bass when they won’t hit plastics. I fish verticle/straight down in deep water from a marina deck, in the boat stalls. The bass like the big minnows.

I need a light wire hook so the minnows can swim freely. Last week I used a Size 1 Aberdeen hook and two bass bent the hook point out, almost straightened it. Based on your experience, what kind of hook would you use in this situation? I need some suggestions.

Back you drag down a bit so you do not straighten out the hook.

I use Mustad ultra point live bait hooks. You can get 3x strong hooks and they will not straighten out. I have caught 20 pound fish on no. 2 hooks. For big minnows the1/0 hooks work great.

When I was little growing up in Nebraska this is the only way I knew how to catch bass. We would use a chartreuse jig head and a slip bobber like you see for walleye, hook the minnow through the nose/jaw but careful not to go through the brain so as to not kill it. Jig head weight was 3/16 if I remember right. May need a 1/4 to get down deeper if using heavier line. Hope this helps. Good luck

Thanks for the replies. Appreciate it very much. Ocelot, I can’t back off on the drag. If I don’t horse them out fast, before they run, they run under the deck support which is covered with zebra mussels and they cut my line like a razor.

I don't fish with minnows for bass. I prefer Black Salties. Either was size 1 or 1/0 or 2/0 Gamakatsu Khale hooks. Same hooks I use for shad when striper fishing. Bass won't straighten them out.

Placed an eBay order for a 10 pk of of the Mustad ultra point live bait hooks, size 1. Thanks Osborne.