cigar minnows

just getting started are cigar minnows best bait to use? :fishing:

Some days they are.. IMHO the main thing that matters is how you work the bait

If by "best" you mean most likely to produce fish consistently, I'd say yes.
Sure there are plenty of times when a live bait (of various availability), or another dead bait, or even a lure with varied presentations will outproduce cigar minnows.
But if an angler has a plentiful supply of minnows and patience (and 'decent' technique) sooner or later cigar minnows will get a mackerel strike. :headbang:

[font=comic sans ms][size=12pt]I always like to have a few cigs in the cooler just in case.

[img width=430 height=540]http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g446/finchaser1/Silly%20Stuff/idontalwaysCIGARMINNOWS.jpg[/img]

thanks but what other kind of bait would you use? :wall:

If LYs (Scaled sardines) are available, they are good to use.
[img width=463 height=277]http://www.wildflorida.com/wildlife/fish/images/Scaled_Sardine463.jpg[/img]

Spanish sardines even more so :headbang:
[img width=331 height=139]http://www.landbigfish.com/images/baitfish/SpanishSardine.jpg[/img]

Also threadfin herring.. And hard tails.. Small Spanish mackeral.. Spoons and lipped plugs... They really aren't too picky

Yep, true dat! :fishing:
I have also seen kings eat plenty of pinfish, croakers and even 'crazy fish' and an occasional Gotcha plug or Looney jig over the years, but they aren't my prefered baits for kings either ;-)

Day in and day out, IF I had to choose one thing to fish with all day...
I would buy a box of Capt Salty's from J&M :headbang:

whats capt saltys?

That's the brand name on the (blue) box of cigar minnows :headbang:

thanks im from tennesse we went fishing last week but i dont know much bout salt water fishing. :yay:

[quote author=dakty1 link=topic=2152.msg20056#msg20056 date=1350356495]
thanks im from tennesse we went fishing last week but i dont know much bout salt water fishing. :yay:
[/quote]

where from in tennessee?

lexington between memphis and nashville

[quote author=dakty1 link=topic=2152.msg20061#msg20061 date=1350389531]
lexington between memphis and nashville
[/quote]

i'm in east tennessee between knoxville and chatt.

i am from chattanooga

Just one more thing to add about cigar minnows: make sure you buy high quality ones. I've bought the walmart brand (killer bee) and calcutta brand cigar minnows before, and they have damaged bellies before they are even frozen. When they thaw, they just fall apart. When I switched to the capt Salty brand from J&M, it was like night and day. I could pretty much use the same cigar minnow until something ate it.

thanks for the tip

how far of a drive is it from knoxville?

what lenth spinning rod would u use for peir fishing?

You can use anything from 7ft 6" to 9ft without a problem. Just find a rod that is comfortable for you and fish it.

Yeah, even a 7 foot rod will suffice as long as it is a 'fast' taper.
That is it has a flexible tip, but plenty of backbone to pull on a fish near the pier.

My prefered 'snobble rod' is a 7' Seeker (LB 704 I believe ;-)
It is light enough to fish with all day with a Penn 706.
Sometimes wish it was an 8 footer though ;-)

I wouldn't say a fast taper is necessary... I like slower rods for fishing dead baits..

Yep, on a longer rod a moderate action makes it less likely to throw a bait off (hook tear out).
Same with a 7 footer and a 'softer' tip ;-)

It's hell getting old! ::)

:D

[quote author=dakty1 link=topic=2152.msg20078#msg20078 date=1350417357]
how far of a drive is it from knoxville?
[/quote]

530 miles according to google.

thanks