For most of them, it is as simple as Texas-rigging on a 3/0 worm hook with little or no weight. These baits can also be darted along like a jig and given a slow horizontal glide, like a dying minnow.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fishing as The Starting Spot: KVD’s Joy of Fishing, the Hover Rig, ...

Slab crappies are meat eaters—sure enough minnow munchers. They take artificials well at times, especially jigs—but big crappie will turn their noses at even the best of the best crappie lures ...

Walleye improved on jig and minnow and three-way rigs tipped with live bait. Boaters reported catches from Starved Rock, Ottawa, Mouth of the Fox, Route 39 Bridge and the Peru flats.

Kankakee River Indiana: The point north of English Lake: SM on spinners, jig/plastics, minnows. Route 55 area: NP on jig/minnow, dardevle spoons. CR on pinkie jigs, beetle spins, minnows.

Trail and Salt Creeks, Little Calumet River SH: on spawn, shrimp crawlers, spinners. Wolf Lake CR on jig/minnow and jig/bee moth under small bobbers. Lake George CR on minnows, jigs.

Specks have been good trolling a road runner jig in 5 to 7 feet of water and a few jigs in the lily pads with minnows and a Muck City cocaine jig, reports Bridgemaster Fishing Products (863-676-1009).

The next day, I bought several dozen Keystone Minnow Jigs. They have been a fixture in my tackle box since. In fact, it’s been a running joke with my fishing companions over the years.