Top Lure Reveal - Strike King Bitsy Minnow
Clint Taylor
The Strike King Bitsy Minnow is a great little rascal to have in your tackle box at all times. I have caught many fish on this lure alone, and many different species at that.
The Bitsy Minnow is 1.25" in length and weighs in at 1/8 oz. It is specifically designed for fishing creeks and ponds, but it can suit a wide variety of waters. It has a square bill design in order to minimize hangups on brush such as logs and sticks. It really works great too. It will rarely go below 3’ of water, but it can if you have the perfect line, retrieval and gear to go along with it. As always, I find that the brighter colors work best in smaller lures such as these due to the resemblance of colorful sunfish. I like the Firetiger, Blue Chartreuse, and Chartreuse White colorations the best, however, any of the colorations that Strike King offers are pretty good at catching some fish.
I like to match the Bitsy Minnow with light line, typically 4 pound test, but occasionally 2 or 6 in certain situations. I almost always use monofilament, but some people like to use fluorocarbon if they are in clear water. I match my line and lure with a short light action spinning rod and reel and I am ready to go. Since I only fish rivers and creeks for the most part, I am not usually in more than ten foot of water, but I have seen fish come from pretty deep to snatch the Bitsy Minnow. I like to cast it near the shore, timber, brush, or any type of cover and or structure I can find. Shade can be extremely effective for this little guy, especially for some bass. Most people wouldn’t even think of catching a bass on such small lure, but I can assure you that it catches them just fine. Sure the hooks are undersized and so is the hardware that you are using, but there is not much fishing that can bring more excitement than catching a big bass on real small tackle. Your drag is screaming and you rod seems like it is going to break, but once you land your bass, it is a great feeling. A constant retrieval rater works consistently, but sometimes a pause and go type action is the ticket, in which you reel some then let it sit, then reel and let it sit again.
For murkier water, try the darker colorations, and for clearer, something as realistic as possible. Without a doubt, the Strike King Bitsy Minnow makes it into my small tackle fishing arsenal, but the question is if you have it in yours. Check one out today and try it, you’ll be surprised at the amount of fish such a small lure can get you.