Floating Minnow Lures
Daiwa Dr. Minnow Area Tune
Much of this article is taken from the 9-15-19 trip report.
Following my 2018 trip to Japan I wrote an article on Sinking Minnow Lures, explaining that they are the most popular lure for stream fishing in Japan. On Sunday (9-15-19), I realized that you might want a few floating minnow lures.
I spent the day fishing with Daiwa Silver Creek Minnows on which I had replaced the factory treble hooks with Cultiva S-55M single hooks. The plugs worked as advertised, and I caught more than a few fish.
Unfortunately, I also caught a lot of moss. The stream I fished is neither particularly large nor particularly deep. It is, however, strewn with large rocks, making it particularly hard to fish a sinking minnow lure. On a high percentage of my casts, the lure would slide over a rock and come back with moss on the bill.
Low waterThe lures are not deep divers, but if there is a rock in the lure's path on the retrieve it cannot be avoided (even if you can see it, which if you are casting any distance you can't unless the water is very clear and the light is just right). I remember a comment from John Vetterli (a tenkara guide who spin fishes in his spare time) about fishing a floating minnow in a snag-filled stream. He said if there is a sunken log or branch just stop reeling and the lure will float to the surface and come right over it. I definitely could have used that on Sunday!
And yet, I still never kept floating minnow lures in the shop for long. I've ordered a couple but I was never quite happy with them. Just recently, though, a new one caught my eye. Daiwa now has a floating minnow lure that comes with a pair of barbless single hooks. What is interesting is that the name is Dr. Minnow Area Tune, but it is described as being intended for native trout (river fishing). It has the same shape and bill configuration as a standard sinking minnow lure, but it is more bouyant - 43mm long but just 1.9 grams.
And I'm sure they'll work. I remember a time I was fishing on a very small stream and the guy I was with found a dead minnow right at the side of the stream below a small pool. He picked it up and threw it into the pool, where it floated for no more than about five seconds before a trout came up and ate it. Oh, yeah, trout eat floating minnows.
Shipping to US address - $5 via USPS Ground Advantage
Header photo: Tenryu Rayz RZ4102B-UL, Shimano Calcutta Conquest BFSHG ('17)
Warning:
The hooks are sharp.
The coffee's hot.
The fish are slippery when wet.