# The Banjo Minnow



## sharpshooter25 (Oct 2, 2007)

I have seen this infommercial probably since it came it many many years ago. I have never fished the lure, nor have I ever known anyone that has. I just saw it again and I have been thinking of buying the kit but I thought I would ask my fellow anglers out there, does it really work as good as everyone says? I have researched it online and found mixed reviews. I think that for those people who said it doesn't work probably didn't have it rigged correctly because I read a few reviews that said that it didn't work until they watched the DVD and learned how to fish it and then it worked amazingly. So, have any of you guys used it? What has been your success with it? Would you buy it again? If I did buy it, I would be using it for Bass, Tiger Muskie, and Lake Trout. Thank you.


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## Pez Gallo (Dec 27, 2007)

They are basicly just a fluke. Go buy a pack of the zoom flukes and see if you like those first. I think a bag of 10 is like $3.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Pez is right. Banjo is about catching fishermen, not fish. Just an overpriced version of twisty tail jigs. I've fished them as directed and had no different results that with other plastics that can be purchased at any store for a fraction of the price.


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## FishMogul (Sep 8, 2007)

Pez Gallo said:


> They are basicly just a fluke. Go buy a pack of the zoom flukes and see if you like those first. I think a bag of 10 is like $3.


+1000 Marketing scheme that's all it really is..


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

This should help ya out too.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7473&p=94680&hilit=banjo+minnow#p94680


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

FishMogul said:


> Pez Gallo said:
> 
> 
> > They are basicly just a fluke. Go buy a pack of the zoom flukes and see if you like those first. I think a bag of 10 is like $3.
> ...


Lot of that going around. Good lures, just don't waste time with all the fancy garbage they throw in there.... get some of the Storm soft plastics and its a Banjo in a different color combo. Also Zoom, Berkely, Strike King and some of the others make plastic minnows that work just as well. The difference is in the action you impart, not the lure itself. Although there is a little price variance, depending on the manufacturer, none of them will leave your wallet with sagging sides which is nice because then you can try out quite a few to figure which you like best. 8) Plastics are about all I fish with anywhere, because they work everywhere, on all sorts of fish but you just have to figure out how the fish want them worked that particular day. 8)


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I bought the banjo kit over 10 years ago with all the bells and whistles that were part of the deal back then. I fished it religiously for the next 5-10 fishing trips, trying every tip and trick that the video mentioned, and a bunch I came up with on my own. Caught plenty of fish on those trips, but only after I switched to something else.

To this day, I have over 90% of the kit, intact and unused, due to the fact that I never had the tiniest nibble or tap while using it. 

This was back before I started fishing Strawberry again EVER, which I still only do maybe once a year. So I did not try it there. I have caught loads of fish on minnows at the berry and MAYBE the banjo would work there, but if you want my advice from MY personal experience. Spend your money somewhere else.

Every time I go fishing somewhere that jigs or minnows would be a good idea, I look at the box and think about it, but it always stays home. :roll:


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## sharpshooter25 (Oct 2, 2007)

Well, I haven't heard yet from any of you that it has worked, but my question is still, how does it work for bass? That is what I am more interested in fishing. Thanks.


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

Not worth a s*#t! I would agree with all the above comments. I suckered into it several years ago myself just before a trip to Powell. I was going to set a new record for fish caught. You still can't find me in the record books  
I will say however, two years ago I couldn't buy a bite at Minersville thru the ice, put on a bonjo and immediatly started getting bites. Had to put in a stinger hook to catch them but had pretty good success thru the ice season that year and was able to burn up most of the smaller minnows.


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## cheech (Sep 25, 2007)

The banjo minnow is actually a phenomenal jerkbait. The thing about them is that they make it sound like they work in all conditions. If bass are on a jerkbait bite, your chances of catching fish on them increase greatly. As we all know, bass aren't always on the jerkbait (or reaction) bite. Take this fly fishing example. The Royal Wulff is a great dry fly, but if fished when the fish are primarily eating nymphs, you will catch jack squat on it. Not a bad fly, just a bad application of it.

Back on the Jerkbait thing.... My main beef on the banjo is the rigging system. The hooks they come with are pieces of crap (sharpness wise) and to get them to run weedless is a pain. Fluke style baits (Zoom Super Fluke, Yum Houdini Shad, Strike King Z too, etc) allow you to use a 4/0 EWG hook that you can rig weedless with a HUGE hook gap. My best soft jerkbait rig this year is yellow 30# braid with a 36" #20 fluoro leader, Gammy EWG 4/0 red hook (this kind of looks like gills), and a baby bass Zoom Super Fluke. The braid floats so you can see every single twitch of the line allowing you to set the hook on every fish that even looks at it. I have caught a TON of fish on this rig. It's also my primary senko rig.

Cheech


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

Sounds like a good setup cheech. Do you use a spinning or casting setup with this?


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## cheech (Sep 25, 2007)

ScottyP said:


> Sounds like a good setup cheech. Do you use a spinning or casting setup with this?


I use a casting setup. It's a budget setup but very very functional. Abu Revo S with a Shimano Convergence. I don't go with a high dollar rod because it's more a visual strike detection with the braid as opposed to feeling it. I use casting as much as possible because I'm much more accurate with it.

Also FWIW, I got some of that KVD line conditioner, and it is AWESOME with braid.

Also PSFWIW II, When can you fish out here. I'm free most days, but might be out of commission for a few weeks due to an F-ed over ankle.


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

I'm headed out of state 'till next thursday (non-fishing trip) but I'd love to head over and whack some bass when your ankle is feeling up to it. I'll be in touch. And I'll bring the dew o' course.


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## dixonha (Jan 12, 2009)

Some of the largest brown trout I have ever caught on the Provo river were caught on the Banjo minnow. I kid you not. I am a believer in the bait. But you have to know how to fish it.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

dixonha said:


> Some of the largest brown trout I have ever caught on the Provo river were caught on the Banjo minnow. I kid you not. *I am a believer in the bait. But you have to know how to fish it.*


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## cat_man (Sep 19, 2007)

I caught a few smallies and largemouth bass on it over 10 years ago, but it's not any better than a senko or other soft plastic. Looks cool in the water though, very realistic.


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