July 2011
Johnson Silver Minnow
Saltwater Lure of the Month
The ingeniuous and deceivingly simple Johnson Silver Minno was born of necessity in 1920 by Louis Jackson. Frustrated by the thick late-summer weed beds in his local lake, Johnson began to tinker in his spare time in search of a solution. The eventual result was the very first Silver Minnow, designed by Johnson to feel right at home in thick vegetation where other lures simply failed to perform. Starting with the business end of a tablespoon, Johnson added a hook and a simple weed guard to complete his early prototype. Yet even with these rather clever modifications to the spoon, the lure was still not quite what Johnson was looking for.
Eventually, Johnson began to forge an oblong spoon-shaped lure from a copper/zinc alloy. He designed the prototype to be thicker in the middle than at the edges and a bit more elongated than his original tablespoon creation. Johnson’s reengineered design put the weight along the center of the lure. This kept the single hook ridding upright and giving the lure a side-to-side wobbling action. The vertical position of the hook actually enhanced the weedless characteristics of the spoon and the wobbling action added tantalizing fish-attraction. Still the choice of fisherman– in saltwater and freshwater alike– around the world for over 75 years after its introduction, the silver minnow has earned its “classic” status the old fashioned way. Johnson’s spoon as caught fish after fish in all types of conditions for decades.
Featured lure: Johnson’s Silver Minnow
Created by: Louis Johnson
Created: 1920
Manufacturer: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
Technique:
Cast the Silver Minnow directly into or around weed beds and other forms of natural cover. Often a slow, steady retrieve will produce the most consistent results. But don’t hesitate to experiement with the rate and pattern of your retrieve.
And lastly, enjoy the beautiful water around you!
Happy Fishing!
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