Hook size for slip bobber minnows

[steelneyes]

I have had many bites on tiny slip floats this year on a minnow rod.  However, I've only been hooking about 30% of them and landing 10%.  I have been nose hooking the minnow and using #10 salmon egg, thin wire hooks to keep the minnow lively. 
Anyone having a better bite/hookup/landing ratio?  Doesn't seem to matter how long I let the fish hold it under, even 5-10 sec. doesn't help. Thoughts appreciated.

[muskarp]

I use a Gamakatsu B10S stinger in size 6. It's actually a fly tying hook. Thin wire. Real nice hookup. Usually use on 4lb, sometimes 6lb, wouldn't use with 8lb (hooks too light weight). I hook the minnow just under the front end of the dorsal in the meat of the back. Hook is fine enough that it barely injures the minnow, keeping it lively.

Here's a link:
http://www.caddisflyshop.com/gab1stho.html

Also, hooking through the nose exhausts and eventually suffocates the minnow. Making him an easy target for sniffing and nibbling. A lively minnow makes the attacker commit and eat the bait.

The dorsal hook does not pinch the mouth closed, does not drag the tail down (as in tail hooking), and holds the fish in a position that does not require it to struggle. Thus keeping it alive longer. However, struggling minnows do attract more attention, they just need replaced every ten minutes.

[toadfish]

What species of fish are you after?  I like a size 6 for walleye/saugeye.  I may drop to an 8 for crappie/perch.  I use 4# line for perch/crappie and 6# for the eyes.

Light wire is a must especially when using light line to a hook offers little resistance when making the set.

If you are only landing 10% of the hooked fish, are you breaking line or are they coming unhooked?

[steelneyes]

Specifically crappie, although sometimes incidentals happen.  Think it is a hook shank issue.  Picked up some size 8 light wire long shanks And will also look at hooking minnows through the dorsal and see if that helps.  With the apparent shift in fish movement, will probably be fishing in deeper water than I have been too.  I was having better success with running them hooked to hali chain jigs to keep them inplace, but the fish don't seem to have any interest in that setup anymore.