Pintail / straight-tail minnow

A realistic minnow that ends in a thin pin or straight tail: no action until you shake it, and then it quivers in place — the drop-shot minnow.

Soft plastics are the biggest family in bass fishing: 36 shapes, each designed for a rig, a depth and a mood.

• Shape = design purpose: fish, worm, craw, creature, tube, frog
• Finesse tier vs power tier: the same shape at 3.5 in and 7 in is two different techniques
• Tail type decides the action; body decides the fall
• Rig it the way it was designed to be rigged

1. What it is — A 3-5.5 in minnow body with a fine, tapered tail. Nose-hooked it hangs level and lifelike; a shake of the rod tip makes the tail tremble without moving the bait.
2. Designed for — Drop-shotting and hovering in front of fish that inspect the bait — clear water, deep smallmouth, pressured largemouth on docks. The realism carries it where a…
3. Trade-offs — It is a sit-still bait; if the fish want a swimming bait, switch to a paddle tail. Light line, light hooks, spinning gear.