[Field Hunter]

For all of you that are using shiners in MN lakes, switch to a good sized fathead minnow.
Use the silver ones not the big black ones.
Jig a 1/4 oz pink or white round head jig and it works as well or better than the shiners. They are about 1/3 to 1/4 the price and they'll live for two weeks as opposed to a couple of hours.

 

[Field Hunter]

It never ceases to amaze me how some of the bait retailers in MN lake country operate. I have had some interesting conversations with them. Couple of them in my area count the crappie minnows one-by-one and then complain that nobody buys from them. Most of them are great with the numbers of minnows they give out,however. I'll never buy another crappie minnow. Crappies can be caught in most cases with artificials if you take the time to learn how to use them. Here's a tip. If you really want minnows, the best ones are in the shallows. A quick run through with a seign gets all you need for the day. Most of time they'll be small shiners as well.