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Cigar Minnow: The Bait, and How to Rig and Troll It

A cigar minnow is a small, oily baitfish that leaves a scent trail no other trolling bait matches. It is cheap, easy to find, and an excellent king and Spanish mackerel bait.

By David Rose, updated September 2026

Identification

What is a cigar minnow?

The cigar minnow (Decapterus punctatus), also called round scad, is a small baitfish in the jack family. Most run 6 to 8 inches, with the straight cylindrical body that gives them their name.

They are found in abundance along the Atlantic coast and throughout the Gulf of Mexico, schooling near the surface around buoys and holding over offshore structure. They feed on small crustaceans, plankton and tiny fish, which is exactly what the gamefish you are after are already hunting.

Two things set them apart as bait. Their flesh is oily, so they release a distinct scent that pulls fish in from a distance. And they are inexpensive, which changes how freely you can use them.

They are an excellent king mackerel and Spanish mackerel bait. Both species are susceptible to slow-trolled baits as they hunt by scent as much as sight, which is exactly what a cigar minnow offers.

Six to eight inches, cylindrical, and oily enough to leave a scent trail.

Live bait

How to catch cigar minnows

Catching your own is straightforward with the right approach, and once you find a few there are usually a lot of them.

Cast net

Target schools near the surface. Nearshore and offshore buoys are often good places to look. Ground-up cat food makes effective chum to bring them up and inside cast net range.

Sabiki rigs

Use a sabiki when the fish will not come within cast net range. Cigar minnows also congregate around offshore structure where they may only show up on your chart plotter, and a sabiki reaches them.

Keeping them alive

Get them into a live well with good circulation and aeration. Live bait is only worth the effort if it stays lively.

Find one school and there are usually plenty more.

Frozen bait

Buying and thawing frozen cigar minnows

Live cigar minnows are the best option, but they are not always available. Frozen bait works, as long as you start with good bait and thaw it properly.

Choose firm bait. Look for cigar minnows that are still in good condition, with no signs of freezer burn or excessive ice crystals.

Thaw slowly in saltwater. This preserves the natural scent and texture that make the bait work in the first place.

Thaw them thoroughly. A partly frozen bait holds a bow and will not swim correctly no matter how well it is rigged.

Thaw slowly in saltwater, and thaw them all the way through.

Rigging

Rigging and trolling cigar minnows

Live cigar minnows

Insert the nose hook through the lower jaw so it comes out in front of the eyes. That lets the baitfish swim naturally and sets up a solid hook-up.

Troll live cigar minnows slowly — only as fast as needed to keep the lines straight and stop the baits swimming across each other. Dragging live cigar minnows is a sure recipe for dead cigar minnows.

Dead cigar minnows: 4 to 5 knots

Cigar minnows are more fragile than most other dead baits, so they troll slower. Four to five knots is the range. Push past it and they wash out.

Rig the bait so it swims naturally, then let it troll beside the boat and watch it. Do not drop it back until it swims without spinning. Lures designed for trolling dead cigar minnows help optimize the presentation. For how every other bait compares, see the best trolling speed by bait.

Match the bait to the fish

Match the size of your bait to the size of the fish you are after. You can also add a flashy skirt or run a daisy chain to increase the visual appeal, but keep the presentation natural.

Spread them out

Trolling multiple lines covers more water. Outriggers spread baits the widest; rod riggers are a cheaper, simpler alternative that suits smaller boats. Either way, separating your baits keeps them from tangling at the slow speeds cigar minnows need.

Two steps, on the water

Rig Cigar Minnows Right

Hook the bait, slide the lure on. The keel weight keeps a fragile bait tracking upright at the slow speeds cigar minnows need.

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King mackerel tactics →

Depth

Getting cigar minnows down

Cigar minnows trolled flat stay near the surface. When the fish are holding deeper, you have two ways to get a bait down to them.

Downriggers are the easier option for most anglers and the more popular one here, because they work well at the slow speeds live and dead cigar minnows require. You can set a precise depth and hold it.

Planers also dive baits, but they come into their own at faster trolling speeds than cigar minnows can handle.

Since cigar minnows are a slow-troll bait, the downrigger is usually the right tool.

A downrigger holds a set depth at slow-troll speeds.

Bait choice

Cigar minnows vs. ballyhoo

The two advantages of cigar minnows are that they leave a scent trail far better than other baitfish, and that they are relatively inexpensive. Their disadvantage is that they do not swim as well or troll as long as other options.

So pick the situations where the pros help you and the cons do not matter.

King mackerel and Spanish mackerel around structure

Kings are structure-oriented, so fishing for them usually means moving from structure to structure until you find them. Trolling tight around structure, the scent is a plus and the slower speed is not a hindrance. Cigar minnows are a good choice here. If you are trolling the beach or covering ground looking for kings, consider a ballyhoo instead, since it lets you troll faster and search more water. More in our king mackerel guide.

The tactics for Spanish mackerel are identical, but the size of the fish sets a floor. Trolling a cigar minnow is only relevant for big Spanish in the 3 to 8 lb range. A 15 to 18 inch Spanish is too small for a bait that size.

The one other place cigar minnows earn a spot is along a weedline. Mahi congregate there and can produce fast action, and cigar minnows can be deployed quickly and inexpensively for medium to small mahi. They can also be cut up and used as pitch baits when you are bailing dolphin. More in our mahi fishing guide.

Kings are what cigar minnows are for.

Built to keep your bait swimming true

Molded from 100% lead with an integrated keel weight, TrollTrue lures keep cigar minnows and ballyhoo swimming true instead of spinning.

Rig as you go

Rig on the water, only what you're about to fish, instead of over-rigging at the dock.

Fewer short strikes

The lure positions the trailer hook to cut down short strikes.

Made in the USA

Handpainted, with a powder-coated finish that stands up to offshore conditions.

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Keep reading

More on bait and trolling

How To Find Fish Offshore

Reading structure, bait and conditions before you set a line.

Best Offshore Trolling Speed by Bait and Species

How fast every bait can troll, from live bait to skirted lures.

King Mackerel Fishing Guide

Tactics for the fish cigar minnows suit best.