Fiiish Black Minnow: The Complete Guide to the Best Seabass Softbait
Ask any seabass angler in Europe to name one lure they would never leave home without, and there's a very good chance the answer is the Fiiish Black Minnow. It's arguably the most influential seabass softbait ever made, and more than a decade after its launch it still catches fish where other lures fail. At Charlie's Fishing we carry the full Fiiish Black Minnow range built specifically around seabass fishing, from light shore combos to heavy offshore heads, plus every spare body, jighead, hook and accessory you need to keep fishing.
This guide explains what makes the Black Minnow so effective, how the clever modular system works, and exactly which sizes, weights and spare parts we stock, so you can build the perfect setup for your water, whether you fish the surf, the harbour walls or a drifting boat.
What Is the Fiiish Black Minnow?
Fiiish is a French brand that has become a household name in saltwater lure fishing, and the Black Minnow is the lure that made it famous. It's a soft, realistic shad designed above all for seabass, though the same lure happily catches perch, zander, pollack and plenty of other predators. What sets it apart is not just the ultra-soft body and lifelike swimming action, but the whole modular system it's built on.
The PH2S Weedless System
The heart of the Black Minnow is Fiiish's patented PH2S rigging system. Instead of a fixed lure, it combines three parts: an extra-soft rubber body, a perfectly balanced jig head, and a hidden VMC Krog offset hook designed specifically for the Black Minnow. The head and body are articulated, meaning they hinge against each other. That joint does two things at once: it boosts the natural swimming action and it improves your hook-up rate.
Because the hook sits weedless inside the body, you can fish the Black Minnow tight to exactly the kind of ground seabass love, such as rocks, kelp, weed beds and harbour walls, without snagging on every cast. That's a huge advantage when you're targeting fish in rough, structure-heavy zones where a standard exposed-hook lure would get stuck in seconds.
The Sizes: N2, N2.5 and N3
The Black Minnow comes in numbered sizes, and at Charlie's Fishing we stock the three that matter most for European seabass fishing. Each size has its own matching jig heads and spare bodies, so you can commit to one size or carry all three.
- N°2 (90 mm): the compact all-rounder for smaller baitfish, clear water, shallow surf and pressured fish, and a superb big perch and zander lure too. Build your own with N2 jigheads and N2 spare bodies.
- N°2.5 (105 mm): the in-between size, slightly larger than the N°2 but still versatile, ideal for slightly deeper zones, rocky edges and light current. Pair loose N2.5 jigheads with N2.5 spare bodies.
- N°3 (120 mm): the classic seabass size and probably the most popular Black Minnow of all, perfect for open coast, bigger fish and covering water. Match it with N3 jigheads and N3 spare bodies.
Not sure which to pick? As a rule of thumb, match the size to the baitfish the seabass are feeding on. When in doubt, the N°3 (120 mm) is the safest all-round starting point for the coast, and the N°2 (90 mm) is the better choice for finesse, clear water or lighter tackle.
The Weights: Shore, Search and Off Shore Heads
This is where the modular system really pays off. The same soft body can be paired with different jig heads, and each head type is built for a different depth and current. Getting the weight right is the single most important choice in Black Minnow fishing: you want just enough weight to stay in touch with the lure, and no more. Here are the three head types, with ready-to-fish combos at each weight.
Shore heads (light, shallow water)
The lightest heads, made for shallow water, slow retrieves and fishing over weed and snaggy ground close in. Ideal for the surf, estuaries and calm harbours. In our range the Shore heads run light: the N2 Shore 5g combo, the N2.5 Shore 8g combo and the N3 Shore 12g combo.
Search heads (medium, all-round casting)
The all-rounders. Search heads add casting distance and a slightly faster sink, letting you actively cover water and find fish over drop-offs, channels and wind-affected shorelines. Try the N2.5 Search 12g combo or the ever-popular N3 Search 18g combo.
Off Shore heads (heavy, deep water and current)
The heavyweights, for deeper water, strong tides and vertical presentations from a boat, breakwater or steep shoreline. They get down fast and keep you in the strike zone. Reach for the N2 Off Shore 10g combo, the N2.5 Off Shore 16g combo or the heavy N3 Off Shore 25g combo for the strongest current and deepest marks.
Single Combos vs Double Combos
There are two ready-to-fish ways to buy a Black Minnow, plus the option to build your own.
- Single combos: a fully rigged lure (body + jig head + hidden hook) with a spare body, ready straight out of the packet. Great examples are the N3 Off Shore 25g for deep water and the light N2.5 Shore 8g for shallow shore work.
- Double combos: two fully rigged lures in one pack, so you always have a backup on the bank. Popular options are the N3 Double Combo Search 18g, the N3 Double Combo Shore 12g, the N2 Double Combo Search 8g and the N2 Double Combo Shore 5g.
- Build your own: buy loose jigheads and spare bodies separately and mix weights and colours to match the exact conditions on the day.
Spare Bodies, Jigheads and Building Your Own
The modular design is what makes the Black Minnow so economical to fish. Once you own a few jig heads, you only need to top up soft bodies, and you can completely change your presentation, size and colour in seconds.
- Spare bodies in every size: N2 (90 mm), N2.5 (105 mm) and N3 (120 mm) — replacement soft bodies in a wide range of realistic colours, so you can swap a torn body or change colour to match the water, from clear-water naturals to bright, high-visibility patterns.
- Loose jigheads in every size: N2 jigheads, N2.5 jigheads and N3 jigheads, available in Shore, Search and Off Shore weights so you can cover any depth.
A smart starter setup is a couple of jig heads in the weights you fish most, plus two or three packs of spare bodies in different colours. From there you can adapt to almost any seabass situation without buying whole new lures.
Keep Fishing Longer: Hooks and The Glue
Two small accessories make a big difference to how long each Black Minnow lasts and how well it performs:
- Fiiish Black Minnow Spare Hooks Krog: the dedicated weedless Krog hooks that sit hidden inside the body. A sharp hook is everything in seabass fishing, and salt water dulls hooks fast, so keeping fresh Krog hooks in your box means reliable hook-ups without snagging.
- Fiiish The Glue: the special glue that locks the soft body onto the jig head. A quick dab stops the body sliding down after a take or a missed strike, which massively extends the life of each body and keeps the action perfect cast after cast. Anyone who fishes the Black Minnow seriously ends up carrying The Glue.
Beyond the Black Minnow: Fiiish Powertail Evo
The Black Minnow isn't the only Fiiish lure worth knowing. The Fiiish Powertail Evo is a compact, weighted softbait with its own built-in action, available in three sizes: the Powertail Evo 30, Powertail Evo 40 and Powertail Evo 50. It's a versatile little lure for seabass, perch and other predators when you want a smaller, faster-sinking profile that casts a long way for its size, ideal for finesse work and searching in wind or current.
How to Fish the Black Minnow for Seabass
- Pick the right head first. Light Shore heads for shallow, calm water; Search heads to cover ground; Off Shore heads for depth and current. Aim for the lightest head that still keeps you in contact with the bottom.
- Keep it simple. A slow, steady retrieve just off the bottom is deadly. Let the soft paddle tail do the work; its subtle vibration is exactly what seabass home in on.
- Use the structure. Because the rig is weedless, fish it tight to rocks, weed and harbour walls where the bass actually hold.
- Add lift and drop. In deeper water or current, a gentle lift-and-drop or slow hopping retrieve gives the lure a wounded-baitfish action on the fall.
- Glue your bodies and check your hooks. A dab of The Glue stops the body sliding after a take, and a fresh Krog hook makes sure the next fish stays on.
Why Buy Your Fiiish at Charlie's Fishing?
We're a Netherlands-based shop run by predator and saltwater anglers, and we've built one of Europe's most complete Fiiish Black Minnow selections, tuned for seabass fishing along the Dutch and wider European coast. Every size, weight, spare body, jighead, hook and accessory is in one place, with fast shipping across the EU, UK and USA. Explore the full Fiiish collection at Charlie's Fishing, or browse our wider seabass collection and lines and leaders to complete your setup.
Share:
Seabass fishing with John Willems in the Netherlands