Freezing minnows for Canada

[shinde]

Any advice on how to freeze minnows to bring to Canada? Do you just buy 'em and freeze 'em, or is there some other preparation (salt, etc.) required?

[AaronM]

I just buy them without water or oxygen and freeze them when I get them to my house. It helps if you only put 10 per bag. Other then that I dont do anything else. Good luck.

[Guest]

I would opt to not freeze, but cure them with salt instead. If time is a factor here, then perhaps trying out Berkly's new plastic minnow might be the trick, or order the salted bait.

[fivebucks]

Freezing them in sawdust works OK. They don't stick together but frozen minnows do not hold up as well as cured.

[Jitterbug]

On a recent trip to Canada we were not allowed to cross the border with any live bait regardless of its condition. My buddy had to go back to I-Falls and dump his salted smelt. Just a thought.

Good Luck Jbug

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[Guest]

I cure minnows with a mixture of powdered alum and salt. The alum and salt are both a perservative. When using the salt alum mix the minners do not get mushy,and keep for a long time.The fish don't mind the flavor either.

[PRO-V]

Jitterbug, you may take crawlers in bedding into Ontario. As for the smelt, they are are specifically prohibited in any condition. Check the reg's.

[Scoot]

Does it matter what type of bedding you use to bring crawlers into Onterio? Is dirt not allowed? Can I use the bedding that comes with crawlers when you buy it? Or, does it have to be a sterile medium (i.e. shredded paper) like bringing crawlers into Manitoba?
Scoot

[Crow Hunter]

You may not bring crawlers into Ontario packed in dirt. They must be in worm bedding.