Minnow trapping??

[Guest]

I am going up to Basswood for opener and would like to use minnows while in there, but dislike the idea of transporting them in. I have been looking at the minnow traps, but have seen little about them or their use even though they are sold everywhere.
I have a couple of questions.
1) Are they effective(which style) and worth trying to use?
2) What are the techniques used? baiting, placement in a lake, etc.

Thanks for the info.

[hydro]

If your'e talking about the cone shaped traps, they really do work pretty well. You will catch all sorts of stuff from minnows to crawfish. Success will depend on what is in the area and what you use for bait. I found that bread crusts work pretty well for minnows and that meat based bait will catch the crawfish. Try baiting the trap and putting it where you saw minnows during the day, then leave it out overnight.

Another system that works pretty good is the throwing net. Find one with 1/4" mesh and just throw it over the fish. It takes a little technique and you will get wet, but it's fast and efficient. It also works great in current.

[Guest]

You may wish to re-think your strategy in attempting to catch your bait out of the lake. Getting enough legal minnows by trapping in the lake will be difficult, at best. Pick up your bait in Ely the morning you leave, have it packed in oxygen bags, and transfer to buckets once you're there. Take care to secure your buckets by tying down the lids while in camp - and certainly at night. Mink just love minnows, and are real wizards at getting into standard minnow buckets.

[Guest]

Is there anybody in here who seigns minnows(I don't think thats how you spell seign) I have only heard about people doing it. How efficient is it? Where is the best place to do it? And how much does the equipment cost? Any good Literature on it?

[Guest]

i would side with pete, its not worth trying to get your minnows out of the lake during your visit! but, around mid june or so you can catch lake shiners... whooo they do not like minnow buckets. good luck!!

[Guest]

I use a seine.It is very effective at catching bait.It is best used with two people,one on each end.Just drag through the water with a bow in the net.When you believe that there is a good quantity of bait in the net walk away from each other quickly and pull the net tight and swing it flat.Or just drag it on to shore.This would be the best bet for catching bait in a lake.It is much easier to use on sandy or gravel bottoms so that it does not catch on rocks.One person can also use a seine.just stick one end in the sand at the shore line and walk in a half cicle around it untill you end up back on shore.You can also use them in creeks with sandy or gravel bottoms.Drag it dowstream at a fast pace.Sometimes it is best to muddy up the water before you pull your net so that the minnows cannot see as well.Just be carefull because you will not be able to see what you are about to trip over!You can use a net up to 25 feet long and 4 feet deep with a mesh size of 1/4 inch.You can get a decent size one for about 30 bucks.One word of advice.DO NOT TAKE MORE THAN YOU CAN USE.You can easily decimate the population of a stretch of creek with a seine.You are not the only living being harvesting these minnows.Check you regs also before you seine a creek.to make sure that it is not a trout stream or that it is even allowd on that particular creek.
Minnow traps work very well in a creek.I do not even bait the trap.Place the trap in the water so that the cones are pointing upstream and downstream.Place the trap in a location that minnows will travel or in a location that they will be holding.You may have to sit at the creek side for a while to see where the minnows run.It is however usually at the head or tail of a deeper channel with water flowing briskly through it.Try to put it in a spot where they have to go throught the trap to move upstream or down.I have caught lots of minnow with a trap just by simply chasing them into the trap.I typically leave my traps out for a couple of days before checking them,and usually end up with with between a dozen to two dozen minnows per trap.

[This message has been edited by fishhead (edited 04-26-2002).]

[perchpro]

i trap minnows and i woulden't just go somewhere and put my trap in. you need to find out where to put it. i find streams going in or out of a lake work with round traps. but i woulden't rely on them if you want minnows bring $$$.

[Guest]

We have a pond behind my house and we use one of those cone shaped traps. We have caugh minnows all winter long for crappie fishing. In the spring the bigger minnows and rainbows are more common for the walleyes- just put some bread in the trap and throw it out a few feet from shore.

[#Boater#]

PERSERVING MINNOWS
When we go to BWCA, we put our minnows in a 5 gal. bucket turned into a minnow bucket.
Drill a bunch of small holes in it. Put a weight in it ie: chunk of lead, Tie a rope to it with a floater ie eice of nurf bar foam.Put the lid on securly. You can store your minnows out from camp in 10-15 feet of water. Just take what you need for day. Your minnows will last a reel long time.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I used to fish Basswood quite often,we almost always did our best with leeches or night crawlers on spinner rigs.
If you are using the truck portage I would suggest you buy your minnows in Ely,have them oxygen packed at about 5 dozen per bag.
Keep them out of the sun until you get to your campsite then put them in a minnow bucket with a rock in it to sink the bucket in deeper water.
If you have it too close to shore the mink and otter will clean out an unlocked bucket in one night!!
Good Fishing!
Cliff

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Cliff's Guide Service
CliffsGuideService-LakeVermilion.com
Lake Vermilion
Phone: (218) 753-2005

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I just noticed after rereading your post that you are going in on opener.
We always did great with jig/minnow rigs in the Lewis Narrows or on a couple of occations really great trolling jointed Rapalas in size 9 with a small chub minnow attached to the back hook. For some reason , if the minnow wasn't added they would not bite.It probably added scent and a little more wiggle.
We trolled them on bottom bouncers or three way rigs on the botton in 20 to 35 feet of water in the main current.
We also did great at the falls area.
Good Fishing!
Cliff

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Cliff's Guide Service
CliffsGuideService-LakeVermilion.com
Lake Vermilion
Phone: (218) 753-2005

[Guest]

I think I will be bringing bait in. No reason to chance getting some and screwing around with trying to catch them.

As long as people are offering, any suggestions on which campsites or fishing holes near washington island are good. We are dragging canoes also so we have the ability to take off past the motorized border. Target is northerns until midnight on 5/10, walleyes on 5/11, 5/12, and 5/13.

Also, anything to watch out for?

Thanks
Craig

[ghotierman]

hans...

we canoed and fished Pipeston bay a few years ago. Went in through Fall Lake (Moose was still locked in with ice!) Jackfish bay was shore to shore ice as well...broke through the last of the ice on Pipestone bay and camped north of Caribou Pt and Gary island. The area around Caribou Pt up to Newton Falls was posted for spawning. That would be the only thing to look out for, ...besides rocks...check water level... We did great trolling #5 and #7 rapalas...first five fish were 4lbs plus...3 'eyes and a pike. Also picked up a pair of 8lb walleyes, and saw another party boat a slab crappie! Called a barred owl into camp one night, and hear a pack of wolves the next...fantastic trip...

Enjoy your opener!
Good luck...

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Northeast Outfitters
915 Hwy 29 N NE
Alexandria, MN 56308
(320) 763-9598