Catching Your Own Bait

[Roscoe010]

Does anyone have experience or advice on catching your own minnows? I bought 2 minnow traps at a garage sale this summer. Have you had improved catch rates using minnows caught from the lake you fish compared to store bought minnows? I would like to try these traps when spring rolls around. Thanks.

[mainbutter]

The one small river I tried trapping minnows on produced more crayfish than anything else, and on the occasion I did have a few minnows in the trap, more often than not I had a few crayfish that had eaten most of them

If I were going to try to catch minnows, I'd probably opt for a dip net next time.

I have had plenty of luck using my fly rod and size 16 hook flies to catch creek chubs. I never used them for bait, but other people love 'em.

I also would like to give bullheads a shot sometime, easy to catch with a hook and a bit of crawler.

[BrandonJ]

Ive used them, for me dog food seems to work best for bait. Not much difference in catch rate. Check the traps often because they will get out. Last spring I checked mine and there was about 3 dozen shiners in my trap. Figured Id keep them in over night for the morning and they all escaped. Now I keep my troller bait bucket tied to the dock and throw what ever I want to keep in there. Just check the reg book lakes desinated as "infested waters" have a few extra rules for trapping bait.

[DTro]

Read the regs inside and out. Very little is legal anymore

[pathogen]

When I was younger I used to trap minnows from the lake my father had a cabin on. It was a shallow lake with no gamefish but tons of minnows. We'd catch really nice redbelly dace which were wonderful bait but size was generally not real big, so used mostly for panfish. They were pro jumpers though, you had to keep a cover over the bucket or they would all jump out! Midsummer or so the redbellies would vacate the shallows and head for deeper waters, then we'd have to row the boat out a ways to set the trap. It wasn't quite as much fun then...but the price was right. Could always catch fatheads shallow, but I liked the redbellies better. We'd throw a crust of bread or two in the trap for bait. It worked fine for us.

[Stick in Mud]

I've netted some shiners in the BWCA in the spring when they're all up shallow. It's amazing how effective they are....WAY better than that Gulp stuff, and way easier than portaging your own minnows for miles.

[Zelmsdawg]

Carmike,

So I've thought about looking into this just for bwca bait but the minnow traps I've seen are the solid wire buckets you strap together and those didn't look like that much fun to carry in either. Is there another type that is more collapsible or in your opinion is was worth it?

Thanks

[RiverFish]

Can you use the a throw type net in the BWCA? Just an idea.

[DTro]

Can you use the a throw type net in the BWCA MN? Just an idea.

NO

[Mike Walerak]

I catch almost all of my own bait. I have about 4 traps out at all times in 4 different locations. To bait the traps, dog food in panyhose works pretty good for redtails and creek chubs, a couple chunks of Ivory soap works well for smaller minnows. Most often I have sein my own minnows. If you have a buddy to catch minnows with you can have a months worth in about 20 minutes.

The next trick is keeping them. I have various tanks. My main tank is a 55 gal drum set up with a bottom spickit, areator and biofilter. I tend to have mine a little overloaded so I have to do frequent water changes. Be sure to condition all tap water with better bait, U2 or the cheap stuff from the petstore. Without it you will kill you bait within a couple of days. I also keep this in my basement to keep the temperature down. Overloaded bait tanks and high temps also kills the minnows because the warmer water cannot hold as much oxygen.

It is alot of work but I enjoy catching my bait and caring for it as much as fishing. I do not keep shiners that often because they are pretty touhy. Im better off using them as I catch them.

mw

[swamptiger]

Quote:

Dog food in panyhose works pretty good for redtails and creek chubs.

Ah, the old minnows in the pantyhose trick...

[pureinsanity]

Dip Net or a seine is about your only option for collapsible