My Favorite Creek Chub Spot

[DTro]

Like the Flathead post I made, not literally my favorite spot, but what I'm looking for when I go bait hunting.

The first thing I look for is water clarity. If the water is muddy and running fast, I usually don't even try very hard to find chubs. They are sight feeders and the clearer the water, the better luck I have. If we have a hard rain I usually wait 2-3 days for it to clear, sometimes a bit longer.

My best tactic is to find somewhere I can access the creek. Whether that be via a landowner, or bridge, or road easement. Then I put on some waders and start walking. Sometimes you don't have to go far, but I find the farther I go the better quality/size bait I find. Put in a little extra effort and you will be rewarded.

As I'm walking I'm looking for deep spots or shadowed areas where the waters slows down and pools a bit. Also I like some sort of structure for them to hide in and ambush food coming downstream.

I've tried many different jigs baits etc and the very best I've found is about a simple rig consisting of a size 10 or 12 long shank hook tipped with a small piece of angle worm or crawler and a split shot matched to the current. You want just big enough weight for it to float lightly and settle in on the deeper spots.

Find a couple of snags with deeper clear water, and it will be game on!

[goblueM]

Catching creek chubs and shiners on light tackle can be just as much fun as using them for bait

I've spent many a fun day wading in creeks with my ultralight

[Gordie]

Catching creek chubs and shiners on light tackle can be just as much fun as using them for bait

I've spent many a fun day wading in creeks with my ultralight

I was saying the same thing last night at the Mississippi North GTG

Waxies are great bait also on small ice fishing jigs also.

and as the bugs get thicker he top water action can be a hoot.

[Rick G]

Great topic DTro,like Gordie said, we were just talking about catching chubs and shiners last night at the g.t.g. I like tiny ice jigs and a small chunk of power bait. I look for shallow rocky areas with some current on smaller creeks. Like goblueM said the catching of the bait is almost as much fun as using it . Kinda like trout fishing I find

[DTro]

Did somebody say shiner?

[no bait nate]

So I'm looking to get in to Catfishing this year more serious and will be looking at going and catching some bait also. I'm wondering what is your best way of keeping them alive until you go fishing (besides a big garage tank) and what you guys do for water and transporting the bait from the creeks to home, and to the river for fishing? Thanks for the info.

[Gordie]

Bucket of well water and a battery powered aerator seem to do the job. We also have a big cooler set up in the truck with well water in it and a aerator set up so we can jump from creek chub spoty to spot and not have to carry the bucket with chubs around.

Another thing to remember is that your bucket should have some type of lid that is easy to get on and off or put chubs in.

I took a old sein net and cut a piece bigger than the top of the bucket and then bungie cord it around the rim of the bucket and then put a smal cut in it to slide the chubs thru.

Those creek chubs love to jump out of the bucket and it really bites when they jump out faster tan you can catch them

[klee]

We catch a lot of these little guys and other minnow like fish when we go trout fishing. I thought it was illegal to use creek chubs as bait? Can someone clarify? It has cross my mind that fish these may be good catfish bait, just thought they were illegal so I never tried. The one in the picture is fun to catch, but I think I saw it on the dnr site as a protected specie so it cannot be kept.

[nsnutter]

Nope - can't use creek chub for bait. Totally illegal, now if you wanna go ahead and send me a pm with your favorite chub spot I'd be much obliged ;P

Disclaimer: Creek chub are totally legal for bait use - some bait shops (few and far between) will even stock them.

[DTro]

For clarification purposes, you cannot keep creek chubs out of trout designated waters. This is probably where the confusion comes in because a lot of people catch creek chubs on trout waters. Also you cannot keep them out of water that is designated infested. This is my biggest beef with the whole AIS thing, pretty soon personal bait collecting will be something we can only reminisce about. Like others said, not only does it make economical sense, sometimes catching the bait is just as much fun catching the fish that eat the bait. I really enjoy it.

If that shiner I posted is a protected specie, that is news to me. If it makes you feel any better I treated it with the utmost respect and care until I fed it to a big channel cat for dinner.

[davidbigreelz]

This is my biggest beef with the whole AIS thing, pretty soon personal bait collecting will be something we can only reminisce about.

I remember up in Wi at my grandparents place the best northern/musky bait was always free chubs out of their creek. Good piece DTro that rigs exactly what I always used haha

[Gordie]

I remember up in Wi at my grandparents place the best northern/musky bait was always free chubs out of their creek.

Personal bait collection outlawed that will make my grandfather roll over in his grave!!!

The man never bought bait a day in his life and passed those secrets down. Such as picking your own crawlers and where to find the best red worm locations along with picking goldenrods for panfish in the winter.

But his favorite past time in the winter was pike fishing and for bait he used Creek Chubs he would catch dozens of them in the fall and put them in his basement in Big styro-foam coolers and add snow every day. He would change the water once every other week or so. He feed them round up meal worms and corn flake that were smashed up.

He would also use creek chubs for the pike in the summer also only with a 25-30 foot bamboo cane pole now that was a site to see pulling in a 10 plus pound pike on that rig. and if it couldn't be done toss it in and follow it around with the boat until the pike tires out..

I hope that it never comes to this, personal bait collection outlawed as then it takes away from what so many enjoy and make part of the whole fishing experience.

[ARB]

I think I might have to bust out my 3wt fly rod and tie on a nymph, could make for a fun day of bait fishing!

[mainbutter]

I fly fish for creek chubs and love it!

Some bright dubbing and a shank's length tail of any kind of long fiber on a #16 heavy scud hook is my favorite fly for chubs. Bright and small. I tend to sight fish them, and having a bright fly is nice. In the clear water, you can see them take it.

Chub waters are also places I've found very young individuals of gamefish species. My PB SMALLEST gamefish is a 2'' northern pike, it was as short as my thumb.

[Rick G]

If that shiner I posted is a protected specie, that is news to me. If it makes you feel any better I treated it with the utmost respect and care until I fed it to a big channel cat for dinner.

[DTro]

Also I'm fairly certain that is a Common Shiner.

Emphasis on Common.

[no bait nate]

Thanks guys, sounds like I'll have a good time. I've catfished the St. Croix a few times with some luck, but am looking to get onto the MN this year since it's closer to home and hopefully I can have some success there also. If anybody ever wants to take a greenhorn out on the MN and teach me how to keep my lower unit attached hit me up with a PM. Thanks for all the tips.

[nsnutter]

Nate - where did you graduate? I graduated 05 at NPHS but went to MLHS until my sophomore year. Sorry I just noticed you're from Lonsdale.

[no bait nate]

I graduated in '05 from Dodge Center, I moved up here a few years ago because of all the lakes and rivers around!

[no bait nate]

Alright guys, so whats the best route for a guy that has city water? I used to keep bait at my old house with the well water and had no problems, it's a different story with my tap water in town here since the govt. seems to be pumping something into it that kills my bait.... I'm guessing I'm not the only one with these issues, I just want to get it figured out before I go catch a bunch of bait and then kill them in my garage, thanks

[RawHog]

I keep my bait in a 55 gal fish tank. Its chlorine that probably is killing them. I use basic drops from the pet store to combat chlorine.

[Scott K]

I run my rain gutters into my tank, it then gets a good flush after every rain.

[Gordie]

Let the water stand for 24 hrs before use or find some well water.. The biggest problem with well water is that if it sits to long alge and bacteria growth will start so much faster .

[DTro]

My favorite creek chub spot provided the bait for a nice 47x30 flatty yesterday.....

Mmmm creek chubs

[no bait nate]

Nice DTro!!