Minnows in the lake?

[HoleHopper]

Mrs. Holehopper asked me why you should not put leftover minnows back in the lake? I did not know what to tell her other than I was tought from my father that it was just something that you dont do. This is the first time she stumped the HoleHopper! She seems to think the fish in the lake would just eat the minnows and it wouldn't hurt anything. What do you think? I need your help!

Thanks

[brian6715]

Well the best reason I can come up with is that it spreads foriegn species faster... from lake to lake. It also can spread desease, and basically the lakes were fine before we came along and they dont need our help so why give it to them. brian-

[Smokey]

...and it's illegal.

[BD110]

Smokey,

I have a question for you. Where does it say it's illegal to put your leftover minnows into the lake. I have heard that if your talking about designated Trout lakes and such. I'm not sure I've ever seen that in writing.

Here is another question for anyone.

What do you do with your leftover minnows if you are not going to be fishing in the next week or so?

Thanks for everyones help........

Take care,

Tom (BD110)

[The Chemist]

Depending on the quantity/quality I tend to keep them. Otherwise I dump them into the snow away from any hole so that they freeze(don't know if this is all that good but it does give the birds something to snack on.) otherwise I dump them in the weeds by our cabin or in the garden at home.

[andy j]

BD110,

I keep them alive. I just put them in the fridge and change the water every day or 2 and you can keep them alive for weeks. They key is to not over crowd the minnows, only buy what you need, Fatheads and crappies minnows are easy to keep alive, keep the water cold. Pike chubs are good as long as you don't have a bunch of them and they are the smaller ones, I only buy half dozen at a time, shinners are poor at staying alive.

[EBass]

It is illegal. It has to be in the reg book. I just grew up knowing this rule.

About left over minnows. I have a frabill bucket and it came with a styrafoam (spelling) bucket insert. Any ways, I bought an elec air pump (areator) and wraped a towel around the motor part which keeps it a little warmer and pumps in warmer air rather than the -7 temps we've been having. Otherwise I dump them on the ice so the crows can have an easy meal. I try to keep them as long as I can, but after awhile they get weak and some die. Changing the water in the bucket will help keep them fresh longer as well. Its just more work.

Hope that helps.

[homerj]

It's on page 73 of the regs.

• Minnows or leeches may not be taken from designated trout waters except with a DNR permit.

• Unwanted minnows and leeches cannot be dumped in the water.

[Northlander]

A 5 gallon pail of fresh water in the basement and change the water daily works great. I just hate when I forget the minnows in the garage when its freezing out and I check them the next day only to find a 5 pound block of minnow ice.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

I have an old fishtank aerator that I put in the bait pail if I have leftovers. I usually get shiners, I rarely change the water on them and most usually make it 4 days or so (longer if you change the water).

[Tripleplay]

Interesting that my 12 yr old son asked me the same exact question a couple of Saturday's ago. I told him it was illegal but I couldn't really answer the question about why-- if it is possible for your bait to get off of your line-albeit highly unlikely it would survive.

[-Marc V-]

I put an old fish tank aerator in the bucket. I have minnows still alive from the first part of the ice season.

I think the shiners need colder temps though. I used to try to keep them inside without an aerator, and I couldn't keep them alive overnight.

My current garage is slightly heated so it stays in the upper 30's to 40's, so the minnows don't freeze, but stay nice and cool. Every once in a while I'll have a couple go belly up, but take those out, change the water whenever I go fishing, (which is a couple times a week), and they will stay good to go for a long time. Some people say to feed them with fish food, but I've never fed these and they've keep for months now. Fish food could dirty the water quicker too.

Also depending on what kind of tap water you have, you might want to let the water sit for a couple days in an extra bucket before you change it into the minnows. After a couple of days the chlorine, and who knows what else they put in there, work their way out. I don't think the minnows respond to well to the chemicals we put in our tap water. I just use lake water to avoid this issue.

I've heard fatheads and crappie minnows turn into larger roughfish, which I'd rather not have around. Maybe it's a myth.

Good luck.

[BD110]

Thanks for the info guys. I keep minnows for a couple weeks at a time. I just don't want to feel like a bait shop for months on end. So is it my understanding that most would not get upset if any extras where thrown on the lake or the shoreline for the birds to eat. I was just looking for any other ways to get rid of bait if there are long breaks in your fishing trips. And yes I have no problem giving them to the person fishing next to me if they are planning on heading back out in the next day or so.

Thans aganin for all the info.

Take care,

Tom (BD110)

[B-bear]

I usually try to find some other fella out there that is still fishing that I can give my minnows to. I don't have a place to keep the leftover minnows since my beer/bait fridge broke. I'm not allowed to keep them in the regular fridge.

[Wables]

I keep my minnows in my shanty. I have two coffee cans welded one on top of the other, with the bottom of the top can cut out. I drilled a bunch of holes in the side and attached a handle to the top. A 4' rope gets attached to the handle. When I am done fishing for the day, I dump my minnows in there, put on a cover, and drop it down the hole. Tie the rope to a gaff or something and bridge it over the hole so the rope is suspended right in the middle of the hole. When you come back the next day, chissel out the ice and pull the bucket back up. If there is too much ice to chisel, drill a hole next to it and grab the rope with a gaff. I have kept 3-4 dozen minnows at a time with no problems.

[HoleHopper]

Thanks, for the replies! 'It is illegal' works for me!

I just got done telling her that it was illegal when she says: "It seems to be a waste to just have to throw them away".............LOL

I like the feed the crows idea.

[Holy Canvas]

Crappie minnows, are just small Fatheads. They're the same. They eventually die, but supposedly can get up to 4 or 5 inches. I'm sure that's only in science lab like conditions. I keep my summertime crappies in a Frabill bait bucket (trap door kind) in the basement tub sink. I just give them a shot of fresh water when I get in off the lake, and then leave a very small trickle running through the hole where the handle is. I have VERY hard water, so after a few weeks, my crappie minnows start turning red (like my bait bucket has.)

In the winter, I've got a covered 5 gallon pail in the same sink. Change the water once a day, and they're good to go. I've got a fish tank net, and scoop out how many I want to put into my smaller bait holder for ice fishing. I've got to drive 20 miles one way for bait, (i live in the middle of nowhere) so I don't have much choice. I'm also long winded, and impressed you're still reading this.

B

[slick814]

It's in the reg book as being illegal to release bait into a lake, so I pretty much either find someone to give them to if I can, or try to keep them alive as long as possible.

As far as keeping them, in winter I keep them in the garage in my styrofoam buckets. Change the water every day or two and they last for quite a while. I've got some crappie minnows & shiners that I've had for almost 3 weeks, and some fatheads & rainbows that I picked up just before Christmas. Had maybe half a dozen die, but otherwise they're as lively as the day I bought 'em.

Summertime, anyplace thats dark & cool is good. The dark helps keep fungi, etc. from forming for the most part, and keeping them cool lengthens the life span.

One thing to remember, though, the cleaner the water the better. If you've got a softener, I wouldn't recommend using the water, as the salt will kill the minnows in a short period. I've got a filter system for the kitchen, so I use that water, and have had really good success keeping them alive this year.

[gophish]

here is one reason, look in the regs book for toxic/exotic species. you will see what i think are called goby's, or commonly called sticklebacks. i couldnt tell you how many i've found in my minnow bucket this year. dont use those at all and dont let em near the hole. kill em all. anybody i've ever talked to says they dont catch fish anyways.

[Finlander]

I use the fresh air from the air exchange next to my furnace to keep my minnows just cool enough to saty alive and put an aqurium air bubbler.

[fishyguy]

I keep them in a aquarium in the basement with a air pump. I did go one stretch where I did not use them for 4 or 5 months and did not lose one. I have a 30 gallon tank but a 10 gallon one should be able to be had for a reasonable price. The filters of the tank will keep the water clean and require much less frequent changes of water. Also, a good dechlorinator will get tap water ready for minnows instantly.

[MetroEye]

Gophish,

Round Goby and Stickleback are not the same fish! Round Goby are an exotic species from Europe that most likely arrived in ballast water from foreign vessels using the Great Lakes. Currently Round Goby are only found in Lake Superior and part of the St. Louis River. Brook stickleback are native to MN and are consumed by most game fish as part of their regular diet. I believe I recently read a thread on this site regarding stickleback and most comments were positive regarding using stickleback as bait. I remember my dad saying the same thing about stickleback - throw them away; you can't catch anything on them. Maybe just another myth?

[Valv]

There is a reason why it's illegal, and it's to avoid spreading diseases through lakes.

Minnows may have bacterias that are not present in a particular body of water.

DNR requires not to put them in lake/river/stream/etc. and to dump them on shore or in anywhere.

Even if you harvest minnows by yourself, you could speread a disease from the place you've got them into another.

[HoleHopper]

Mrs. Holehopper says she understands it now. She also said that maybe Mr. Holehopper needs to quit buying so much bait since we always have a lot left.

Thanks for all the replies on how to save bait and why not to dump it in the lake.

[northman]

The main reason that it is elligal is so we don't accidently introduce new species of fish into a lake. Just because we buy crappie minnows or what ever; there can be some bad little fish in our bucket that if released into a lake could take hold.