Keeping Bait Alive

[MNbrewer44]

Hows it going guys?

I am pretty new to ice fishing but love it more every time I go out. I have a question regarding keeping minnows alive. The bait shop close to my house will ONLY sell me 30 –40 minnows at time. My fishing time during the weekdays is limited to a couple hours every other night so I never come close to using all those minnows. I was wondering if anyone has this problem and any ways to help keep the minnows alive so I can use them on my next outing. I currently have them in a 5 gal bucket with an aquarium air pump. Any help would be great.

Also if this topic would be better suited in another category feel free to move it accordingly

[Jim Hudson]

I use a product called baitsaver... Comes in a small bottle and turns the water blue. This is the best stuff I have found to keep bait fresh and very lively over an extended period of time. Also, it allows you to use tap water, as it takes care of all those additives the bait will die from. Look for it at a local outdoor store.

When "storing" minnows, I use a larger plastic tub and an aerator. I try to change the water once a day and add a bit of the bait saver (a little will go a long ways). Have kept Lake Shiners (a bait fish that dies quit easily) for well over a week this way. I think you will be fine just doing this in your 5 gallon too, just be sure to change the water everyday or so and keep the bucket in a cool place.

When I am ready to hit the ice, I just scoop out the amount I want for the day and I am on my way!! Oh, I add a little of the baitsaver to the minnow bucket too..

[Bobb-o]

I have never had a porblem keeping bait alive (other than shiners in the summer) i keep them in my garage in one of those styrofoam buckets and change the water at least every 3 days. The last two scoops of minnows i bought lasted me over 3 weeks before i sytarted running low and had to buy more.

[hoggs222]

If I'm out in the permanent house, I usually throw a scoop of slush into the bucket to cool down the minnows. (be careful not to have them trying to swim in slush!) note... (the cold water/snow can send them into shock) Other than that, I turn on the aerator every few hours or so.

[shorefisher]

All I do is keep them cold and use air pump in 5 gallon bucket. Also chane 1/2 the water 2X a week and pick out the dead. I can keep them for weeks this way.

[CatManLee]

I use a 3 gallon foam container when holding minnows over a longer period of time. I will also vouch for the "Blue Stuff" it works pretty darn good, but I think the most important part is to keep changing the water. Keep it fresh, I like just getting fresh well water or water directly from the river. If you change it enough, you don't even need an areator.

And the posts about the cold water are dead on. If you let ice form over the top. Your minnows will seem like they will never die.

[black max]

I keep mine in a 6gal bucket with fish tank air pumps. I just keep them outside and change the water every other day. There will allways be a few that die but thats out of around 100 or so minnows in there. I can norm keep shiners a week this way and fatheads&suckers I keep for weeks at a time. I usually go fishing every weekend and its nice to not have to buy bait each time, but this year with this bad ice I haven't gotten out as much. As stated earlier, the key is clean and very cold water to keeping them alive.

[lunker651]

During this time of the year I put a scoop of snow in the bucket and then put them in the fridge, change the water every 2-3 days depending on how much minnows and big the bucket is. In your 5 gallon I would change it every 3-4 days. The minnows usually last me about 2-3 weeks. During the summer, I put some ice in the bucket and do the same as above. Works with minnows, suckers, and shriners.

[CALVINIST]

Mnbrewer44,

I don't know what you fish for, but if you fish for panfish, bass, even walleyes, I would recommend using soft plastics...Shrimpos and Ratsos and Nuclear Ants from Custom Jigs and Spins. It takes a bit of skill learning how to use these, but once mastered, you can leave the minnow bucket at home. Many will testify that these plastics outperform live bait. I use plastics almost exclusively in the summer for pannies, and they ROCK! Now I'm learning how to fish the ice plastics. I hate buying minnows myself...it's a hassle keeping them alive for more than a day, so only under certain circumstances do I buy minnows. Anyway, my 2 cents.

[BIG DS]

Good point! I recently switched to artificial bait, and with a little practice I am actually catching more fish then before. If live bait is a must, here are a few tips. Any fish produces ammonia in the water. Ammonia is the waste the fish produces after eating. The longer you let the minnows sit with out changing the water, the higher the ammonia level gets and the minnows will start dying. As the minnows start dying, the ammonia increases incredibly fast. Changing the water frequently is the best way to keep the ammonia level in check. Also some sort of areator helps. Keep the minnows cool but not frozen. I can generally keep minnows in a 3 gallon minnow bucket, with an areator, and a weekly water change, until I have used them all up (about 3 weeks for a good full scoop). Some are going to die, there is no stopping that, but for the most part you should be able to save most of them. Good luck.

[MNbrewer44]

Ok thanks guys for the advice, I have never been a big fan of plastics but I do keep hearing more and more good things about them. I will have to look in to using plastics. Thanks for the help guys. Its good to know there are still people out there willin to help a guy out

BC

[BIG DS]

That's what this sight is about . Good Fishin'

[hanson]

MNbrewer-

I will vouch for the plastics as well. I'm becoming more and more of a fan. I was fishing some very picky crappies this morning and was using a Custom Jigs Ratso in one of the smaller sizes. I then dropped my camera down to take a peak and you'd be surprised how much action that tail on the Ratso jig has. You can't hold it still even if you try. That subtle movement is what is triggering the fish. I probably caught half of my crappies this morning without bait.

But back to the bait keeping question. Aquarium airstone is a simple way to keep them alive. Change water regularly as well and remember to treat it with something to remove the Chlorine from the tap water. I also like to keep them in a bigger container, such as a cooler.

[sawgrass]

I use one of those bubbler units and it works great. It cost me about $15 but has turned out to be a great investment, I use it all year. It allows me to keep crappie minnows, fatheads and even shiners alive indefinitely, plus it keeps them incredibly active even in the summer. After a few days I'll change the water with spring water from the grocery store - about a buck or so a gallon.

[DoubleK]

In my permament house I drill an extra hole right outside and next to one of the inside holes. I then suspend a bait bucket on a small rope and let it freeze in. then when I open the hole inside the shack i can hook the rope with a coat hanger and pull the bucket up in the house. When done for the day, drop the bucket back down the hole. Move the house you say? The reach down the hole cut the rope and take the bait and bucket to the next location and repeat the process. I have had bait last all winter doing this, and there is always fresh bait in the fish house no need to stop by the bait shop.

[Fish Fry Guy]

I too am fairly new to ice fishing, but I'm not new to keeping fish! I've been a tropical/freshwater fish keeper for years. What I have done for increasing the life of my minnows is to just store them in a 5 gallon fish tank (Glass). The type you'd find at a pet store. Along with the tank, get an Air Pump and a air stone as well as "DECHLORINATION" solution. This is IMPORTANT!!! The minnows will die within a couple of hours in plain old tap water due to the chlorine. Buy the water treatment and you'll be ok. All of this is not expensive, probably $50 bucks or so when your done. I'm able to keep my minnows alive for 3+ weeks this way. I change the water (scoop out half every 4 days) once a week. 1 out of 12 will die a week but I have a good mortality rate. Try it out, I've been using this method for years of summer fishing. Good Luck!

[himjunkie13]

i actually made a post concerning the odd fact that my minnows have been alive for a very long time (3 weeks now) and they're still very lively. i find about 1-2 dead ones every 3 days or so but the majority are very lively. All i do is change the water every other day or so. i didnt change it at all for like a week and a half but then the dingyness of it got to me and i finally gave in. so my advice is to just change the water atleast every 3 days and the majority of them should still live for quite some time.

[HarryG]

I have a similar problem. I keep the bait in a 5 gallon bucket and change the water often. The cabin I use has a well so there water does not hurt the minnows. If I know I will be fishing a lot, I use a sub bucket. It is designed to be stored under the ice. That also makes transporting easy as it stays in the same spot. I don't use an aerator as in the winter minnows seem to last a long time with out it.