catching Minnows for Bait?

[bunnyhunter]

Hello
I was going out with my little guy camping this weekend....was thinking if what to do while he plays on the beach...I have a minnow trap, the tubular kind...are they any good for catching baitfish??

what bait, how deep?

any other ways...can you catch suckers and what do you use??

and does anyone use crayfish for bait?? do they work ?
I can catch them by hand, but I have eaten them :rolleyes: ....but maybe keep a few small ones for bait?

J

[The Fisherman Guy]

The tubular minnow trap works for minnows and crayfish if you open the holes to let the crayfish in, they are too small otherwise. I have found that it is best to find a place with cover(dock, weeds, rockwall, anything that the minnows can seek cover in). Tie the trap so that it is right in the middle of the weeds, or under the dock. I use bread, cheese, that kind of thing that wil particulate in the water. By hanging it above bottom the bread crumbs fall out of the trap attracting the minnows, and they go after the big prize inside. Just make sure to keep the bait centralized so that it does not sit on the bottom of the trap, or they will just peck away at it through the side.

Alternatives for bait include; Dog food (hard), store bought baits, fresh dead fish for crayfish(only use fish caught in that lake!!!), if there are freshwater clams in that lake, dig em up - throw them in a mesh bag, smash them up and hang in trap.

Good luck, check your regs!!!

[bunnyhunter]

thanks, i used to catch shrimp in BC, same thing excpt we put the trap on the bottom.

I tried last year but had no luck, will try a weedbed this time. my trap is labelled as per regs :)

have a great weekend

[MathewsArcher]

I beleive it is illegal to possess crayfish for bait. I would definately check before having them in my possession. Crayfish are not native to Alberta other than the Beaver River drainage and can affect invertebrate and fish populations where they are introduced.

I've had excellent results with cat food in minnow traps for most minnow species.

[bunnyhunter]

I've only eaten the crayfish...

I rechecked the regs and caught the part about not using crayfish for bait, so I'll just keep eating them :ashamed:

[wadeseward]

Would you cook a crayfish like you would crab/lobster? Can they taste very good?

Thanks

[bearbait]

i do beleve u cant have live cray fish on any lake or shoreline...

[raw outdoors]

Bump this back up. Is there a size limit on the bait trap? I was thinking of trying to catch some suckers in a trap.

Found it 60cm long x 30cm widest point and only two traps.