Trouble finding minnows

[welder]

Is there a shortage of minnows this year or are they illegal to use? Lol. Been shopping a lot of stores to find candle lake shiners to no avail. Anyone know the reason?

[Wes_G]

Is there a shortage of minnows this year or are they illegal to use? Lol. Been shopping a lot of stores to find candle lake shiners to no avail. Anyone know the reason?

You and everyone else, good luck!!

[Jims83cj5]

Is there a shortage of minnows this year or are they illegal to use? Lol. Been shopping a lot of stores to find candle lake shiners to no avail. Anyone know the reason?

Candle lake and Parker’s won’t hit the edmonton wholesalers until after June 5th

[Freedom55]

The minnows have yet to be hatched so you'd have better luck using worms or the harder to find alternative until July. \

Free

[walleyechaser]

Looks like emerald shiners are the only ones you can find eh. Parker usually come early June if you have placed a order. Unlikely to get any at the store

[Justfishin73]

Looks like emerald shiners are the only ones you can find eh. Parker usually come early June if you have placed a order. Unlikely to get any at the store

Where can you place an advance order?

[Jims83cj5]

Where can you place an advance order?

I talked with Parker and candle, Parker for Alberta only sells to a wholesaler in Edmonton. Candle is. 100 case minimum

[calgarygringo]

Parker...Walleye Master.
or go to Sask where they have been available most of the year.


I talked with Parker and candle, Parker for Alberta only sells to a wholesaler in Edmonton. Candle is. 100 case minimum

[Frank_NK28]

Is there a shortage of minnows this year or are they illegal to use? Lol. Been shopping a lot of stores to find candle lake shiners to no avail. Anyone know the reason?


I bought a bunch this winter when I heard rumblings of shortages and put them in the freezer so I have plenty to get me through the summer.

You could try this fellow...he has a bait and tackle shop. He is taking orders for them by the case on a fishing forum I frequent. I think they are $75/case.

Phil Paczkowski/
Patch’s Bait & Tackle
Roblin.MB
204-247-0055.

[Jims83cj5]

Parker...Walleye Master.
or go to Sask where they have been available most of the year.

Call the fishing stores in sask, they don’t have them either bud,

[walleyechaser]

Looks like emerald shiners are the only ones you can find eh. Parker usually come early June if you have placed a order. Unlikely to get any at the store

We usually can order them in lethbridge by the case at a couple locations. Didn't do it this year, so unsure how much it is

[calgarygringo]

The minnow catching permits for catching them only go for a few week period around now. Once caught they are all packaged and put into cold storage. Anything bought for the next year is of a catch in May/June. Last year more people fished than ever according to licences purchased plus covid issues for the companies. I would bet minnows followed the same. I would suggest when you see them load up as once they are gone thats it until this time next year. We loaded up our freezers in anticipation and have had a good supply knowing how it works.



Call the fishing stores in sask, they don’t have them either bud,

[Red Bullets]

Probably worth taking a small minnow/seine net to the lake you are going to fish and take a few minutes to catch enough minnows from the lake for the day. Those minnows will make the best bait. Be sure to release any gamefish minnows from the net. (read the regs.on bait fishing)

[trigger7mm]

Problem is, is not very easy to find a lake that has a good population of minnow to even catch yourself.

[Big Lou]

Went through Lloyd on Thursday morning and Wildside had full freezers. We snagged 30 tubs or so.

[trigger7mm]

Can anybody suggest a place to catch minnows? Especially spot tail shiners. Thanks.

[Jims83cj5]

Went through Lloyd on Thursday morning and Wildside had full freezers. We snagged 30 tubs or so.

Emeralds?

[Vega21]

Is there a shortage of minnows this year or are they illegal to use? Lol. Been shopping a lot of stores to find candle lake shiners to no avail. Anyone know the reason?

Yup there is a shortage. Fishing Hole and other stores i've gone to said 3 weeks at the earliest. :angry3:

[deanstr8]

I have been stocking up on the jarred minnows from CT. They come in medium and large sizes and i used them all winter and they worked fine, even better for preservation. They go for about $7-8 per jar and you get close to the same quantity. They also seem to stay firm as opposed to the frozen that get pretty mushy once you thaw them once and try to refreeze. I think Walmart even carries them.

[calgarygringo]

As I mentioned earlier that this is the time of year they are caught and packaged. Until that happens any frozen minnows anyone has for sale was caught this time last year. Once everyone gets back to work and we have less people fishing all day long usage should go down and also the minnow guys had their own covid issues themselves last year that didn't help.



Yup there is a shortage. Fishing Hole and other stores i've gone to said 3 weeks at the earliest. :angry3:

[Justfishin73]

Fasgas in Calmar has stock, $8/tub, but......

[Red Bullets]

Can anybody suggest a place to catch minnows? Especially spot tail shiners. Thanks.

Without knowing where you are ...

Most Alberta lakes have one or more species of minnows. If you look up the lake you are going to on: http://albertalakes.ualberta.ca/ it will tell you the species of fish and minnows in the lake.

This time of the year minnows will be cruising the shallower shorelines where the water warms up first. Some minnows are in large schools. In the lakes in the parklands I have seen schools swim by for minutes in early June. I would think it would be the same in northern or southern Alberta too.

If two people walked in front of weed beds in 2 to 6 feet deep with a seine net they would capture a few or lots minnows. A seine net can be 3 meters long and 2 meters deep. Even a hand held net on a pole would work when the big schools are cruising. Or if you want a challenge and catch your bait try a using a micro float with a size 24 hook on 1/2 lb line. Half of one small maggot for bait.

[trigger7mm]

Without knowing where you are ...

Most Alberta lakes have one or more species of minnows. If you look up the lake you are going to on: http://albertalakes.ualberta.ca/ it will tell you the species of fish and minnows in the lake.

This time of the year minnows will be cruising the shallower shorelines where the water warms up first. Some minnows are in large schools. In the lakes in the parklands I have seen schools swim by for minutes in early June. I would think it would be the same in northern or southern Alberta too.

If two people walked in front of weed beds in 2 to 6 feet deep with a seine net they would capture a few or lots minnows. A seine net can be 3 meters long and 2 meters deep. Even a hand held net on a pole would work when the big schools are cruising. Or if you want a challenge and catch your bait try a using a micro float with a size 24 hook on 1/2 lb line. Half of one small maggot for bait.

Thanks Red Bullets. When we were kids, we would drag a seine net and catch minnows by the ice cream pail full. Nothing was better than fresh minnows for bait. You could do this at most Lakeland area lakes back in the day. I haven’t seen minnow populations like that for a very long time now.

[Freedom55]

There was a time when my friend and I would throw a minnow trap in a pond on the edge of Black Diamond to soak a slice of wonder bread while we had breakfast in town. That old trap would fill up with sticklebacks and we were set for the day on the Highwood with those dead minnows. That and live grasshoppers. Those days are gone but I'm thinking the sticklebacks are still there.

Free

[Red Bullets]

Thanks Red Bullets. When we were kids, we would drag a seine net and catch minnows by the ice cream pail full. Nothing was better than fresh minnows for bait. You could do this at most Lakeland area lakes back in the day. I haven’t seen minnow populations like that for a very long time now.

Now around Lakeland if you want minnows you just have to shoot a cormorant and open up his belly to get a few. One cormorant eats up to 1.5 lbs of fish/minnows and other creatures a day.