Trapping Minnows

[AppleJax]

Just bought a minnow trap recently and I want to try it out. I have never used one and was hoping someone might share some advise/knowledge. What do you use for bait and what kind of container would you place it in?

[WayneChristie]

I use dry cat food in a ziplock bag with holes in it. canals are a great place to put them out. never had any luck in the river except for little lobsters

[npauls]

Don't be surprised if your trap goes missing if you sent it and come back later to collect your catch.

I had one stolen earlier this year and have heard of a few others with the same problem.

I use dry dog food and just dump it right into the trap.

Do a search and look for chubdarters brine for curing your minnows before freezing them. It works really well to keep them very shiny with all their scales and no fin rot.

[AppleJax]

Hmmm, will have to give that a try. My dog's food is made from fish so hopefully that will help. I guess I will habe to keep a close watch on it for thieves! If I put it in the sturgeon river it should work okay.

[trigger7mm]

I've use bread in an onion bag, then put in the trap. It worked pretty good too. How can we find out what the minnow brine is made of.

[Warmbreeze]

Just put some peices of bread in with it and tie it to your dock. Come back in a few hours to a day and enjoy! I make sure minnows are visible in the area I put it.

[cks]

I use old donuts really old, or old bread works good I use a very thin green line so no one can see my traps check all small ponds you never know were you will find them.

[Teamprotz]

The kids use bread for chubs in our small dugout. Catch them by the 100's. Don't keep them for bait though.

[GOT1!]

I always used quick oats. Grab a handful, dunk yer hand in the water and work it into a firm pasty ball. Works great but sure is messy.... Finger lickin messy. Love the dog/cat food idea!!

[ZeeFishing]

I also have had minnow traps stolen, 3 of them. So I started making my own traps out of cranberry juice jug and 1L bottle top (at the bottom) you can kindda see it in the pic. cheep, simple, works great and I don’t care if these cheep ones get stolen. Ive tried every kind of minnow bait you can think of and the winning bait is CESAR DOUBLE DELIGHTS DDOG TREATS: FILET MIGNON FLAVOUR just put ¼ to ½ hand full in

[TyreeUM]

I have used dozens of different baits in minnow traps for work and an old fish biologist from alberta introduced me to the best bait I have found to date: no-name catfood from superstore!

[jacenbeers]

What species do you mostly catch when you leave traps out? I know Chub and Sucker minnows are probably common. What else do you get? I have left my trap out three times in the river this year and have only been able to catch crayfish.

[ZeeFishing]

im not 100% sure but i think these ones i got last time are fathead minnows

[Guitarplayingfish]

Originally Posted by jacenbeers

What species do you mostly catch when you leave traps out? I know Chub and Sucker minnows are probably common. What else do you get? I have left my trap out three times in the river this year and have only been able to catch crayfish.

Depending on where I throw, I have gotten anything from spot-tail shiners to walleye (which I of course released).

Lots of different types of minnows in the river systems, just make sure you can identify them so you aren't taking any game-fish... We need those minnows to grow into monsters so we can catch them someday... Also, it's illegal.

[Guitarplayingfish]

Originally Posted by jacenbeers

I have left my trap out three times in the river this year and have only been able to catch crayfish.

I have wayyy better luck once run-off dies down.. way better.

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by ZeeFishing

im not 100% sure but i think these ones i got last time are fathead minnows

western silvery minnows

[ZeeFishing]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

western silvery minnows

yeah i had no idea, thanks.

[TyreeUM]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

western silvery minnows

good to see they are making such a comeback! haha

[OttCan]

Originally Posted by ZeeFishing

im not 100% sure but i think these ones i got last time are fathead minnows

Fatheads are awesome bait!! If you ever venture where you can use live minnows, try and get some fatheads, they are crazy lively and will last a long time on your hook!! Just an FYI.

[ZeeFishing]

minnows.jpg
What kind of minnows are these?

[TyreeUM]

Originally Posted by ZeeFishing

Attachment 54040
What kind of minnows are these?

hard to see, but I would agree with the other posts as they do look like fathead minnows. Post a pic closer of just one if you want a definite id.

[Levy]

Originally Posted by ZeeFishing

Attachment 54040
What kind of minnows are these?

I would have to agree that they look like Fat Heads. Here is a great link that i used to identify different minnow species i catch in my traps. This year something weird is going on and i can only find sticklebacks. Most years my traps are loaded with lake chubs, and the odd, logperch, iowa darter, or juvenile white suckers.

http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/vex...hes/family.cfm

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by Levy

I would have to agree that they look like Fat Heads. Here is a great link that i used to identify different minnow species i catch in my traps. This year something weird is going on and i can only find sticklebacks. Most years my traps are loaded with lake chubs, and the odd, logperch, iowa darter, or juvenile white suckers.

http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/vex...hes/family.cfm

great link thanks for sharing.
when the canals opened this year all I caught was sticklebacks, now they are a minority

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Originally Posted by AppleJax

Hmmm, will have to give that a try. My dog's food is made from fish so hopefully that will help. I guess I will habe to keep a close watch on it for thieves! If I put it in the sturgeon river it should work okay.

Id go for them out at your lake .

[ZeeFishing]

Originally Posted by Levy

I would have to agree that they look like Fat Heads. Here is a great link that i used to identify different minnow species i catch in my traps. This year something weird is going on and i can only find sticklebacks. Most years my traps are loaded with lake chubs, and the odd, logperch, iowa darter, or juvenile white suckers.

http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/vex...hes/family.cfm

thanks for the link

[ZeeFishing]

Originally Posted by TyreeUM

hard to see, but I would agree with the other posts as they do look like fathead minnows. Post a pic closer of just one if you want a definite id.

is this pic better? im going with my first guess, they are fathead