How do you fellas keep your minnows?

[captshorelunch]

Do you guys keep your minnows or dump them after fishing? I would like to keep mine for repeat fishing but don't know how to do it. Gets kind of pricey giving them away to others after a day of fishing

[beeonkey]

I have herd that you need to change the water out with water from a different source from where you are. So bring a different bucket of water with you from home and change out the water in your minnow bucket. That way you are not transporting the lake water. This is what they were doing down on the Mississippi river this spring when Wisconsin put that new rule in on minnows.

I don't know what they could say if you are not transporting the lake water.

[Surface Tension]

Good question.

In the past I would say bring them home, put them in a cooler and use an aquarium aerator along with keep the water fresh.

VHS advisory would be to empty the water out of minnow bucket at the landing, put the minnows in a plastic bag and throw them in the trash.

[beeonkey]

I really don't wish to through my $12 pound of leaches away. I don't know if they could be part of the problem too but there has to be away to bring them home to recycle and reuse rather than destroy and waste. A bucket of fresh water and leave the lake water at the lake.

[Green&Gold]

It's nice to be able to keep them. I know that according to the DNR, you must dump them at the lake after fishing. CO made Poutslayer and I do that when we got checked last week at Boyscout Landing. If you want to take them home for re-use, what I do is keep them in the coolest spot in my garage and put an aerator on them.

[Northlander]

In this day and age you have to toss your bait after you have used it on the St. Louis or Lake Superior. Sad I know but I would rather dump my leeches and minnows than have these dang VHS's and other crap transported into other lakes and rivers. What Im doing is only bringing a couple dozen minnows and leeches out at a time. I buy by the gallon and pound but only take what I think I may use.

I keep them in a 5 gallon pail with ice in it and the airator on. I can keep leeches for weeks and minnows almost as long just as long as I keep water cool and fresh.

What I want to really know is how to keep this dang fog out of here.

Oh and I have been using plastics and hardbaits more now as well. My catching rate actually seems to have gone up a bit because Im moving faster and catching the more agressive fish.

[Surface Tension]

I keep my leeches in the cooler so theres no need to exchange the water when fishing. Therefore I don't dump them.

Minnows on the other hand need to be kept in the livewell or bucket. Not to dog on anyone here but disinfecting the boat, bilge, and livewell won't do much good if we transfer left over minnows from lake to lake. Sure you can exchange water from home but the virus would still be there, all you've done is reduced the parts per million. What good is that?

If your dumping minnows now you'd be the few that do.

Once we're required to, it'll be to little too late. IMO

[JBMasterAngler]

I keep my minnows in my basement refrigerator, and I have a fish tank down there that I use to change the water every so often. While I'm fishing I put ice in the bucket...changing with lake/river water is always a last resort. Using these methods I've been able to keep minnows for months and months. Hmmm, the fact that I have minnows alive for that long doesn't really say much for my fishing ability does it?

[nblasin]

I know I'm going to run into problems with this one. I primarly use minnows 90% of the time when fishing and I always fill my bait well up at the bait shop with water from the hose and then put some ice in and recerculate it through out the day and then bring the minnows back that i didn't use and store them in a bait net in the bait shop tanks. So no lake water get introduced, do you think this would fly with a CO? I understand where they are coming from. But it seems kind of tough when your paying $8 a dozen for redtails and you can't run out of bait or it looks bad to the clients. But I guess that's better than some of the alternatives with VHS and other exotics.

[Great Outdoors]

beeonkey,

Surface Tension said it best about the leeches, keep them in a cooler along with some ice. When you change the water in the container they are in (leech locker, tupperware, etc),dump the old water out and refill it with melted ice water from the cooler. It is best to keep consistant water temperature to keep from shocking them. Keep them in a cooler or refrigerator until you go fishing again. If you do this, you should never lose a leech. Minnows require far more TLC!

[DuluthGuy]

Far as leeches I use a LeechTamer - it is a mesh bag with a float - the slim runs right out and keeps them fresh. I just through the bag in the live well (my Yarcraft had 2 extra little baitwells w/1 airator - about .75L each) which worked great. when you drain your live wells at the landing - just leave the drained leeches in there and drop them in your fridge/cooler @ home. Changing the water was as simple as lifting the bag out - dump water - fill water - drop bag. I have NEVER had fresher/active leeches than with this thing. Everyone of my family bought one once they seen mine.

B2

[beeonkey]

I don't have a problem keeping bait. I have 2 55 gallon drums and a 30 gallon drum with airiators in and change water out each day for minnows. A fridge for crawlers and leaches. I was only stateing what the CO's would let fly this spring to keep your bait on the Mississippi.

I'm not really sure how the virus spreds if it's the water or is it the bait it self we are useing. I really think it's the bait. How are they desposing of the bait on the river? I hope they aren't just dumping them in the parking lot. The smell and mess would be horrible.

[Surface Tension]

VHS is spread by anything that comes in contact with infected water. Draining the minnow bucket, put the minnows in a plastic bag and throw it away when you get home is whats recommended.

[captshorelunch]

I thought of keeping leftover minnows from each fishing trip to reuse to save money but I think I will be tossing unused minnows due to VHS. It's cheaper to do that than have the DNR spend money it doesn't have to try to fight it if it gets into a system.

[Red Cabin]

I use A foam bucket inside A 5 gallon pail, I dont put my hand in the bucket after it has ben in contact with lake water, I use A scooper for that.