Catching Minnows

[Austin12345]

I was wondering If any of you guys have some tips and tricks if you catch your own minnows I have done it in the past I will have to be doing it more as we probally wont be able to go get bait I useally use just a minnow net and go to some small creeks by my house and can get about 3-4 dozen shiners and fatheads in 20 min but I was wondering if anyone has experince trapping them.

[Kettle]

I would catch Chubs using tear drop jigs and pieces of really small angle like worms. How I catch walleye in rivers, catch Chubs to catch the walleye 

[IceHawk]

Austin small minnow traps baited with some small dogfood or bread pieces. Toss in creeks deeper pools in backwaters especially off rivers. Leeches crushed coffee cans baited with beef spleens or liver,  pull real early before first light before leeches escape. Just make sure there not blood suckers and good leeches  Crawlers I get most of mine after a good hard rain on a couple back blacktop roads that are loaded doesn't take long. Be setup for bait for a while even if bait stores are closed . 

[Wanderer]

25 minutes ago, Austin12345 said:

I was wondering If any of you guys have some tips and tricks if you catch your own minnows I have done it in the past I will have to be doing it more as we probally wont be able to go get bait I useally use just a minnow net and go to some small creeks by my house and can get about 3-4 dozen shiners and fatheads in 20 min but I was wondering if anyone has experince trapping them.

That sounds pretty efficient!  When I was growing up we’d seine a creek too to get the smaller minnows.  A little later we had a cabin on a river in northern MN and would catch creek chubs like @Kettle mentioned.  We’d have two rods with; one for chubs and one for rigging the chubs for bigger fish.  A grasshopper or worm from an overturned log would start the show.

 

These days you have to be careful about transportation of bait between waters though.  Bait dealers have to trap under permit to be VHS free.  Be sure of the regs wherever you’re trapping and fishing.

 

The good ol days were good!

[Rick G]

Like icehawk said, dog food works well, i would put it in cheesecloth or an old sock w someholes in it to keep it all from washing away too quickly. Those small barrel type traps can be very effectife if you have a good size population of minnows in your creek. 

Edited April 6, 2020 by Rick G

[PRO-V]

A hunk of uncooked lasagna noodle attracts them well also in a trap.

[Austin12345]

Nice thanks you guys

[smurfy]

14 hours ago, IceHawk said:

Austin small minnow traps baited with some small dogfood or bread pieces. Toss in creeks deeper pools in backwaters especially off rivers. Leeches crushed coffee cans baited with beef spleens or liver,  pull real early before first light before leeches escape. Just make sure there not blood suckers and good leeches  Crawlers I get most of mine after a good hard rain on a couple back blacktop roads that are loaded doesn't take long. Be setup for bait for a while even if bait stores are closed . 

I've often thought about trying the leech catching thing...…...but not if I have to do it before its light out!!!!!!

 

great info by the way. I've been trying really hard to fish plastics most of the time, but I do like having some meat along just in case. with the amount of bait I use.....i'll support the fellers that sell and get it!!!!!!