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Does anyone use minnow traps on the Big V? Several stores have them on sale in the Twin Cities this week. Are they effective? What does one use for bait inside the trap? Any negative experiences with them in the past? Thanks in advance for your feedback. I appreciate it.

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Are they the round cone entrance kind? We have 2 of them and 1 that is rectangular with sort of a ramp entrance. We mainly use them to catch those Rusty crayfish and have yet to catch minnows in them. I can't help you if you're wanting to catch minnows.

But if it's crayfish you're after, the round cone entrance ones work better at keeping them inside. Just about any luncheon meat or left over polish sausage will work great as bait. (Leftover polies, yeah right ).

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When I was a kid we used to do quite a bit of Minnow trapping. I never had good luck with the store bought traps. I used to make my own (cone shaped inlets, larger in dia.12-14", and longer 36"). We did pretty well in ponds and local creeks but never tried the lakes? As far as bait try dog food. Golden chunks used to work well.

Later

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MT, are you catching them to eat or for bait? I have heard that fresh Crayfish are pretty good. I know last summer we caugth a couple of Walleyes in July and they must have puked up 6 or 7 Crayfish each in the livewell, what a mess shocked.gif

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The round minnow traps work fairly well in small ponds and creeks. Bait them with bread or dried dog food. I also add a few styrofoam packing peanuts they float in the trap and seem to help attract minnows.

Be sure to face one of the openings into the current on streams.

Traps also have to have a tag with your name and address on them!!

I have never had much luck trapping minnows on the big lake. You will catch mostly crayfish and small perch minnows there.

Cliff

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Make sure you check the laws as I believe it's illegal to trap in a designated trout stream of which East and West Two Rivers in Tower are.

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Thanks for the input guys. I was intending to use one on the big lake, just under the dock. It is a conic shaped trap with 2 small inlet holes. I guess it's worth a try. Good fishing, boys!

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if you get any crawfish...please do away with them...thanks.......down to hours till we fish!!

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It takes a good 10 minutes of hard boiling them tastey buggers. There are some decent meat in some of the bigger Rusty's claws. A little garlic butter to dip in, mm-mmm! Kind of a chore, but a fun snack.

Just release the native crayfish, and pitch the rusty crayfish if you don't eat them.

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It doesn't do any good to just dump the rustys on the land!

They are very hardy and will just crawl back to the lake! mad.gif

You have to kill them outright. tongue.gif

The best way is to boil them and eat them! grin.gif

Cliff

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I put an old fish head in my minnow trap, set it off an island in the big lake and an hour later I had all teh cray fish I could handle. Set it once in a bay and caught one. They like the big lake. Boiled them in big pot of water with that crab biol stuff in it. Don't think it was 10 minutes - waited till they turned deep red and either sunk or floated (forgot which). Fished them out and served with butter. Very good actually. Break heads off and get the tail meat out. Make sure everyone is up to cleaning their own or else it is a pain to clean them for everyone. Look kind of cool - like a fancy restaurant at my cabin LOL. Serve with something else or you will go hungry trying to get enough meat. Sweet mild meat.

Capt

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every year when we go up to vermilion we trap crayfish. Personally i love the little things. Boil em in water for a little while. and then eat them with a little bit of butter. Yummy.

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Is the East Two River really a trout stream???

I can't find any info. to support that.

Any guides have Monday the 12th free ( available ) ??

10 % discount for FMers?

Thank -CLoma

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I don't know what Monday the 12th. you want. confused.gif

The only Monday the 12th. on the calander is in Sept. and I have that one booked.

Cliff

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Ken,

In Minn. it is not legal to use any part of any game fish as bait for anything! confused.gif

I presume you must be using sucker heads! grin.gif

Cliff

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The East Two and the West Two rivers used to be planted at least every-other-year with brookies and were classified as designated trout streams at that time.

I do not think that either has been planted for many years.

I do not know if they still are designated trout streams.

As a kid I spent many many days fishing trout on those streams! laugh.gif My biggest trout caught there was 2-1/2 pounds!

Cliff

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Yup, I forgot to say that part- sucker heads left over from fishing.

Capt

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