Catching Golden Shiners for Bait?

[Rich]

The ponds I fish dont open up til the 2nd saturday in may for pike, but they are full of golden shiners which I'm sure are the main diet of the pike there. I see hoardes of them at ice out in the shallows and catch the odd one on a piece of worm below a float. I'd like to find a way to trap, or attract/net them to use for pike fishing later on. Other frozen deadbaits work, but matching the hatch is best. Anybody got a way to specifically trap or target golden shiners? Maybe bread crumbs?

[OhioFisherman]

I always fished for them, take a 12 - 16 hook flatten the barb with a pair of needle nose pliers and snell it with 4 or 6 # test line. If you can use a spreader and two hooks legally in your area it makes it faster, just fish under a small bobber with a maggot or tiny piece of worm for bait.

 

Those real small hooks may be hard to find outside of a fly tackle shop, and trying to get anything bigger than 6# test thru the eye to snell them was also a problem.

 

As a kid at a local reservoir I used to watch one older guy that seemed to be a regular there use a cast net for them around a bridge that crossed the lake. He would attract them with bread crumbs or oatmeal and then make his casts, it seemed to work for him, at least when the net didn't get caught on the rip rap around the bridge.

 

With a minnow trap and a 1 inch limit? to the opening? You might have trouble getting large enough ones to enter? They are deeper thru the body than emerald shiners, and you don't usually see emeralds much over 4 inches long?

[Rich]

I wasn't sure if they would squeeze in the trap or not, but your advice is much appreciated! I just so happen to have some #16 hooks i never thought i'd have a use for. Never thought, i guess gulp maggots would likely slay them. I'll try the breadcrumbs for attracting them, if it works real well I'll try throwing them over my umbrella net and lifting quick, if not hook & bobbering them sounds like an entertaining venture until the season opens.

[Hooked]

I would chum the water with oatmeal or ground catfood. I do that with emeralds and works like a charm. If there are that many there, you may want to try one of those umbrella nets with a rope tied to it. I got one that is maybe 4' x 4'. Chum the water, throw out your net and pull when they flock in. Or try the small hook for them idea. Good luck and Goldens are an amazing bait. If you salt a bunch too walleye love them.

Edited March 28, 2013 by Hooked