Catching/keeping minnows

[Dutch01]

So I was walking along the creek behind my house looking for salmon/trout (none yet), and I noticed a metric crap ton of minnows in there.

 

I'm going to buy a trap tomorrow and catch some, I'm paying too much $$$ for minnows lately.

 

I'm wondering if I can keep them in a small aquarium until the weekends roll around. Anyone ever kept minnows in a tank? Any tips or pointers would be appreciated...

 

Dutch

Edited October 5, 2015 by Dutch01

[Cloudy15]

get a really cheap aerator, i use to catch minnows in the creek as a kid and they kept just fine

[chris.brock]

 

Buy a plug in aerator, keep them cool (garage, basement), there's other regs like label your trap and you can only keep so many and where you can transport them.

 

I use bread in the trap.

[Dutch01]

I will mostly use them within a few days of trapping them I would think. I have an aerator for my pail, but I was thinking an aquarium might be a nicer way to keep them. Plus, my aerator is battery powered, aquarium will save me money on batteries over time.

 

I don't know if I need to feed them, check ph, or use a heating pad etc (all the stuff you'd have to do with regular aquarium fish).

Edited October 5, 2015 by Dutch01

[chris.brock]

no feeding needed for a few days

 

my plug in aerator is likely 15 years old and was about $10, can't get a dozen big minnows for $10

[Dutch01]

no feeding needed for a few days

 

my plug in aerator is likely 15 years old and was about $10, can't get a dozen big minnows for $10

Exactly, I'm paying 7.99 a dozen. In fairness to

him though, he gives a huge scoop so it's actually probably 2+ dozen that he gives for each dozen you order. In the end it's still money out of pocket though so I'll get the minnow trap after work tomorrow (if I don't go fishing instead!).. I'll report back how it works out....

 

Thanks Chris!

Edited October 5, 2015 by Dutch01

[OhioFisherman]

Is the creek on your property? A minnow bucket floating or sinking left in the creek might be enough, no idea if you need to label it there with your name and address.

 

Creek chubs, at least the ones we get here like to jump out of the water, a screen lid over an aquarium might be needed. They will eat bread crumbs or goldfish food.

[Gnote]

Ive kept minnows a while and theres a few things to keep track of.

You need to watch the ph, the temperature, and keep the holding area relatively clean.

You need an aerator of some kind preferably a plug in one, make sure to keep the intake clean as well.

Never hurts to have a baitfish guide of some sort as there are a bunch of endangered and threatened species that you dont want to be using or keeping for bait.

Ive rarely seen them when i trapped minnows but i did toss the occasional one back that i did see.

If you are keeping more than a week feed them

Regular fishfood they will eat it( at least they did for me)

Regardless some will die just try get them out asap.

Good luck!

[dave524]

Make sure they are legal baitfish and not fry of a game species.

[Dutch01]

You guys bring up some good points.

 

The creek is on "my" property in so far as it's an apartment building and I rent here. I will label the trap just to be safe. It's probably too public to leave my minnows in a bucket in the creek though.

 

I do know that there are Red Sided Dace in this creek, which are endangered. I assume there could be trout or salmon fry in there too. I will release all of these of course. That should leave me with some chubs and suckers. : snicker: (my group of fishing friends refers to a McDonald's Filet of Fish as a "Chub and Sucker Sandwich")

Edited October 5, 2015 by Dutch01

[OhioFisherman]

If it is an apartment building there is probably a lot of traffic around the stream, kids might pull a trap or minnow bucket just thinking it is lost? Have you considered seining for them with a net?

 

A 3-4 pound largemouth bass or walleye has no problem taking a 6-8 inch chub.

[Walleye72]

I'm sure it won't be a problem but you can't have more than 120 minnows in your possession at a time.

[FloatnFly]

First things first, get yourself an aquarium, you find them used for pretty cheap, get a filter, and a heater, kits are pretty cheap as well from a place like big al's. get it setup, put your water in, and then you'll have to cycle your tank, which basically means you need to get rid of the bad stuff, and replace it with the good stuff, otherwise anything you put in there, will die within 2 weeks. Cycling your tank will take anywhere from 10 days to a month, your water will turn really cloudy, then clear up, thats when its safe to keep fish long term

[Tom McCutcheon]

Just a question about the heater...Is this needed for bait minnows? I thought a heater in an aquarium was more for pet shop or tropical fish.

 

All the minnows I have ever bought have come out of a tank that has either refrigerated recycled aerated water or fresh pumped lake water in it. When they get transferred to the minnow bucket, it gets lowered over the side of the boat or dock in order to have fresh aerated and cold/cool water running through it.

[Gnote]

I have never run a heater for minnows, they live in cold water you fish them in cold water so keep them in cold water.

Any big temp change will shock and kill them

[Sinker]

Yeah, no need for a heater. Keep them COLD. They use less oxygen, and require less food as well.

 

I keep them in a cooler in my garage with an air stone in the cooler. They last forever as long as they stay cold.

 

 

S.

[OhioFisherman]

http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/science/physical/choxy1.htm

 

I wouldn't use a heater for bait fish, warm water doesn't hold oxygen as well as cold water.

[crappieperchhunter]

Lotsa people here doing way more work then I ever did when I fished with minnows. I used to use an airator....but found it wasn't necessary for the amount of minnows I kept. At the end I had it down to 2 white buckets kept in my cold cellar. Filled both buckets with tap water and then those drops of stuff from the aquarium store to remove chlorine from the water. Dumped the fish in one bucket. About once a week transferred them to the other bucket of water then dumped the bucket they where in and refilled it. I was told you never even had to use the chlorine stuff if the water sat for a while but it was cheap so I used it anyways for piece of mind. The most important thing IMHO is keep an eye on things and get any dead ones out ASAP. I fed them goldfish food but if they are kept cold they really don't eat very much at all. The smallest sized container of fish food would last me for years. I just found by giving them fresh water once a week they had enough oxygen and the water never got enough fish or food waste in it to cause any problems. I kept minnows all winter this way.

 

I would never ever use a heater for minnows.

Edited October 5, 2015 by crappieperchhunter

[Old Man]

The key things to keeping minnows alive for a long period are;

 

Cold water and lots of water. (I keep mine in a 5 gallon container in a fridge.)

 

Provide aeration. ( I use a aquarium pump and airstone)

 

Avoid thermal shock when transferring them from container to container or changing the water. ( I always try to make sure water I'm moving them to or changing is at the same temp that they are currently in)

Edited October 5, 2015 by Old Man

[Sinker]

If you freeze a block of lake water to put in with them it keeps them nice and lively.

 

S.

[FloatnFly]

either way, the nitrogen cycle is still important for keeping any fish alive for long periods of time, tap water is full of chlorine and ammonia, which is toxic to fish, by letting the water cycle, you eventually build a bacteria base which eliminates ammonia, but then you have another toxic chemical, nitrite, finally you get the good bacteria which eliminates the nitrites and converts it to nitrate, which is non toxic to fish, if you don't do this, your minnows will die off a lot faster than whats considered normal

[Cloudy15]

I use to keep creek minnows as a kid all winter. Had a cheap aerator and a clear plastic tub in my basement. I only ever put straight tap water in, and never changed it, just topped it off as needed. Do the same thing with my feeder gold fish i have as pets/food in a tank and some have been alive for over a year now.

[SirCranksalot]

either way, the nitrogen cycle is still important for keeping any fish alive for long periods of time, tap water is full of chlorine and ammonia, which is toxic to fish, by letting the water cycle, you eventually build a bacteria base which eliminates ammonia, but then you have another toxic chemical, nitrite, finally you get the good bacteria which eliminates the nitrites and converts it to nitrate, which is non toxic to fish, if you don't do this, your minnows will die off a lot faster than whats considered normal

 

So how do you determine when the 'cycle' is complete?

[FloatnFly]

 

So how do you determine when the 'cycle' is complete?

 

the water will go cloudy, and then clear up, this is when i was a rookie fish keeper, about 10 years ago, this is nearing the end of the water cycle, you can see the cloudyness of the water

 

Edited October 5, 2015 by FloatnFly

[davey buoy]

Great info guys,having fish for 20 plus years I know the ups and down.If you don't mind dutch01,I would like to add another question on topic.Do minnows run in the creeks all winter?,or do they go elsewhere.?.I'm getting into this as well.Great thread.Thanks.

 

Dave.