Minnow traps

[suskymusky]

Anyone have any hints on where to place minnow traps in streams or lakes and what to use for baiting them? I've tried Ivory soap, breaddough,  and liver with poor results.When I check my trap(if its not stolen) its usually empty or it has a few crawfish in it and nothing else.

[BuckShotJon]

To catch chubs for pike fishing I place my minnow trap in a creek. I find a semi-deep hole and put it right in the middle of that. I use a dark colored line so it is not easily seen, I also go at least a 100 yards from the road. Still I had two stolen one time. Now I go place a trap at dark and pick up early the next morning.

I use a single slice of bread.

Jon

[Trophy Hunter639]

Save your chicken bones and throw a bunch in your trap

[fastribs85]

try this for a cheap trap
take a small water bottle and cut the tops off them cut holes in the side of a 3 liter soda bottle and srew in the water bottle lids in the cap of the soda bottle cut a hole and put a piece of rope through it add ballast to the bottm of the soda bottle and dont forget a couple hole to let the air out fill it with breadcrumbs or regular bread or even corn hope this helps

[reelcharacter]

Have heard about the liter bottle trap before. (Hate to loose a nickel here in NY State).     But, then minnows cost more than a nickel; so if it works, the cheapskate in me thinks it a good idea. 

Fastribs,
Have you ever used this type of minnow trap and how well did it work? Sounds like this could be used to trap minnows under the ice as well, if the bottle fits down the hole.

A while ago I purchased a 4’ x 8’ minnow net. Set it up with a pole on one end so I can use it by myself with reasonably good results (when you see a school of minnows near shore). Can also wade out to use it when you feel like getting wet. Liked this so much, purchased another net 4’ x 30’ (send the kids into the water with this one).

Had to get mine by mail-order from Carron (sp?) Net company, but any Wal-Mart carries them now.

-Reelcharacter

[Cider]

I take a can of inexpensive wet cat food and punch holes in it with a 16 penny nail.  Throw it in the trap and you will get a lot of minnows and crawfish!  Use fishy flavors like shrimp, sardine, ocean whitefish, salmon, etc.  The can also helps to hold the trap down in the current.

I also use twist ties (wire ties) and take the heels from a loaf of bread and tie them to the top and sides of the trap on the inside.  Minnows/shiners like the bread.

[grumpymoe]

i use chunks of bread in my traps, placed anywhere there's rubble on the bottom. by that, i mean small rocks and minor weeds. (likely areas for baitfish to seek cover). the only thing i've had to worry about as far as thieves go, is otters. those little b_ggers will clean you out. guess it depends on the type of trap. the wire mesh ones, with conical holes on each end work best. grump

[fulltmedad]

Best bait I have found is kibble style dog food. I use canned cat food in my crawfish box trap.
FTD

[reelcharacter]

FTD,

Come on over to the Bait / Crayfish topic I started at  http://www.myfishfinder.com/fishing_forum/index.php?topic=564.0

Tell me a little more about your box trap. Are there plans for one somewhere?

Thanks,
-Reelcharacter

[Cider]

reelcharacter - I know from your posts that you enjoy making your own gadgets.  But, if you don't want to fool with it you can get a good crawfish trap at Wal-Mart for about $3.00.  It is black vinyl coated wire mesh with a wide slot at the top of one side and a ramp that goes down in it.  Presumably, once the crawfish goes in, it cannot figure out how to get back out.

Look on Frabil's website and you will see one.  The one Wal-Mart has is just like it but has the FLW brand on it instead.  Probably makes it less expensive that way.

[reelcharacter]

Cider,

Thanks, see the note I left earlier on the Crayfish topic. (We're on the same page with this one).   

-Reelcharacter

[mike692]

I do like Jon when I set a minnow trap. Place it in the evening baited with bread, and pick it up in the morning on my way to the lake. Word of caution with minnow traps.....I have gone to get my trap and found it full of dead minnows. Apparently I didn't have it placed in an area where there was enough moving water and they suffocated from lack of oxygen. Talk about depressing.

I like traps, but without a doubt a seine is more productive, IMHO. I like the 4x8 seine stretched between two 2x2s. I use the ends of the 2x2s to poke under banks, brush, and rocks. When you see them swim into the net lift it out of the water.
One day dad and I went to get minnows at a place where we hadn't seined in years, one scoop and we had 4 dozen minnows of various sizes. I love it when that happens.

[seaweed01]

Try useing dry cat or dog food. You only need a small
handfull and it doesen't break up and dissapear like
bread. I've caught thousands of minnows and it is the
best bait by far that I have ever used.
As for where to put the trap, try putting it under some
debris next to the current in a back eddy, or under or near some tree roots just out of the current. If you can see bottom where you are using the trap, stop and observe the minnows (poloriod glasses help) to see where they are schooling/resting, this is also a
good place for the trap.

Grumpymoe,
Try getting a large watersnake out of your trap sometime, it's quite an experience. I hate the da*m
things, the eat all the minnows.

[mike692]

Seaweed,

I have caught water snakes as well. They are usually dead by the time I get them. On the bright side they attract alot of crayfish, which come to clean up the carcass.

[Cider]

Mike - I was hoping someone would post on using a seine.  I have seen them at Wal-Mart but never used them before and was wondering what the best method would be.  Sounds like they are more of an active style of getting minnows rather than like the passive traps.

I like the traps because, like you, I can set the trap at night and the next morning on the way to the fishin' hole I pick up a trap full of bait!