Shiners for walleyes?

[KW]

Does anyone use shiners for walleyes?Picked some up today at the bait shop to try,hopefully to pop a big one.Was hopeing they had creek chubs but no go,just curious if anyone used shiners for walleyes.thanks,KW

[Eyecrosser]

KW,

We use them a lot here in Minnesota, both silver and goldies. Work great in the fall and winter months.

[gilly8000]

I agree, I caught quite a few eyes this winter on shiners on Lake of the Woods. The only downside to them is I don't think they live as long as chubs do.

[Box]

Yep. Work great, but they are hard to keep alive. We have started to use our smaller livewell to keep them in, and it sure helps a lot - better than baitwells or buckets.

-Box

[Eyecrosser]

Dido, they are very fragile. In the winter, when I can't use a live-well, I use the biggest bucket I can and drop a O2 tab in. Seems to keep them going for a while.

[Walleye Express]

Please, No offense you guys.
But it kinda cracks me up reading that you guys use shiners like they were dried turds you don't want your friends to find out about. Here in Mich/Saginaw Bay area, shiners are the holy grail. And we are more picky about the size, shape and specie of our walleye shiners, than the women we pick for wives. The 2 1/2 to 3 inch Blue is the standard with which bait shops stand or fall around here. The 3 inch spottail or Gray is next. You wanna go out of business fast, try peddeling Arkansas Mud Minnows. We have had some weird selections at times. The Rosey Reds were hot for a while on the Sagiaw River. These were actually Mud Minnows that absorbed the red food coloring that was added to the water. I guess using what is natural to the walleye in the system your fishing would be best. But shiners are king where I'm from. Again, no offense. Capt: Dan.

[anxious]

geeeezzz i didnt get that impression at all! dried turds?? go figure!

[Walleye Express]

Anxious.
Please excuse me for trying to inject my own brand of humor to what was obviously a heart felt question. Capt: Dan.

[Box]

I love humor... :) I'm just a bit confused as well... nobody said they hid them or didn't like them, quite the opposite. Shiners are great. Just hard to keep alive for some of us. We get ours right from the lake we fish on, during the run in the spring.

I agree being picky at the bait stores is good though, as bad shiners aren't worth squat.

-Box

[wouldchuck]

Don't put them in the live well! Get a styrofoam minnow bucket and keep them in the water that they came in and out of the sun. The sudden change of water temperature kills them fast. And NEVER cast them! When we're trolling we just lower them over the side and let out line. Can fish for a long time with the same one

[Box]

Right, we buy them in a bag, then put the bag in the livewell water, and it acclimates over time if we get them from a store. Otherwise we get them right from the lake. Then we let them out and swim freely in livewell and give them shots of aerated water. Works great, better than anything we have tried.

It is horrible if you forget one in the empty livewell tho! ugh ;)

-Box

[Tom]

i,ve never found the need to use shiners for walleye but for early spring smallies on erie golden shiners are hard to beat i never leave home without them, now since i live 3 hours away from erie and in most cases i leave on friday eve and stay at camp which puts me 45 minutes away from erie i stay at camp overnight so i have to keep the shiners alive for a good while this is what i do, i use a 5 gal bucket and a small air pump, after i get my shiners ( 5 to 7 dozen ) on friday afternoon i add a bag of ice to them, the ice slows the metabilision down enough that they all go into a cold shock but they stay alive and as the water warms they start perking up again, this works well for me and while i do lose a few minnows say maybe 5 or 6 minnows out of 7 dozen i can live with that, you do have to make sure that you don,t over ice them cause they will die but so far this works out well for me.



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[Dogman]

What about fatheads? Alot easier to keep alive.

[KW]

Thanks guys for all the feedback,,,,,,definately alot more info than expected.One other question is the preferred way to hook them through the lips or behind the dorsal fin?Thanks,KW

[Box]

We use fatheads too. Usually get fatheads and a dozen shiners, and see which they like better. Often, it is the shiner that turns them on. Sometimes only fatheads, and sometimes it seems only the darker fatheads... and sometimes only the small crappie minnows seem to work.

...of course, only too often they don't like any of them ;)

-Box

[CECIL S.]

I FISH STOCKTON IN MISSOURI AND USE SHINERS AND/OR CREEK CHUBS ALL THE TIME WITH SOME VERY GOOD LUCK----------TIGHT LINES, CJS

[MnWalleyeKiller]

We fish the battle lake area in minnesota every year on opener. There is usually eight of us. We buy around ten dozen at a pop and go back for more. Hooh them in the lips, lindy, fire ball or casting twisters tipped with shiners all produce. Early in the year they work best for me.
Fish on!

[Chris]

Since Emeralds seem to be a big part of Walleyes dietin many waters do many/any use them?

[eyecatcher_1]

pretty small add in here, but I have found that when you keep the shinners and the fatheads seperated, it is easier to keep the shinners alive.

[Visitor]

Great add in eyecatcher, very important. Sudden temp changes are also hard on them, they like it cold. We use them all the time up here on LOTW. I was using them yesterday on the Rainy as a matter of fact!