minnow trapping

[mwalleye]

I can't seem to get the archive to read out so need some help. When trapping minnows where should the trap be placed and should I use something as bait in the trap? Thanks for your help.

See you on the water

[Frank from TBay]

I put bait in my traps like bread and pieces of styrofoam. I trap with my neighbor and in areas where theft is a problem we tie two traps together and throw them out with no land line. We use a small grappling hook to retrieve them.....works great. Try small ponds and small lakes especially if there is running water into it. A lot of times you can see minnows..this is a good place to start.

[Cangl]

Mwalleye to trap minnows with out bait you need a siene or dip net. Dip nets can be baited though.
To trap with bait usaully wire, plastic, and glass containers with a screen opening up stream and an indented opening in the rear so as bait can moving upstream in the feed line and swim into open end. support up off bottom results in cosistent current flow in glass traps, laying on bottoms best for wire as it keeps the minnows from feeding out.
Bait?? crackers, oatmeal, breads etc..
I make up a batch buy mixing this 2 cups of quick oats 2-3 tbls
dry milk, 2 tbls non enriched flour, make 1 cup salt water, by melting in a tbls of halite, easily done in a micro wave.
ADD this salt water as needed to make balls golf ball size, or liquid state which ever way needed balls can be flattened and wired to seine/net material. Milking action and the current create chum line right to trap. Calm water I favor dip net or
GLASS ORVIS with stand.

[eyesrfn]

first thing is to see minnows where you are trapping. look for deeper spots in creeks 4 to 8 ft. the best bait i have found is a cheap type of dog food. don't use high protein it breaks up too fast. slower moving water will hold minnows good luck

[eyesrfn]

first thing is to see minnows where you are trapping. look for deeper spots in creeks 4 to 8 ft. the best bait i have found is a cheap type of dog food. don't use high protein it breaks up too fast. slower moving water will hold minnows good luck

[sublux]

anyone ever have any experience trapping emeralds? Or are they gotten by nets?

[mike combs]

first thing is to try and see minnows in the creek or water you are trapping. set your traps in 4to 8 ft of slower moving water. try using a cheap type of dry dog food, don't use high protein it breaks down too fast, for bait. good luck

[JCarp]

On Erie, I believe emeralds are caught with nets. I believe they use lights to attact them then net them, but I'm not sure of the net type. I'm pretty sure it is sometimes done through the ice (big hole inside a shanty). I once saw some guys kinda herd them into a corner at the Mazurik ramp using a motorboat and then using a dip net the size of a landing net to scoop them up. One nite fishing buddy talks about zillions of them in the lantern light when boat fishing at nite.

Couple of thoughts on traps in streams, set in deeper holes where you can see minnows, wadded up bread balls for bait, incidently caught snakes can often recover even when they appear to be dead, so if you catch one please be gentle with it even if you think it's history. If you want big baits, tiny hooks baited with a pinch of worm in deep pools works pretty well.

Good Luck