emerald shinners

I understand these are the main forage fish for walleye in many waters. I don't hear much of their mention as ice fishing bait. Is that because they are hard to come by or not hardy?

[eyedoktr]

Where I live they aren't hard to come by but they also aren't very hardy. I generally get 3 times as many fatheads as I do emerald shiners. Fatheads stay alive for weeks while lots of times shiners dye on the way from the bait store to where you're fishing. That said, there have been times that the walleye definitely preferred the shiners over the fatheads. Generally if that's the case, they'll bite on dead ones.

[eyewall]

Emeralds are pretty common, by other names however. In Mi they are often called blues, other places I seen them called grass shiners, look at a picture of them and then go to the bait shop, they more than likely call them something different. They are not too ahrdy, I will agree with that.