Thread: Backyard Minners'

I am not a minnow fisherman, but got a notion to try some recently. Being too cheap to go to a bait store, I did it the old fashion way. Actually the water was not too cold and felt pretty good. This was as much fun as actually fishing with them. Try keeping your balance on soft blue shale which is like walking on a bar of wet soap. I guess I made a few good dance moves out there when attempting not to go under. I managed not to get my head wet.

How many of you get your own backyard minners' ? If you are new to it... just make sure you have valid fishing license and meet the regulations on seine, cast net , or trap specs. Good way to cool off on a hot day.

HHD

30 yrs ago I always got my own but haven't lately. I did as you did with another person, does anyone know if there is any way for a guy to siene by himself?

My friend and I go out every year and seine what we can. In much the same setting. Kids are a blast to take with you. My little nephew loves it.

Another lost art, when i was a young boy that is how my grandfather and me got our bait it is hard saying what you will pull out other than bait.

Great Idea,Feed the birds with the left overs

any idea what kinda minnows those are? They look like fatheads, but i didnt think they were all that common outside the bait stores? But i dont really know. What we used to catch were chubs and shiners, would absolutley kill to get some baby shiners, reckon i could go out and try, got all the stuff, and plenty of creeks to try.

HB

I don't have a seine and haven't tried to get minnows that way in years. However I do have three minnow traps that I put out in the creek in the back yard. I bait them with bread and usually get three or four dozen creek chubs over night.

jimdiana... I used to also use a trap yrs ago as a kid. Many times I would pull it up only to find small water snakes trapped inside and dead.

Old Newbie... pretty hard to seine by yourself but can be done if you shorten up your seine width and find small pot holes that contain minnows. Probably easier in the fall when water is down.

HB... I think these are fat heads.... but maybe the shots below can help you identify them.

HHD

Are we supposed to use shiner? Is it ok as long as we don't release them into the lakes? There is a storm drain/creek in my back yard and in one spot shiner have taken over completely. You can fish them out with pool net! It is about 20'x 30' hole in the ground in the middle of the creek up to 10 feet deep. I've fished it a few times and it is 99.9% shiner, TONS of them. Every year it is the only thing in that hole. What would be the best way to get them out?

"Backyard Minners" are usually going to out fish fat heads any day of the week. The minnows I get, we call "river minnows" (which aren't fatheads) and of course creek chubs. I don't use minnows for crappie fishing, mainly because I don't feel like they out fish YUM scent, Kodiac shad or crappie bites (on days were you need to add scent). However, if I am fishing for walleye, that is another story, especially in the rivers. Another great use of creek chubs is for pay lake catfishing. I use ice jigs to catch creek chubs tipped with bee moth in small creeks (if I don't have a buddy to hold the other side of the seine). If I do have a buddy, I look for small creeks entering into larger river systems, and walk back and forth in front of the small creek. If you are usually backyard minnow hunting by yourself the "throw net" works great, the hard part is learning how to throw it correctly. Heck, my neighoor thought I was netting bugs for a collection when I was in my backyard learning how to release it properly :D. Good luck out there, and FYI the crappies in central indiana haven't spawned out in most lakes, the last three trips, including yesterday, more than half had eggs in them... HT