Thread: Kemper Lake and

Good catch. Too bad your minnows died. You mentioned that you had them in cold water. That could have been the problem. If your water was more that 3 or 4 degrees colder that the water in the bait shop they probably died from thermal shock. Most bait shops keep their bait at around the 60 degree level. You can keep minnows alive very well all the way to freezing, but you have to temper them a couple of degrees at a time. Also, it doesn't take much better bait in a cooler that size. 1 tablespoon treats 50 gallons.

Jigflinger, the place where I got the minnows is notorious for having their bait die once they leave the tank. In the past I've tried to match what temp the tanks were at with a little better success, but these minnows start dying before I even get to the lake- which is a 10 minute ride. Why, I do not know; as I've tried different tanks, aerators, you name it?

I always keep a couple of cubes of ice in the baitwell, and I never have problems anywhere else. Sometimes I think that they die because the store where they come from always has minnows, but I sometimes think that's because they have a low demand for them. I'd think that if they sat in a tank for months on end, they'd be more susceptible to dying if any type of stress and/or change was induced.

Far as Better Bait goes, you betcha money I do the bare minimum on that stuff! I actually measured out the weight of 1 tbsp. of the stuff and then figures up what the weight was in oz./lb. I've got a custom measuring spoon from a tuna fish packet that puts the exact amount per gallon of water.

If your ice was made with tap water...it could have chlorine, ect. In it

Nah, the ice I use the same that's in my 1 gallon thermos. It's from local spring water, and it's all I drink and use, other than for my caffeine/ snack cooler.

Again, I never have issues anywhere else- only there, and it's a known problem for the few folks I know that get their minners there (or even crappie fish Kemper, for that matter.

Wow! Nice crappie.

Nice catch Slater!! Not to be a smarty pants, but I would conclude that they sell shoddy minners.. I know of two places (local) I wouldn't take them for free, be no use.. just have a bait cooler full of dead ones in an hour or two. I will drive out of my way a bit to get good minners when I have to have them. If no other bait shops within reasonable distance, I would look into making a minner tank and keep my own. And to be fair to bait shops, I found keeping minners alive in Summer extremely difficult, even when buying from the same reputable shops I did in the spring and fall. Either way 17 ain't too shabby

Get you some small water bottles or juice bottles, fill with water and freeze. Go to that minnow store, make him fill your bucket with his water. After you go back to boat put one of those bottles in the bucket. It will cool that water much slower than your ice cubes and stay cooler a lot longer. Shock of different water plus rapid cooling could be your problem.

What cray said.....been doing it for years.

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