Rosey Reds

[anchorpuller]

I've seen a couple of references to the rosey reds on the forums. I can find them here, but are a little too expensive here for my budget.
I've also read where some folks use red food coloring in thier regular minnows. Does it work? How long do they need to be in the red water to "tint" them? How much coloring do you use? And... will the coloring hurt the minnows?

[labill]

I've seen a couple of references to the rosey reds on the forums. I can find them here, but are a little too expensive here for my budget.
I've also read where some folks use red food coloring in thier regular minnows. Does it work? How long do they need to be in the red water to "tint" them? How much coloring do you use? And... will the coloring hurt the minnows?

anchorpuller.....I've seen people that use food coloring to give minnows an orange/red tint, and it seems to not harm the standard minnows. But....another tribute to the Roseys is their durability, being a fathead minnow they are some tough little guys. I can't answer about how long to leave minnows in the coloring agent, surely it must be deleted with water to sustain their oxygen intake. I'd experiment with one minnow at a time to get a feel of how long to leave them in the mixture to get the color where you like it. Good luck!!

PS....as an after thought, don't use tap water unless you are on a well. Chlorine is a minnow killer.

[1weezer]

Anchorpuller, I tried that once. Was getting ready to go to a tournament and some one told me that adding food coloring to water would change the color of the minnows. While my wife was at work, I put a few minnows in several styrofoam cups, added food coloring, and placed them all through out the house. When she got home and found cups with minnows scattered all over the place, she thought I had lost my mind. LOL The next day I put all the minnows back into the cooler and you could not tell the difference between the ones I tried to color and the ones I didn't.
It might work if you leave them in there for a few days, but it did not work for me. Rosey Reds or small goldfish is a lot easier. lol

[CrappiePappy]

that food coloring would not be a good choice. It's basically water soluable - so it wouldn't really "take" on the minnows. Now, if there were some kinda non-toxic dye ... that might work better. I don't really know ... I don't use Rosey's or Shiners. When I buy minnows, there usually Bluntnose (aka "tuffies"), and they seem to be much hardier than the others that are available at the lakes I fish.
You could also consider using a jig of a pale orange color, or a washed out red .... :p .............. luck2ya .......cp

[Bart]

A couple weeks ago I asked a local bait shop for some rosey reds and he said they were out of season and couldn't get them right now. Are you guys finding them this time of year?

[anchorpuller]

that food coloring would not be a good choice. It's basically water soluable - so it wouldn't really "take" on the minnows. Now, if there were some kinda non-toxic dye ... that might work better. I don't really know ... I don't use Rosey's or Shiners. When I buy minnows, there usually Bluntnose (aka "tuffies"), and they seem to be much hardier than the others that are available at the lakes I fish.
You could also consider using a jig of a pale orange color, or a washed out red .... :p .............. luck2ya .......cp

So far that has been my experience. It doesn't seem to "take". I've tried it twice. I just wasn't sure if I did it "right".
I've never used jigs however I did buy some to try something new because of what I've read here on the boards. That does sound like an idea I might try. Right now, all I have is chartruese and blk/chartruese. Chartruese is what it seems most say is productive.
Thanks...might have to try a "rosey red" jig.

[labill]

A couple weeks ago I asked a local bait shop for some rosey reds and he said they were out of season and couldn't get them right now. Are you guys finding them this time of year?

Bart, they're available here in N. Louisiana year 'round. Seems that most of them are grown in Arkansas, so our suppliers are close enough we can get them 'bout anytime.

[DENNIS BOWERS]

So far that has been my experience. It doesn't seem to "take". I've tried it twice. I just wasn't sure if I did it "right".
I've never used jigs however I did buy some to try something new because of what I've read here on the boards. That does sound like an idea I might try. Right now, all I have is chartruese and blk/chartruese. Chartruese is what it seems most say is productive.
Thanks...might have to try a "rosey red" jig.

Anchorpuller-Chartruese is always a hot color here!!Chart/orange&chart?sparkle are the 2 hottest right now!!I rarely use minnows anymore-Jigs are cleaner,dont die,cheaper,more versital,ect.!Theres times when minnows are the trick but 90% of my Crappie come from Jigs!!Good LucK!!!

[KARL]

I've seen a couple of references to the rosey reds on the forums. I can find them here, but are a little too expensive here for my budget.
I've also read where some folks use red food coloring in thier regular minnows. Does it work? How long do they need to be in the red water to "tint" them? How much coloring do you use? And... will the coloring hurt the minnows?

couple times also...left some in "mix" for almost 2 weeks one time, seemed to tint the white underbelly some...not really enough to make difference in catch rate.....I put enough dye in water to turn water darkish red.................one thing I havn't tried but thought of once----put some dye in cup w/o water and drop minnows in straight dye for couple seconds and see if does any better.....just a "boxless" thought..ha ha :D

[J White]

I no minnow guy, but saw this on pg 108 of the '05 cabelas bass & panfish
specialty catalog - Spectra Minnow Color System - seems to be made just
for what ya'll are wanting to do. It sounds like a lot of effort, but hey -
I've done more, sometimes for no result