Minnows

[crash8005]

Just wondering how ya'll keep your minnows lively during the winter months?? Thanks in advance for the help.

[crap-king]

the cooler the weather the less air they need - just keep the water fresh
crap-king

[CrappiePappy]

cold water just holds oxygen better than warm water .... the minnows need the same amount of oxygen, regardless of water temps.

When I use minnows, I have a certain set of equipment pieces that I take along. For 200 minnows or less - I have one plastic trolling minnow bucket (kind that floats at an angle like this: / ) and two small plastic minnow buckets (one for each end of the boat) and two battery operated "Bubble Box" air pumps (which can be used together in the big minnow bucket when transporting by vehicle or boat, or one in each personal minnow bucket when/if necessary). If I have more than 200 minnows, I would have another trolling minnow bucket. And I also have a large plastic, circular "tub" (actually a clothes basket) that I can take and use at camp/motel/trailer to hold the minnows in, overnight - and use the bubble boxes in it, too. I can also use the "tub" and bubble boxes to keep Shad in, that I've cast netted.

When I used to use minnows exclusively, and taking them on 3-5hr road trips to certain lakes, I purchased all this equipment. But the equipment was mainly for use once I got to my destination. The place where I buy minnows has plastic bags and an oxygen tank - so you can bag the minnows, inject oxygen into the bag and seal it off with rubber bands. This setup will keep the minnows in good shape for over 6hrs ... as long as the water temp in the bag stays cool and the rubber band seal stays intact.

Here are some links to pics of the above mentioned items (or similar items of other brand names) ----

Trolling minnow bucket - http://www.fogdog.com/sm-frabill-flo...pi-975992.html (available at Wal-Mart)

Personal minnow bucket - also available at Wal-Mart ... plastic bucket with top for $3-$4 each (6.5" tall by 7.75" wide) (sorry, couldn't find on-line pic)

"Bubble Box" - http://www.marinemetal.com/mmpweb3.html (also available at Wal-Mart for around $8-$9) *runs on 2 D batteries (site says up to 33hrs on two D batteries ...but mine have run much longer than that - in 1 to 12hr stretches, not continuously ... but collectively)

One can also employ "chemicals" to help keep minnows lively ... such as these: http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/...ories/ssid/274

Temperature "shock" can kill a minnow as fast (or faster) than low oxygen ... always be sure that your minnows are kept in water that is the same temp as the lake water, or warmer. Putting minnows in colder water than what they're kept in, in the bucket, will not hurt them ... but putting minnows in warm water, straight out of a minnow bucket full of cold water, will sometimes "shock" them and shorten their lifespan on the hook - if not outright kill them. I always "temper" the transport water with lake water (usually putting the bagged minnows in the livewell and pumping the livewell full of lake water ... then traveling to my destination on the lake) By the time I'm ready to hook a minnow on, the minnow water is ready to be dumped into the buckets. If it still feels much colder than the lake water - I remove some water from the minnow bucket and replace it with lake water (usually about 1/2-1cup at a time over several minutes, until I get the temps approximately the same).

Now that I've written all this, and reflected on the use of minnows ... I realize why I switched to using jigs 95% of the time ...LOL!! But, they do have their place and time, so I still use them.

* a sign I saw at a bait shop said -- "Our minnows are guaranteed to catch fish ... or die trying"

..........luck2ya ..............cp

[Huckleberry Slim]

Just wondering how ya'll keep your minnows lively during the winter months?? Thanks in advance for the help.

They seem to really like spring water. Luckily there's a spring-fed branch in my side yard and I gravity flow water into a 32 gallon trash can for a minnow holding tank. Since the local marinas are closed until April its real handy having a couple/five dozen minnows on hand.
On my boat I use the inner part of a Frabil plastic bait bucket in a 5 gal bucket and a bubble box ($6 at Wal-Mart). The 5 gal. bucket seems handier than a livewell on account of having it in reach when fishing from the front or back of my boat.

[Moose1am]

I prefer to use jigs if at all possible. Minnows are a pain to mess with but they do catch fish so I still use them from time to time.

I didn't look at the posters name until I finished reading your post CP. At first I thought we had another good crappie fishermen/teacher online. Thanks for all the useful links.

I liked the one that had the different chemicals for the minnows. One of the chemicals was used for calming down the minnows during transport. I thought to myself "Humm Valium for Minnows" LOL


[QUOTE=crappiepappy]cold water just holds oxygen better than warm water .... the minnows need the same amount of oxygen, regardless of water temps.

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