Minnow trap at night?

[SweetHomeAlabama]

About 3 weeks ago I went night fishing using the floating headlights. Thousands of minows swarmed the light.

Would a minnow trap, lowered over the side of the boat, catch many minnows?

[Cmac]

Not sure if a minnow trap would or not as I have never used one, but why not just trow a cast net over them & catch that way??? Wouldnt be much work & it would be a lot quicker than waiting on the minnows to swim into the trap.

[Speck]

I ususally set my minnow trap out at dark and pick it up at day light or just a little earlier. Baited with a piece of bread, its usually full by morning. I think if you put one beside your boat at night, it'll do fine. Speck

[FishinTalk]

I've tried this twice with no success. I'm not sure if they (minnows) are too busy doing their circles around the light or if its an issue with the boat too close the trap scaring them from going in it. I baited it with the dogfood in a sock method I read on here somewhere else. Left it in the water all night both times and I mean all night from like 9PM to 6AM. :o

I did throw my trout net in the boat a few weeks ago and did scoop up a mess of shad one outing in it. Should probably invest in one of those cast nets or folding net thingies -I forget what their called

[eddiebhome]

Umbrella net.

[CrappiePappy]

About 3 weeks ago I went night fishing using the floating headlights. Thousands of minows swarmed the light.

Would a minnow trap, lowered over the side of the boat, catch many minnows?

The word "Minnows" covers a wide variety of small fishes. It's even used to describe gamefish that are larger than fry but smaller than your finger. But, what you are most likely seeing, circling under your lights, is Shad. And, while they're often referred to as "Shad minnows", and they're excellent Crappie bait .... they're not the intended species for a "minnow trap".
There may also be some pencil shaped "minnows", that hang around the surface under/around your lights. These are most likely Brook Silversides, and are also not likely to become victims of a minnow trap.

The Shad are more easily caught with a cast net, while the Brook Silversides are subject to going right thru the 1/4" mesh (smallest mesh available) of the cast net.... so, they're generally caught with a wire screen type dip net.

"Shad" (Threadfin, Gizzard) are plankton eaters/filter feeders .... Brook Silversides eat mostly copepods, waterfleas, and a variety of insects. They also include small invertebrates, like water mites and spiders, in their diet. So, "baiting a trap" for them, would be quite difficult.

It's just MHO ... but, I suggest you'd be better served by using your "minnow trap" for the intended species, for which it was made. ........ cp

[SweetHomeAlabama]

Thanks pappy. I'l take my cast net the next time.

[Hoosier Crappie]

My experience is very good using a long handle fine mesh net. Sweep this a few feet below the lights. Lots of shad minnows and Brook Silversides caught- exactly what CP mentioned.

BTW, shad live short lives in a regular bait bucket, so unless shad-friendly conditions exist in your boat, net only what you need- trust me they'll quickly pollute a regular bait bucket.