Eye appeal?

[Yaker]

Is there a preferred minnow for catching crappie ? One of our local bait shops sell minnows he catches locally'they are fairly dull colored.Im not sure what breed they are,but I'm thinking there may be better varieties ( eye appeal ) than the mud hole minnows he sells.

[CrappiePappy]

Most sell either Fathead minnows or Shiners ... but, sometimes Bluntnose or Rosey Red minnows can be had (depending on regional location).

Which variety your man is selling could depend on if he's getting them out of a creek or pond ... and if they're native to your waters or bought from a wholesaler (fish farm).

I "believe" that the Fathead minnow is probably the most used minnow sold through "baitshops" that are supplied by fish farms.

[ad1974]

The baitshop here only sells Fatheads and 2 sizes of Shiners.I get the Fatheads,they are cheaper and seem to work pretty good.I saw a video on YouTube where they were putting this dye into a bucket and coloring their minnows.It didn't seem to harm the minnows at all and they were bright chartreuse and blue when they were done.I'm not sure how much of a difference the color makes on livebait but it was a interesting video.

["G"]

We use shiners here in Mississippi.....they come from bait farms in Arkansas

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[Jman5626]

The baitshop here only sells Fatheads and 2 sizes of Shiners.I get the Fatheads,they are cheaper and seem to work pretty good.I saw a video on YouTube where they were putting this dye into a bucket and coloring their minnows.It didn't seem to harm the minnows at all and they were bright chartreuse and blue when they were done.I'm not sure how much of a difference the color makes on livebait but it was a interesting video.

I would be very interested to hear more about this minnow coloring idea. Has anyone else seen or heard of this??
Or have a link to the video?



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[Yaker]

I believe I've been purchasing fat head minnows,( I will trap my own from this day forth) I would like to try shiners,I'm checking another bait shop tomorrow to see if they sell them.I was curious if emerald shiners were better, same,or not as good as fat heads,it is opinions I know,but courious none the less.

[ad1974]

Hey Jman5626 if you go to YouTube just type in bait dye in the search box and a bunch of videos will pop up.I would do a link thing but I don't know how.

[Jman5626]

Hey Jman5626 if you go to YouTube just type in bait dye in the search box and a bunch of videos will pop up.I would do a link thing but I don't know how.

Thanks. This looks awesome! I'm Gona try it at some point



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[silverside]

Thanks. This looks awesome! I'm Gona try it at some point



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Many years ago I did this. They came out looking like goldfish. I seem to remember it was just food coloring.

[CrappiePappy]

I believe I've been purchasing fat head minnows,( I will trap my own from this day forth) I would like to try shiners,I'm checking another bait shop tomorrow to see if they sell them.I was curious if emerald shiners were better, same,or not as good as fat heads,it is opinions I know,but courious none the less.

I haven't found Shiners to be "better" than Fathead minnows. They are, however, the only choice in some cases, like when the minnow "dealer" (usually a marina) doesn't carry anything else.

I've found them to be less hardy (die quicker/easier) on the hook or in the bucket. Also found them to be "softer" ... allowing for damage to them by simple handling, and/or dying or coming off the hook easier.

I think their biggest "draw" is that they are often present in the waters where they're being sold, and that makes them "subject" to the idea that fish recognize them as their natural food source.

They are usually higher in price than "other" minnow species, when/where those other minnow species are also available for sale.

This is just my experiences & opinion ... from a limited amount of experience with Shiners as bait. Others may disagree, in accordance with their own experiences.