Live bait dealer

[crappiecrazy]

We have new "Country Store" owners in our area. All the locals {like me} hang out here and drink coffee, tell lies, eat and shoot the breeze. We like the new owners and would like them to do well at their new business. They know nothing about the minnows business. Could I get some ideas on minnows tanks for their store on a very limited budget. (These tanks will need to be on the inside of the store), They looked at some tanks that cost $4000 (complete with areators, cooling unit and tank). No way they could afford this type of investment. Just want to get them started. My guess is that they would be selling 3 or 4 lbs a week during the spring season. Thanks!

Also if you knew someone that had gone out of business and had a tank set up for sale not too far from Ky.

[GregG]

If they will only sell 3-4 pounds a week in the spring seems that they had best just leave the minnow business alone.

I buy that by myself usually. :D

[Timmy Tom]

Check out rubbermaid black plastic livestock tanks or if not many minnow sells, 55 gallon plastic barrels would work. Memphis Net and Twine has agitators I think around $100 or so. They also have large minnow dip nets, don't recall the price. The stock tanks can be found at feed and farm stores. They need to contact the local live bait dealer which can help them with all the information. As for a cool atmosphere is the store airconditioned?

This is a round about cost for the minnows. This is not accurate but somewhat close. Unless these things went sky high, and location to the store for the dealer and there can be a min. order as well.

Minnows for around 4.50 to 5.00 lb.(maybe more)
5 lbs. crappie minnows should be around 69 dozen if sized 6 (6 lbs. to the 1000)
You sell 69 dozen for 1.50 dozen plus give a couple extra minnows as a incentive to fisher person to come back. (don't be greedy and give just 12)
The store should make a profit of around 65.00.
After water bill, electricity, time in cleaning tanks, area of store floor taken up, equipment and chemicals minus this from the minnow profit not very profitable. But if minnows brings in a customer to the store and they spend money for other items you need them.

But when minnows die they die quickly (as in the whole tank). So you would have to follow the dealers instructions very closley.


TT

[kycreek]

Old chest type freezers work great for minnows. Just have to regularly change the water. Our local bait shop has one divided into sections for various baitfish.

[prchjerker]

We have an old boy thats ran a bait shop out of his house for over 40 years.His tanks are built out of concrete block thats been painted with pool paint.The biggest part is having cool water and a good way to exchange it.He has a sand point well for water.

[wefish]

There is a bait shop in my home town that has a deep stainless sink double sided, that he uses and uses a boat livewell system and it works great.

[gabowman]

If there's an option of placing the tank outside under a shed a local store here uses a septic tank and has air lines from a compressor running into the tank for aereation. 'Couse I agree that if he's only gonna sell a few lbs. a week it might not be very profitable trying to keep 'em.

[gabowman]

Minnows for around 4.50 to 5.00 lb.(maybe more)

TT

I'm paying $11.50 a lb. for small minnows from a wholesaler. I'm sure I pay a buck or two more than retailers since I only buy a couple lbs. at a time and theyre moving that many almost daily during the spring. What's everybody else having to pay for minnows by the lb?!?

[Fessum]

They sell for $6.00 a pound here....but I have to drive 15 miles to get them.

[Spiderman]

I pay $5.50 for a half a pound here in East Texas.