Thread: How to Keep Minnows Alive?

I can keep minnows alive and frisky for up to 2 weeks in a 5 gallon bucket with a $20 bubble box. If the water gets murky I change it. Also helps to keep the water cool. I keep mine in the basement. But if you are going to be camping, ice cubes or frozen water bottles work good. Hope this helps and good luck!
-Jesse


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I have an Engel bait cooler and it works great ..... I bought the 19 quart, but if I had it to do over I would get the 30 quart...... Well worth the investment.....keep the water fresh and add some Shad Keeper if the water doesn't have chlorine. Add some Better Bait to the water immediately if adding water with chlorine.

https://www.amazon.com/Engel-Coolers...el+bait+cooler

Ice and O2, fresh water changed.

The minnow's "waste output" is one of the most detrimental aspects of keeping minnows for extended periods of time ...

Filtering or changing the water may be the single best control to keep the minnows from dying from their own "waste output" ...

Rickie

Originally Posted by rickyberetired

I'll be camping at LBL and plan to buy minnows at Grand Rivers on the way in but I've gotten to our campsite before to find half dead already. Also we really don't want to drive all the way back out to get more. Has anyone ever tried a small aerator in a 5 gallon bucket? I was thinking of trying this method. Any other ideas or comments would be most welcome.

if u don't have 02, use small coolers with a frozen water bottle.will keep a good while if u don't crowd them.

Ricky, All the previous posts are dead on. I use a Styrofoam lined type minnow bucket, this seems to help also. The ice and the bubble generator is also the best to keep them in a big bucket. If you are camping, I'd make sure I'd have a few bags of Ice and some zip-lock bags to keep the ice in to put with the minnows especially if you want to keep them overnight. The frozen water bottles are the best, but if camping, probably not an option.

Styrofoam cooler . With bubbler and ice.

I have a $10 frabill battery pump that lasts for hours. I use that when I'm on the water. If I'm by an outlet I use a plug in pump. I have an old cooler from menards. It was a 24 pack size rectangle shape and taller. I drilled a couple quarte in holes in top for hose and to let air flow through. I change water often though and get rid of dead minnows quick. The Coker was $20 and after being retired for food found a second life as a bait bucket. Been using it three years now. I did get a larger air stone from from frabill too. I don't use minnows after mid my through the summer months up here much though