minnow traps

[pkemp33]

I own a minnow trap and have not been having much luck with it. What is the best bait to use. I have been using bread, but it doesn't seem to be working too well. Also, is there a certain depth i should put it at. How long should it be left in the water.
Thanks for the replies!

[ROBZILLA]

I would like to ask the nanfa members for advice on using a minnow trap.

many questions. like should I use a rope or light chain, how long 20 foot
long or longer or shorter. where to use the trap. in a wide river narrow
stream. in the middle or along the edge. how to attach to the shore. what
to do about attaching so lessen the chance that it will be taken by someone.
should we line up the trap in the direction of the water flow. is using it
better in a pond. in the shallow swampy part of a pond or the open deep
part. in the summer and winter. bait suggestions like dog food or cat food.
the dry kind or the canned food. if there is a bridge crossing the stream
should I drop it in the middle of the stream or along the edge.. or under
the bridge on the up stream or down stream side of the bridge. Should I
repeat at the same place every day or only one day per spot?


What kind of spots to look for that will not be disturbed by others.


Please also answer any questions that I did NOT ask. Hehe. ALL ADVICE
WELCOME.


this will be my first time using a minnow trap or going out to catch some
natives. I have 2 traps. An older one that has a middle section and a
larger opening maybe 2 inches and a new one that is shorter with no middle
section and a small 1 inch opening. Is it a good idea to put a rock or brick
inside to keep it from moving in the water. Or the weight may break the
string. What about catching crayfish in the minnow trap.

A blurb I found.

[ROBZILLA]

Minnow Trap



The minnow trap shown here will be found very serviceable during the fishing season. It is made of a quart fruit jar and the neck of a bottle. The latter must be broken off evenly at a point where its diameter is just big enough to fit tightly in the jar top. The bottle may be broken evenly by filing a mark all around and then wrapping a fine wire around the scored point. The ends of the wire extending some distance from the bottle are heated in a gas flame or by a candle, and as steel is a good conductor of heat the wire around the glass will soon get quite hot. When its temperature increases to a point that prevents your touching it, plunge the whole thing into a vessel of cold water and the break will come just at the right place.

A variation of this plan is to wrap the bottle with oil-soaked yarn and set the latter on fire, then when it has burned off and heated the glass dip it into the water. The zinc jar top is cut away until only the rim or threaded part remains. If the neck of the bottle does not fit snugly, pack it with rubber or cloth. The picture shows clearly how it is arranged when finished. A turn of wire at each end, with an eye twisted at the top, is used to suspend the trap. Locate a shallow place frequented by the minnows, and hang it in their midst. After a while they will begin to swim confidently into the funnel and only a small percentage will be able to get out. This plan has been tried and tested many times and it gives satisfaction

[ironman]

Is there such thing as a shinner trap???

[pkemp33]

i am trying to catch shiners in my trap, but need help with bait, depth and period of time for soak

[ironman]

Do you just use a minnow trap??

[Vabass22]

Put a mixture of bread, and smushed up dead cricket in there!

[bassintom]

here we go again...........................

[pkemp33]

Should the bait be kept in some kind of bag fish holes in it or should it just be put loose in the trap?

[Vabass22]

In a bag, because after you get the first one in there, they will eat the bait, and you won't ctach any more.

[pkemp33]

Could worms or grasshopers also work with the bread. How long should I keep the trap in the water for?

[flbassman]

Minnows: Bread in a minnow trap, or chum with bread and scoop with a pool skimmer.
Shiner: Bread in the water, dip net. Or, number 12 hook with a breadball on a cane pole.
Nuff said.

[pkemp33]

how long should the trap be under for??????????

[flbassman]

2 minutes to 6 hours, depending how fast they come in and how many you want...

[crankybait]

i have some tadpoles at the retirement home (went today to help my friend do yardwork for his grandma) the water is clear, big fish in there... well big bluegills. i saw a few trout. but i saw tadpoles and little other fish, i want to try to catch those sometime. Will make some kind of tool up and let you know how i do.

[mack]

Originally Posted by crankybait

i have some tadpoles at the retirement home (went today to help my friend do yardwork for his grandma) the water is clear, big fish in there... well big bluegills. i saw a few trout. but i saw tadpoles and little other fish, i want to try to catch those sometime. Will make some kind of tool up and let you know how i do.

how deep is it that i can hold trout? the home stocks it?

[crankybait]

well, where i see them it must be around 3 feet deep. usually the clarity lets you see about 1/2 a foot but they put in a fountain and the water is very clear now. Yes, the home stocks them.

[mack]

Originally Posted by crankybait

well, where i see them it must be around 3 feet deep. usually the clarity lets you see about 1/2 a foot but they put in a fountain and the water is very clear now. Yes, the home stocks them.

i really have a hard time believing that the trout survive in water only 3 feet deep..do they stock it every year after the fish die?

[flbassman]

You should see some brookie and rainbow streams I've fished. THe deepest part in the whole crick can't be more than two feet.

[Vabass22]

From what I've read, it's mainly about water temp, not depth, and with flowing water, and most likely a bank with trees, the water, probably stays pretty cool.

[crankybait]

like i said, it is stocked. And the fountain does provide something like flowing water.

[mack]

im not saying there arent trout..im saying they probably stock it every year after most of the trout die...there are like 3 lakes in nj that have wild trout...spruce run, round valley reservoir, and wawayanda lake and thats cause they are deep and cold...

You should see some brookie and rainbow streams I've fished. THe deepest part in the whole crick can't be more than two feet.

they probably move up the creek into deeper colder water

From what I've read, it's mainly about water temp, not depth, and with flowing water, and most likely a bank with trees, the water, probably stays pretty cool.

that is true but i doubt a 3 foot deep pond stays cold enough for trout to live year around...the fountain probably cools it down but i doubt it makes it cold enough for trout to live year around...in nj, go to any spring trout stocked pond during the summer, most, if not all, are dead...

[flbassman]

The whole pond ain't three foot, just where he saw 'em.... I believe him, those are probably stocked rainbow or brookies.

[mack]

sorry i read it wrong...cause i asked how deep the pond is and i thought he said its 3 feet...forget it...me and cranky resolved it through pms..no hard feelings...

probably stocked rainbow or brookies.

thats the point i was getting at...

im saying they probably stock it every year after most of the trout die

[crankybait]

Definetely deeper than 3 feet, no doubt about it. But the only place i can see them is off the dock, and it is 3 feet deep around there. I know, not a big deal.