Catching Minnows...Video

[TubeDude]

Have had a lot of requests to put together a video on minnow catching.  Thanks to fellow BFTer "GSP" for helping out with some live action video shots.  The video covers quite a few species of minnows and baitfish...and how to get them.  Main emphasis is on hook & line, minnow traps and cast nets.

LINK TO VIDEO

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Pat, that's a great summary of minnowing... I enjoyed it a bunch and wish it would have been out there before I went to the school of hard knocks or rather, snaggy bottoms... Kind of put a few holes in my first casting net... I almost have as much fun catching minnows as the big fish when I can find them... Didn't mention what happens when you get a 30" carp in your casting net... That can tend to go rough on a casting net as well... Do you have problems with minnows getting stuck in your casting net? Seems like sometimes the minnows get their heads through the mesh and their gill plates stick so they can't go backwards, so you have to help them out of the net... One other thing I have found is I tend to get lots of different kind of minnows, so I have to sort the gamefish from the bait fish. I quite often have crappie and bluegill in with the carp and fatheads... I've even seen an occasional LMB in the mix.... So it's probably good to mention that before minnowing, you need to know how to identify the target species and throw everything else back... Do you think we'll ever get to use live minnows in Utah? I really enjoy watching the midwest videos of monster walleyes they pull in with the live minnows... Guess after this many years I've learned it isn't the bait that catches those fish, but still looks like a fun option for ice camping and fishing at night while you're sleeping... One last thing, how do you identify a good location to catch minnows? Seems like I find more blank water locations, than productive ones. What makes a good location, other than casting where the fish are..., how do you tell where they are going to be? Later J

[TubeDude]

Thanks Pat, that's a great summary of minnowing... I enjoyed it a bunch and wish it would have been out there before I went to the school of hard knocks or rather, snaggy bottoms...  Kind of put a few holes in my first casting net... I almost have as much fun catching minnows as the big fish when I can find them... Didn't mention what happens when you get a 30" carp in your casting net... That can tend to go rough on a casting net as well...  Do you have problems with minnows getting stuck in your casting net?  Seems like sometimes the minnows get their heads through the mesh and their gill plates stick so they can't go backwards, so you have to help them out of the net...  One other thing I have found is I tend to get lots of different kind of minnows, so I have to sort the gamefish from the bait fish.  I quite often have crappie and bluegill in with the carp and fatheads... I've even seen an occasional LMB in the mix....  So it's probably good to mention that before minnowing, you need to know how to identify the target species and throw everything else back...  Do you think we'll ever get to use live minnows in Utah?  I really enjoy watching the midwest videos of monster walleyes they pull in with the live minnows...  Guess after this many years I've learned it isn't the bait that catches those fish, but still looks like a fun option for ice camping and fishing at night while you're sleeping...  One last thing, how do you identify a good location to catch minnows?  Seems like I find more blank water locations, than productive ones.  What makes a good location, other than casting where the fish are..., how do you tell where they are going to be?  Later J

Thanks, Jeff.  Glad you liked it.

1.  Yeah, I know all about the big carp problem.  There have been several spots I have thown my net over one or more big carp and had a real hand to fin tug of war...with a long time spent untangling the net from the serrated dorsal fins of those big buglemouths.  Have had some nasty holes put in my nets by those things.

2.  Multi-species.  If you toss a net in waters with both non-game and protected species it is almost a sure thing you will have to do some sorting and releasing of the non-legal net captives.  During late summer I toss a net a few times off the ramps at Willard...for the schools of baby carp and some spottail shiners.  But, as you mentioned, there can be "others" in there too.  I have also had largemouth, crappies, bluegill, shad, catfish, bullheads, baby wipers and walleyes...and the aforementioned bigger carp.  Not too hard to sort out the throwbackers and they usually survive okay if you get them back in the water quick enough.

3. Live minnows in Utah?  Doubt it.  DWR has two main concerns.  First, they hate chubs and don't want them introduced into any waters where they are not already established...even if there are no trout and the water needs a forage species.  Anti invasive species thing.  Secondly, and not quite as obvious...but it goes back to earlier days when Utah was managed for trout only...is that they hate to give anglers an unfair advantage in molesting their hatchery pets.  (Just my opinion)

4.  Walleyes and minnows.  Yeah, live minnows are great for walleyes...open water or ice fishing.  But if you watch many programs from the midwest walleye whackers you will note that there are also a lot of walleye caught on dead minnows...pinned on various kinds of jigs.  Some guys just pinch off the head and put it on the hook.  Others use half or whole small minnows.

5. Finding minnows.  Just like fishing for other fish...ya cain't ketch 'em where they ain't.  But finding them is not always easy.  Most of us know where a few species can be caught.  But after that it helps to know the annual cycles of the water, minnow spawning times, location and depth variations throughout the year, etc.  No substitute for putting in the time and gaining the personal experience.  And no guarantees on any given minnowing excursion.  My fave spot out in the west desert can be fickle.  Usually at least enough minnows to harvest enough for a few trips.  But there have been times when there was not a single minnow (or married) to be found.  It is a pond where a warm spring comes in and then flows down into a wildlife management area.  When water conditions in the upper part are not comfy for the minnows, they all go downstream until they feel like coming back up within reach.  I have heard of a few small trickles out in the wilds that harbor populations of dace, shiners, suckers and/or chubs.  So it sometimes pays to just travel the backroads and do some sampling.  I had a jackpot for a short time when I discovered a small farm pond visible from the road...and got permission from the owner to cast my nets.  Filled a cooler with a few throws.  Went back one other time and also had good results.  The third time I found the pond empty and the property resently sold to someone else.  Whimper whimper.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Pat, I know what you mean about conditions changing in minnow waters... You just get a good spot and something changes and you have to start over in finding a good spot... Thanks for the great tips... Jeff

[TubeDude]

Thanks Pat, I know what you mean about conditions changing in minnow waters... You just get a good spot and something changes and you have to start over in finding a good spot... Thanks for the great tips... Jeff

It's true that finding a steady supply of minnows...of the size you prefer...is really a challenge.  And I forgot to answer your question about the little ones getting their heads stuck in the net.  Even with the small 1/4 inch mesh I use I still get small minnows stuck in my net at times.  It can take several minutes to clean out the net of sticks, weeds and stuck minnows.  But unless I really need those small minnows I usually just pinch off their heads and shake them out of the net...rather than work them through the net to save them.

[2knots]

Not sure if anybody else is experiencing it but I am getting a alarm (like a fire alarm) when I try to watch the video that is constant

[Redrebel]

Not sure if anybody else is experiencing it but I am getting a alarm (like a fire alarm) when I try to watch the video that is constant

Phone off the hook noise. Goes away after a few minutes.

[Cowboypirate]

I got started on the video last night then got side tracked by a bowl of ice cream and a needy dog. But can't wait to flip it back on

[TubeDude]

I got started on the video last night then got side tracked by a bowl of ice cream and a needy dog. But can't wait to flip it back on

A bowl of ice cream is a valid excuse for interrupting one of my silly videos...or ALMOST anything else.  And, at my age, naps (planned or not) are also legal...any time and any place.

[Dirt Bag]

Have had a lot of requests to put together a video on minnow catching.  Thanks to fellow BFTer "GSP" for helping out with some live action video shots.  The video covers quite a few species of minnows and baitfish...and how to get them.  Main emphasis is on hook & line, minnow traps and cast nets.

LINK TO VIDEO

Thanks Pat, that is the best minnow catching tutorial I've ever seen! I haven't had time to watch the whole thing yet, but I did peek at you using the minnow trap and tossing the cast net. I have to admit that I have used a minnow trap a dozen times over the years and never caught a minnow in one. I get a few little crawdads sometimes. I'm going to study your video in detail and try to get at least one minnow in a trap

[TubeDude]

Have had a lot of requests to put together a video on minnow catching.  Thanks to fellow BFTer "GSP" for helping out with some live action video shots.  The video covers quite a few species of minnows and baitfish...and how to get them.  Main emphasis is on hook & line, minnow traps and cast nets.

LINK TO VIDEO

Thanks Pat, that is the best minnow catching tutorial I've ever seen! I haven't had time to watch the whole thing yet, but I did peek at you using the minnow trap and tossing the cast net. I have to admit that I have used a minnow trap a dozen times over the years and never caught a minnow in one. I get a few little crawdads sometimes. I'm going to study your video in detail and try to get at least one minnow in a trap

Thanks fer the kindly comments.  Glad you like it.  As for not having previous success with minnow traps, I have two suggestions.  First, be sure there are minnows where you are soaking your traps...and that you place your traps in the right depth.  Second, be sure to use a bait that will bring them in.  

Another suggestion might be to try painting your traps green.  Whenever I have fished black or bright metal traps side by side with my green ones I always catch more in the green.  Once you identify some good spots and use good techniques, traps are the best way to get minnows for most folks.  And while they are soaking you can use your fishing rod...to catch other minnows or other larger species.

[percheye]

Thanks for the informative video. I started using a minnow trap a few years ago to catch red sided shiners at Current Creek. Always just used stale bread as bait. Now I am going to have to try adding some dry dog food. Maybe also buy a second trap and paint it green. See how it does compared to my silver one.

[TubeDude]

Thanks for the informative video.  I started using a minnow trap a few years ago to catch red sided shiners at Current Creek. Always just used stale bread as bait.  Now I am going to have to try adding some dry dog food.  Maybe also buy a second trap and paint it green. See how it does compared to my silver one.

Plain old bread works fine.  But adding some dry dog food does enhance it.  I have experimented with both cat food and dog food and have found that even the cheapest dry dog food works well.  It adds bulk, color and additional scent.  It also "extends" the time effectiveness of the trap.  Bread gets water soaked and soft after a short time.  And the minnows can suck it out through the mesh of the basket.  Hardly ever any bread left in my traps when I bring them in.  But still a lot of the tougher dog food.  The minnows like it and nibble on it but can't suck it out through the holes like they do with the bread.  So more minnows go inside over a longer period of time.

[JazzyM]

Have had a lot of requests to put together a video on minnow catching.  Thanks to fellow BFTer "GSP" for helping out with some live action video shots.  The video covers quite a few species of minnows and baitfish...and how to get them.  Main emphasis is on hook & line, minnow traps and cast nets.

LINK TO VIDEO

Thanks Pat, I appreciate the tutorial.

[EyLayo]

Good stuff Pat. Thanks for the refresher. I need to restock. Had an unfortunate freezer mishap and lost everything. I'll never use a black trap again. After being side by side and seeing your green trap gather several dozen to my 3 lonely fish, it was obvious that green had an advantage.
I have to agree with Skunked, I sometimes get more excitement out of a successful minnow trip than a normal day at the lake. One of my favorite trips with my son was a bait run. While I was floating some crawlers he wandered over to a small section of the river with a 'waterfall' to toss stones. Just a few small boulders were sticking up in the current and created a choke point for upstream travel. When he got there he noticed several minnows swimming upstream through his waterfall, much like salmon heading up to spawn. He spent a couple hours kneeling in the rocks catching minnows with his hands as they jumped forward out of the water. He put more in the cooler than my traps did.

[TubeDude]

Good stuff Pat. Thanks for the refresher. I need to restock. Had an unfortunate freezer mishap and lost everything. I'll never use a black trap again. After being side by side and seeing your green trap gather several dozen to my 3 lonely fish, it was obvious that green had an advantage.
  I have to agree with Skunked, I sometimes get more excitement out of a successful minnow trip than a normal day at the lake. One of my favorite trips with my son was a bait run. While I was floating some crawlers he wandered over to a small section of the river with a 'waterfall' to toss stones. Just a few small boulders were sticking up in the current and created a choke point for upstream travel. When he got there he noticed several minnows swimming upstream through his waterfall, much like salmon heading up to spawn. He spent a couple hours kneeling in the rocks catching minnows with his hands as they jumped forward out of the water. He put more in the cooler than my traps did.

My three kids (now grown and with kids and grandkids of their own) used to love to go fishing and minnowing with me too.  My oldest son Mike was pretty good with a flyrod and had a ball catching golden shiners on small flies while I fished crankbaits and plastics for bass in a small lake near our home in Sacramento.  One of my fondest memories is hearing his voice coming out of the night darkness "One more cast, Dad"...while I was sitting in the car with the other two kids and the motor running...waiting to go home.  Kinda made me believe in heredity.