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I thought that I had read on several previous posts that the Red Sided Shiners at the Berry were scarce. I went to the Soldier side yesterday and there were 100 times more than last year. They were everywhere you looked. However, I did not see or net any chub minnows at all. Nor did I see any. It was quite different from last year when I saw very few shiners and a million chubs from 2 to 12 inches. On another note, JedBurton went earlier in the week and netted a bunch of shiners that appeared to be pregnant. Upon further inspection they were actually stuffed with parasitic worms in their intestines. Anyone know if they can or will be transmitted to the trout? I would hate to have to give up my favorite sashimi due to them. I certainly won't be eating anymore raw shiners!
Slayer
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I've been looking for minnows every time I launch at the strawberry marina. Yesterday was the first time I seen any minnows crusing around the boat ramp. I threw my casting net a half dozen times and only picked up 3 minows and all three where shiners. They where small, I think they where slipping threw the webing of my casting net.
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I need to get up there -- love to fish with those freshly-netted (but of course dead) red-shided shiners. Glad to hear some are still in there. That stomach parasite doesn't sound like much fun.
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Was the parasite live? Or was it something they were gorging themselves on? Nice to see a bunch of them around.
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[cool][#0000ff]The decline in numbers of the redsides is documented by DWR, from their annual netting surveys. Same time and same place each year...rapidly declining numbers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another indicator is the Minnow Man, who has a DWR permit to harvest minnows commercially on Strawberry. He has folded.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The remaining stocks can show up in numbers anywhere. Nobody else is seeing any elsewhere around the lake, so it would seem that they are all massing in one area. The cutts probably appreciate that and will no doubt "harvest" a few more.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My recommendation, for anyone who wants a big haul of redsides, is to go to Electric Lake. They truly are in there by the bajillions and are easy to harvest by minnow trap, cast net and even with small jigs or baited hooks. Park almost anywhere along the bank at the inlet end of the lake and you won't have to go far to find minnows.[/#0000ff]
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you got that right Dude!! i was up to E-lake a week ago and put 3 traps out before going trolling for 3 hrs.. came back checked the traps and took home about 10 lbs of minnows.. not a bad hull for 3 hrs.. i did take my traps to the east side tho not because the minnow traping is better there.. i did it just because last year i did that and someone came and took my traps.. so now if i'm not going to be close by i take them to the other side of the lake..
BTW anyone going to E-lake any time soon take some bug spray with!! the deerfly's are out bad there right now!! and they will eat you up fast with out some bug spray..
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I caught quite a few chubs with my net on Saturday at Aspen Grove marina. I only caught a few shiners, but the ones I caught were small, and in my trap. The chubs were all sizes. The ranger man told me to take all I wanted, and didn't even bother to check my license.
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[cool]Hey Mateo,
When you were at the Aspen Grove area did you notice many crawdads in there?
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Jed said that the parasitic worms were alive. They are preying on the minnows, not the other way around.
Slayer
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Tons of crawdads.
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what ever is in the minnows ends up in the fish.. good luck in eating them!
i'm thinking big crash in the monnows fallowed by big crash of slimrockes!!
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I WAS UP A WEEK AGO SUNDAY AND ASPEN GROVE HAS A TON OF CHUB MINNOWS ALL SIZES. AROUND BY THE TURN OFF TO THE DAM THERE ARE A ZILLION RED SIDED SHINERS AND SUM CHUBS AS WELL. WITH ALL THE MINNOWS CRUISING I DIDNT EVEN FISH. WE JUST CAUGHT CRAWDADS WITH OUR FISHING POLES WITH 3 INCH MISTER TWISTERS. DIPPED IN ANCHOVY SMELLY JELLY. THEY DIG THAT STUFF.
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Tube-
One of my businesses just bought 40 trays of extra-large brand new fresh red-sides from the Minnow Man last week, unless he folded in the last 6 days, I think he's still around. Do you know something we don't??
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[cool][#0000ff]I meant that he largely folded his Strawberry operation (as per a DWR guy). Still plenty of places to get minnows so I am sure he is still in operation.[/#0000ff]
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That makes sense, I know he could not fulfill our order until a season opened somewhere after the 4th of July and he could get the minnows.
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As I hear it , the DWR harassed him enough at Strawberry he went elsewhere . So your DWR guy may be right . Just rumors floating around the waters . I hear he catches most of his minnows in traps too .
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[cool]Thanks, dude. I'm gonna go up there in the next month or two and harvest a ton of them...
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