Got minnows??????????

[JJ Mac]

Ok, I'm pretty ticked. I understand that this isn't the best time of the year to get minnows. I have called every single baitshop in Northwest Michigan and nobody has anything but crappy small blues and perch minnows. No sucker minnows even. What's up with that????????????

[scottyhoover]

tell me about it....we're still stuck with fatheads for crappie.....do have walleye shiners though. I feel your pain, best of luck.

[waterfoul]

Go to Dime store. Buy butterfly net. Find creek. Catch minnows. Go fishing.

[GONE FISHIN(LARRY)]

If you guys are interested Cabela's sells flash frozen shiners ,in their catalog , I've never had them sent to me thur the catalog (not sure how frozen they being shipped) I did buy them down in thier store and they worked fairly well the few times I used them for perch .


Larry

[Phil Lay]

JJ:
Having run a bait and tackle business as part of our resort, I can tell you, they're ain't much profit, if any at all, in selling live bait, especially minnows. Our specialty was fatheads since most of our customers were after crappies. I could never order the right amount of minnows. If I didn't buy enough, the customers were unhappy. If I bought too many, I was unhappy because so many died. If I bought the right amount, I was lucky which means I broke even. There was no happy medium, so don't go too hard on the dealers. Take it as a challenge at this time of year and use something else for bait.

[JJ Mac]

Phil, I agree completely. You won't see me complaining at the counter about the price or the small dip I got. I'm grateful to every place in this area that sells bait. In turn, they always get my business for items other than bait.

I'm not expecting golden shiners or red tail chubs, but having a few suckers would be nice. They're pretty tough anyway, and survive pretty well in the tanks. I guess much of my dismay is directed at the anglers in this area. Many nights I've been fishing during the week, I've virtually had some lakes to myself. About the only ones still fishing and buying bait are out for perch. There is little demand right now for larger minnows. In fact, the only bait selling well right now is deer bait. I guess you take the good with bad.

Time to go dig out the minnow trap.

[schaaed1]

Wow - not even in Alanson?? That seams to me like a tough area to get bait in anyway, in the winter I always end up driving from Petoskey (in-laws live there) out to Alanson and then back to Walloon.

JJ - if there is a store closer to Petoskey that USUALLY has minnie's let me know.

Ed

[JJ Mac]

Indeed it's hard to beleive that there is no bait or tackle shop in Petoskey. The closest places are Young's in Alanson or Holiday in Charlevoix. Foster's in Boyne Falls went out of biz a few years back. Depending on where you're fishing Walloon, the closest is probably Boyne River Bait in Boyne City. They usually have pinhead minnows too in the winter, which work so well for the smelt.

[schaaed1]

I usually run out to Young's (couldn't remember their name earlier). On Walloon I usually venture out off from Stoldt road. Do not get a chance to get up there that often ... so I usually end up going to the same area all the time. :sad:

Ed

[Crooked Dave]

JJ,
Minnow trap is in the pond.....going out tomorrow a.m. to jig up a few, so give me a holler and I'll give you directions....might be 10 minutes out of your way, but they're pretty good (as you know). See you on the pond. Tight lines.

[Westlakedrive]

Hopefully you guys will catch some minnow. Last trap I had out netted only bullhead minnows. I think all the sucker minnows had been eaten by Fremont Lake Walleye:lol:
I have used gulp minnows, even just suspended under a bobber, and caught bass.

[TroutAngler86]

I just use small rapala's both floating and CD and micro shads from mister twister. You guys might want to try them.

[sfw1960]

I haven't used minnows in - I bet three months!!!!!!
Wes is right they ate 'em all!!
:lol: