Minnows...

[Lwapo]

I've kept minnows alive during winter for use while Ice Fishing (aka, keep em cold)

Is there a good way to keep bait minnows alive during the summer? I know to keep them cold/aerated, but is there anything else I can do? I bought a dozen and 12 hours later, 4 were half alive. :(

Any help would be awesome!

Thanks!

Lwapo

[FireMan39]

The trick is you have to constantly change the water on them cause they produce so much amiona that they die of very quick in the warmer temps i found just letting the minnow bucket hang off the edge of the boat or dock works well! otherwise you have to change the water about every couple hours!

[Papa_Ron]

Yep!....changing the water 'constantly' (other than leaving them hanging over the boat) is the 'only' way I've ever been able to keep the darn things alive for any length of reasonable time at all. But then,every bait shop (and I do meant 'every'!), has 'never' given me minnows as to where 'at least half' weren't dead by the time I got onto the lake! And I'm not talking taking more than an hour from the time I walked out of the bait shop to the time I anchored. I don't have much luck with keeping minnows healthy at all! Every one of them are 'always' dead long before I finish some time on a lake.

[sfw1960]

Keep 'em in a BIG cooler , if you're NOT on the water - down in the basement is a great idea.... the lower the temp - the better.
You can also buy some Min-0-life or similar bait/livewell salt/nutrient to add in the water...... adding ice chunks regularly sure helps.
HTH.
Robert:D
P.S. an aquarium FILTER at home is the sHiZniTE...
:D

[DaveW731]

Buy a fully equipped aquarium....?

[wally-eye]

You only need to buy a filter for a tank. Just the little pump. Buy the pump, a few feet of the approp. size hose and aereation (sp) stone.

Put the minnows in a bigger size cooler and put the hose/stone in and turn on the pump. The aereation usually helps more than anything esle.........

You don't need a large pump, usually one for a 10 gallon tank works fine.....fairly cheap at any discount store.

[sfw1960]

Right...
While an aerator infuses air into the water - it does NOT remove the ammonia that the fish give off in their waste fluids... a filter will remove much of it with the activated carbon filtration. I've had plenty of different native species in a 40GAL Long tank I used to own....including Browns & 'Bows..... THEY are tuff to keep puffin' !
:evilsmile

[wally-eye]

Robert, get back to your "upchuck" machine and start putting out those matchsticks.........

How'd you get to work? You really didn't make your bride get up that early did ya?????????????

[sfw1960]

Did so............
I'm running ALUMINUM today....
I'm drivin' th' truck HOME so STAY OFF THE ROADS!!
Why ain't you fEEsHiN' boY???
:D

R

[waterfoul]

Did so............
I'm running ALUMINUM today....
I'm drivin' th' truck HOME so STAY OFF THE ROADS!!
Why ain't you fEEsHiN' boY???
:D

R

OK, what's wrong with the cheby?? PM me if you want.


And I've been told by several minnow fishermen that the Oxygenator works great. Kinda pricy, but so are dead minnows!! Local Ganders and such carry them.

[fishmann]

ya gotta have a bag of ice ready as soon as you're outta the bait shop. drop in about a 1/3 portion of ice to water and you're in business. The change in water temp with the ice added will slow down the minnows metabolism and then you have time to get to your fishing waters. by the time you're on the water it's time to change the water and add more ice. You should be good to go with good fresh minnows , but you'll have to keep adding ice depending on temps that day.... good luck, hope this helped.