Bull Minnows for bait

[LilWeezy]

I was recently walking into the flats through a small stream that was full of bull minnows i was wondering if anyone has ever used these as bait for ice fishing. there is thousands of them should i bother getting them ?

[nbourque]

Bull minnows?

[TheOutdoorsman]

I was recently walking into the flats through a small stream that was full of bull minnows i was wondering if anyone has ever used these as bait for ice fishing. there is thousands of them should i bother getting them ?

I'm assuming you mean banded killifish or mummichog?  Two, somewhat similar species (same genus).  I have heard of people using them, but have not used them myself.

[LilWeezy]

Idk what they are looked up mummichog looked like it there pretty small prob good for trout

[mainedukblaster]

they are great bait.. very tough can be used sometimes 2-3 times, same fish..  great bait on bass too

[TheOutdoorsman]

Here is a banded killifish, notice the faint bands on this specimen.  The body is somewhat slender, compared to the mummichog.






Here is a mummichog.  Notice the more blunt, fat head, and in general, less slender body.  This one is in spawning colors...they don't all look like this one in terms of color, but they are more splotched than banded.



I have found mummichog to be pretty common in tidal streams, especially close to the salt.  You can also find a lot of banded killifish there as well, although I have also found banded killifish quite far upstream from tidal influence and above dams.

Either way, they are listed as legal bait in Maine!  I could see banded killifish being a pretty good salmon bait.

[Sinnian]

Mummichog are so hearty you can wrap them in newspaper, but them in your coat and use them out on the ice when you are ready ~ they will STILL be alive to swim off with your hook.

[maineduckhunter]

If you were on the Salt Water flats, you were probably seeing Tommy Cods!!

[mainedukblaster]

If you were on the Salt Water flats, you were probably seeing Tommy Cods!!

which are properly named mummichogs   :-)

[TheOutdoorsman]

which are properly named mummichogs   :-)

I don't know where you guys get all of your common names, but a tommy cod (Microgadus tomcod) is not the same as a mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus). 

[fishlessman]

I don't know where you guys get all of your common names, but a tommy cod (Microgadus tomcod) is not the same as a mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus).

while a mummichug is not a tomcod, it seems pretty common to call a mummichug a tommy cod

[TheOutdoorsman]

while a mummichug is not a tomcod, it seems pretty common to call a mummichug a tommy cod

Sounds like user error to me!   

[fishlessman]

Sounds like user error to me!   

check this out from the nh fish and game .......Killifish/tomcod (Fundulus sp.)

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/baitfish_species.htm

[TheOutdoorsman]

check this out from the nh fish and game .......Killifish/tomcod (Fundulus sp.)

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/baitfish_species.htm

Somebody messed it up when they built that part of the website.  Probably a disconnect between the biologists and whoever typed it up.   But hey, that is how more people calling things by the wrong name can happen!