Shiner ponds

[otzi]

Planning on starting to trap soon for bait for this winter. I know some of the shallow bait ponds I've trapped at in years past had a lot of winter kill from all the snow and ice of last winter. What are you guys seeing out there? I haven't been to my "go to" pond yet and am hoping it fared ok.

[Powow]

my go to pond was cleaned out.   been finding some bait but not what I'm used to

[moosehunter]

we had a dry late summer and a lot of the ponds either dryed up or had little water in them. might be tuff to get bait.

[stripernut]

My fathers pond is full of shiners, they just won't go in a trap!!!!!

[JimC]

I went to my fav. shiner pond and it was all dried up **censored** . gonna have to go find some new places.

[Ole Polanski]

My fathers pond is full of shiners, they just won't go in a trap!!!!!

Hi Striper Nut!  Won't go in when please? Open water or through the ice? Never really had much luck with traps on the bottom in open water, but always did well through the ice not more than 3-4 ft down. Is your trap bright silver hopefully? Darker or corroded galvanized doesn't work well for me.  I've always used plain old fashioned "non raised" donuts! A trick that has worked for me when I know they are down there but not goin in is to throw a couple or three shiners in the trap to "call" the others in!  Good luck and stay safe Friend!!  O.P.  

[Open-Handed Fish Slap]

I fortunately have not been having any problems with trapping shiners in my "go to" pond.  My only problem is fulfilling my need for pike bait, if anyone has any info on where to find some nice goldens, not looking to steal anyones honey hole, I'd greatly appreciate the help.

[moosehunter]

a throw net might work if you know how to use it.

[Open-Handed Fish Slap]

I have one.  It's my first year trying to trap goldens, I'm by no means a professional fisherman.  I can throw the net properly but I just don't have a clue on how to locate the correct species,  I keep netting bluegills.  If you don't want to divulge too much info to the masses I'd appreciate a p.m. with some experience/knowledge based pointers because I'm pretty much lost on my own.  Thank You.

[trout stalker]

Hi Striper Nut!  Won't go in when please? Open water or through the ice? Never really had much luck with traps on the bottom in open water, but always did well through the ice not more than 3-4 ft down. Is your trap bright silver hopefully? Darker or corroded galvanized doesn't work well for me.  I've always used plain old fashioned "non raised" donuts! A trick that has worked for me when I know they are down there but not goin in is to throw a couple or three shiners in the trap to "call" the others in!  Good luck and stay safe Friend!!  O.P.

this is very true silver traps are key for sure ive had a black trap and silver one next to each other and silver one full black one just a couple must create a visual like a moth to a light lol and ive also always fished shallow not far from shore with better success than in deeper sections.

[stripernut]

Hi Striper Nut!  Won't go in when please? Open water or through the ice? Never really had much luck with traps on the bottom in open water, but always did well through the ice not more than 3-4 ft down. Is your trap bright silver hopefully? Darker or corroded galvanized doesn't work well for me.  I've always used plain old fashioned "non raised" donuts! A trick that has worked for me when I know they are down there but not going in is to throw a couple or three shiners in the trap to "call" the others in!  Good luck and stay safe Friend!!  O.P.

We have had good luck with shiner traps in open and iced water, but after the first season they were on to us and we rarely go in now... We have had luck with a throw net, but only once, then they were on to us for days... Tired to seine, but it was to deep, but have had some luck with a rectangular net and lifting it up, but the bigger one are to smart for that and we only get small ones. Hook and line seems to be the way to go, but the small ones are like Piranhas and it is hard to get the bigger shiners... With a pond full of bait, we mostly buy them...

[MrE1979]

Sounds like you need to get scuba certified and go in with a net.     I heard from a friend that has a shiner pond in his yard that when nothing else works to catch them use a can of cheap dog food in gravy punch a small hole in each side and stick it in the trap.

[F.R.E.D.]

I have said it before, I'll say it again . . . oatmeal and a cast net, Done!

[MrE1979]

I have said it before, I'll say it again . . . oatmeal and a cast net, Done!

Is that bait for your shiners?    

[BIGCREW]

Got a question for the guys that are trapping in ponds, if you getting shiners were the stocked in the pond or are they natural, I knowIif you build a pond over time there will be fish in it I think its something like 6 years or so providing that ducks and geese are using it but will there be shiners? I know theres a hundred variations that come into play for this to happen naturally but if your getting shiners are the natural or have the been stocked??

[trout stalker]

Got a question for the guys that are trapping in ponds, if you getting shiners were the stocked in the pond or are they natural, I knowIif you build a pond over time there will be fish in it I think its something like 6 years or so providing that ducks and geese are using it but will there be shiners? I know theres a hundred variations that come into play for this to happen naturally but if your getting shiners are the natural or have the been stocked??

can be tough to tell because even arkansas over time develop the red fins thats why some people call them red fins i think its from the natural feed

[baitbig]

 Well went out looking at acouple of my normal mud holes last Sunday and Monday .  Had two great days, getting hundred giants First day Second over 250 start season off just right. bring on the ice!! :

[FishinDaddy]

After years of striking out constantly, I have finally found a honey hole, and lucky for me its only a couple miles down the road.  Whatever bread product were getting old at the house I used (hotdog/hamburger rolls, regular white bread), the traps are full when I check them.  My first tries at trapping were in streams, so I used to load the trap up, because the moving water breaks the bread down more quickly.  But my new spot is a pond and one or two pieces does the trick.  I don't notice any difference in the silver and black traps personally.  Maybe that is because there are so many in the pond though.  The only other place that I have had luck, is also a beaver pond, but that place has a lot of people trapping at it.  Still I probably would be trapping there if it wasn't so far away.

A lot of these posts regarding shiner trapping over the years have had one main message.  Be patient and keep trying new places until you find them.  How true how true.  And how true it is that several times I almost threw 50 bucks worth of traps out in the middle of the pond!!! Even with all the strike outs, though, it was still fun to do with the kids.

[JBO112394]

No problems here 

[Brendog9]

Wow JBO, nicely done. Those are some beauties.

[Townie]

The giants often come while crappie fishing

[Pike Guy Matt]

Some nice looking goldens you guys got 

[BaitBucket]

After trapping and keeping bait for a few years i think im going to just buy them this year. My ele bill went up 30% this year thanks to National Greeds price hikes. So running and maintaining a tank will cost about as much as just buying them.

[wallydiven]

After trapping and keeping bait for a few years i think im going to just buy them this year. My ele bill went up 30% this year thanks to National Greeds price hikes. So running and maintaining a tank will cost about as much as just buying them.

Until they hike the price of goldens