Bait Dying in my Minnow Traps

[Jay Fat City]

Hey gang,

This is my third year trapping my own bait from the same spot and I'm having a huge problem: the majority of my bait is dead when I arrive. I just pulled my trap after 48 hours and I would say two thirds of my bait fish were dead. This happened once last year and it was only a few fish. My dad thought I might have put too much bread in so the shiners bloated and croaked. I'm also catching a ton of tiny bullhead this year. Could that be part of the issue? Are the bullheads stabbing my bait to death? Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated.

(posted this in the bait section on the main page, but had no comments)

[Swampdonkey]

I would guess lack of oxygen.  I would either raise them up or check them more often.

[Jay Fat City]

I'll try raising them up. They're in a culvert so they're not too too deep, maybe 30 inches, tops. I usually check them within 24 hours, last night was an exception.

[treeguymark]

how many were in the trap ? but i would agree lack of o2,  ive had that happen to me a few times and always when ive let traps sit. best part of hunting down new trapping spots all summer is ive found spots where i only have to put traps in for a few minutes to an hr now !!

[Maineiac2]

I have had this happen but only in the winter under the ice.I would have to agree lack of O2 in the water

[fishermantim]

If the water isn't moving, there's a strong chance it's the O2.

Hopefully it's only a temporary thing.

[Jay Fat City]

Thanks for the tips! I tried putting 1 liter bottles in my trap for some buoyancy, but that was too much and it floated up to the surface. I went back to my normal process, but left it out for 12 hours instead of 24. I had a few dead ones today among the over 100 giants I pulled. I quadrupled my haul in one trap.

When trapping in a small culvert no more than five feet deep where passersby might mess with your stuff, how do you normally keep your traps elevated?


Jay

[LakerNewb]

I've taken large foam bobber and painted them black and hung them 8-12" above my traps. I usually only need one, but they have proven to work for me!

[Coffin Dodger]

I tie a couple wire ties around a 1 liter bottle and the bottom wire of a coat hanger. Put a brass snap through the hook of the hanger and wrap it a few times to make an eye.
Hook the snap to the clip on the minnow trap. You can lengthen it if you like with variable links of light chain.

[JIGGIN-]

Sounds like your getting too many in the trap?

Maybe shorten your soak time to even less than what your doing....a couple of hours and then check them often.

5 ft isn't that deep. i'd sink em to the bottom.

What kind of shiners are they? Wide golden bodies?

[Jay Fat City]

Jiggin',

They're a mix of goldens, Arkansas, and sunfish (which we can use for bait in Massachusetts). The goldies during my last soak were too big to fit in the 1 inch holeso they were pecking at my bread from the outside when I arrived. Infuriating!

[nh archer]

In open water I suspend my traps under milk jugs; through the Ice I hang them just under the ice.  Definitely you are too low if you are picking out Bullheads.

[JIGGIN-]

Jiggin',

They're a mix of goldens, Arkansas, and sunfish (which we can use for bait in Massachusetts). The goldies during my last soak were too big to fit in the 1 inch holeso they were pecking at my bread from the outside when I arrived. Infuriating!

When we trap bait, we usually put our bread / dog food in folded wire mesh or onion bags with some rocks in them to hold the food in the trap and not have it float to the top of the trap. This forces the bait to go inside the trap and not eat the food floating outside. You might be surprised how big bait can still get into a small hole if they cant eat / get to the food.

Try it, it may improve your catch however it sounds like your doing alright by your method.....getting too much bait in your traps.

Good luck!