Where to get Statewide Minnows

[blanden24]

Does anyone know where you can get statewide minnows

[Lowens110]

The minnows they just got passed aren't going to be statewide they are still only allowed to use live minnows in the current locations you are allowed to.

[ridgebackwyo]

actually there is a place in casper now selling them. you can use the minnows in any waters where live bait is allowed. the guys name is bill-277-9968

[307bassomatic]

Ya the place in Casper is a certified hatchery, Bluebell Minnow Farm or something like that - so you can keep em for 30 days and use anywhere minnows are allowed (I personally am looking forward to using minnows at semenoe).

I guess the game and fish is going to allow minnow dealers to get minnows from some big Arkansas dealer, and they will be good anywhere minnows can be used.  Hopefully the dealers jump on that and statewide minnows will be easy to find.  I don't know how expensive they will be though

[DRHammond]

If any of you are from Casper and plan on a run up to Healy, I'd throw in some extra cash if you brought some minnows our way. I'm taking a group of kids out for the first time and would like to show them how to fish tip ups and minnows ... And maybe get lucky enough to put a tiger musky on the ice. Thanks and PM me if interested.

[remme280]

Bush's in gillette was selling them last year.

[Fenwick307]

I got minnows from Bill and Adam today (# is above) quality minnows and great guys- I did talk to game and fish they are legit. Game and fish said they are the only ones in wyoming licensed to have state wide minnows so if some one else is saying the their selling them I would call and check first otherwise $6 a dozen but well worth that for all the lakes that you can't get minnows near by as well as having a month on your receipt instead of 15 days

[msmith1956]

There will be more statewide minnow dealers come the first of the year. First shipments into Wyoming will be on Jan. 9th due to shipping schedules.  pm me for more information when they become available.

[Hole Tender]

Bush's Bait in Gillette sells statewide minnows. Call and set up an appointment to meet him and buy minnows. 689-3136 or 660-9686. I buy from him if I am going to Hawk Springs or Healy.

[VegasIce]

Having fished other states and used live minnows, the minnows sold here in our state are very over priced. For  the same price in surrounding states they are sold by the net full not 12 counted out exactly. It's sad to see such a cheap and highly prolific resource go for such a premium.

[Skunk]

Does anyone know what species these "statewide minnows" are?

[Ice ball 46]

Thanks for the great info IS.

[msmith1956]

Does anyone know what species these "statewide minnows" are?

at this time, only fatheads

[ClearCreek]

Does anyone know what species these "statewide minnows" are?

Skunk:

The term "statewide minnows" may be a little confusing if you don't know some of the baitfish history of Wyoming.  If you look at the Wyoming Fishing Regulations the use of live minnows is allowed in some waters in the state, but only if those minnows are generally collected (wild caught - seined or trapped) in the drainage above where the water lies (always check the fishing regulations for areas where live bait can be collected and used).  The logic is, if a particular minnow species is in the drainage above a lake or reservoir, then that minnow species is probably already in that water.  With this in mind the wild caught minnows can not be transferred out of the drainage where they were caught. 

Fathead minnows occur across the state; they are in all of the waters where live minnows can be used for bait while fishing.  Since fathead minnows are already in the waters where live minnows can be used as bait, G&F decided that fathead minnows that were raised in a minnow fish hatchery could be used in all these waters.  In addition, with the fatheads being hatched and raised in a commercial minnow hatchery, where only fathead minnows were being raised, the fatheads raised under these conditions could be transferred and used in any water in Wyoming where the use of live bait minnows are allowed. There would be minimal risk of introducing an unwanted minnow species into a drainage under these conditions.

That is the reason commercially raised fathead minnows are referred to as "statewide minnows".  They can be used in any water statewide where live bait minnows are allowed.  They can be transferred from one drainage to another so they are called "statewide minnows".

For instance, they can be purchased at a bait shop in Gillette and taken to Boysen Reservoir or Glendo Reservoir for use as bait.  Any wild caught minnows captured in the Belle Fourche River drainage can not be transferred alive out of the Belle Fourche drainage. 

I hope this helps a little in explaining the "statewide minnow" situation.

ClearCreek

[MacksandBows]

 Thanks Clear Creek that is helpful. I was a bit confused myself til you cleared it up.

[WYIfish]

Thanks Clear Creek that is helpful. I was a bit confused myself til you cleared it up.

Don't for get to look up the part of the regs where it says no live minnows in the green river basin.

[kkrokker]

Is there any hope for larger minnows? The ones i've seen for sale near sheridan last year were less than two inchesl long, big bait means bigger fish to me!

[zjlooney]

Is there any hope for larger minnows? The ones i've seen for sale near sheridan last year were less than two inchesl long, big bait means bigger fish to me!

I know I wish we could. I try to save the "big" ones in the bucket for tip ups and the small ones go to the jigging rods. Fatheads just don't grow any bigger than about 3", but thats what we can get for now.

[msmith1956]

Anderson minnows, which is the hatchery where we will  be able to import from says there large minnows are 2 1/2in., which is a pretty big fathead. In my experience bigger doesn't always mean bigger fish, sometimes the opposite seems to be true.

[Fenwick307]

I agree with smith depending on what species your targeting

[ClearCreek]

Anderson minnows, which is the hatchery where we will  be able to import from says there large minnows are 2 1/2in., which is a pretty big fathead. In my experience bigger doesn't always mean bigger fish, sometimes the opposite seems to be true.

Back in the 1990's a northern pike that was the state record for a while was caught at Keyhole through the ice on a fathead minnow.

ClearCreek

[jopes]

Back in the 1990's a northern pike that was the state record for a while was caught at Keyhole through the ice on a fathead minnow.

ClearCreek

All the fish including the pike I caught were all on fatheads at keyhole. 

[outdoornut]

Since fatheads are the way of the future and common in most states around here, can you purchase in neighboring states and use them? Thoughts?

[ClearCreek]

Since fatheads are the way of the future and common in most states around here, can you purchase in neighboring states and use them? Thoughts?

I think you are asking if you could buy fathead minnows at a bait shop in a neighboring state and then bring them into Wyoming and the answer to your question is No.  What is going to be allowed in Wyoming in 2015, that is, allowing bait dealers to import minnows from a place in Arkansas and sell them is a big step. 

The minnows purchased in other states would more than likely be wild captured and there would be no guarantee they would be 100% fathead minnows.  We already have stickleback introduced into eastern Wyoming, most likely from bait minnows brought into Wyoming from a dealer in South Dakota or Nebraska. 

ClearCreek

[msmith1956]

There will be statewides at the Empire Guesthouse this weekend

[tbone4444]

Really cool you guys get to do this in Wyoming, wish we could in Idaho....

[msmith1956]

Really cool you guys get to do this in Wyoming, wish we could in Idaho....

Are minnows as tightly regulated in Idaho as they are in Wyoming? The new minnow receipt books they came out with this year for Wyoming bait dealers will slow the process down of getting customers in and out when we're busy and really just ask for the same information in three different ways.

[tbone4444]

No live bait in most water in Idaho, just crawlers/worms of course...frustrating

[msmith1956]

No live bait in most water in Idaho, just crawlers/worms of course...frustrating

  I believe Wyoming is headed in that direction. At least banning wild caught minnows. I think allowing these certified statewide minnows is the first step.

[catfish tom]

Anyone know of any around green river ?