Keeping bait alive (minnows)

[mike692]

As an addendum to preacherman's post on panfish bait, lets talk about keeping minnows alive. I buy minnows by the pound, so I need a surefire way to keep them alive.
I have tried plastic garbage cans, styrofoam coolers, rubbermade totes, and just about anything else that will hold water. I am currently using Rubbermade totes with good success. I have an aerator with two outlets, so I can run a hose into two totes. I don't like to feed if I don't have to, because it fouls the water. If I do feed, I use tropical fish flakes and clean the totes the next day.
I think that a minnows hardiness also depends on the species. Gold shiners and fatheads are found in bait stores here. Since streams are normally frozen, I can't seine my bait like I do in the summer so I have to buy. I've found that store bought minnows do not keep as long for me as seined minnows. Seined minnows in this area are creek chubs and white suckers and I've found that I can keep them alot longer than shiners and fatheads.
What are your experiences with minnows?

[mnfishman]

I have a miserable time keeping them alive more than a week.  I put them in different 5 gal pails depending upon the species.  I do this because shiners seem to dirty the water faster than fatheads so I don't have to change the water that much.

I think the real answer is to get out and fish more, use up the bait and bring home as little as possible which means buying as little as possible as well.

[Webguy]

I have a 40 gallon aquarium with 2 filters and a bubbler that keeps up to 4 dozen in good shape for weeks at a time. I do not feed them. I do add an ammonia absorbing compound to one of the filter's bags to keep the level down, too much ammonia from their urine in the water and the shiners die.

[Wables]

I keep my minnows at my permanent shanty.  I took two used coffee cans, and cut the bottom out of one of them.  Then I silver soldered the two together, top to bottom, and drilled a bunch of 1/8" holes in the top bucket, and attached a wire handle.  A 3' rope gets tied to the handle, with a 14" piece of wood to the other end of the rope.  Just dump your minnows into the bucket, put a lid on it, and drop it down your hole with the wood bridging the top of the hole.  If it freezes in over night, just chip around the rope with your spud.  If if freezes too much, you can always drill a second hole right next to the first hole and grab the rope through the ice with a gaff, then cut the rope.  Your minnows will last for weeks this way.  I will also put perch in there if I only keep a few and don't want to clean them right away.

[billditrite]

i have a 55 gal.plastic barrel on its side with a big (basically the whole top)door/cover.i have 300 gph aquarium filter on it  actually makes a current in the barrel as it turns over the water completely about 6 times an hour so it never freezes, its in my garage i have had live bait in and out of there for a month now they are very healthy and lively i never feed them send them down the hole looking for food they will look all day

[big walleye]

Mike692 please use a product called baitsaver. I have yet to lose a minnow however i change my water every three days. This stuff has saved me a lot of aggravation and you can buy a big container that will last for years. The trick is to only put a little in at a time or you will actually kill them. If you need anymore details just ask buddy!!!

[fishrmanron]

A couple of ideas from a guy who deals in bait daily, suckers use alot of air so make sure you have a good air supply......make sure your container is CLEAN, if you use tap water make sure it is not from a public water system, chlorinated or flouridated water will kill bait....but the most important thing is water temperature..a change of just 4 degrees will shock bait and kill them. Lastly a little tip add about 3 tablespoons of canning salt ot your water when you change it, it will help keep the bait firm and fight off the diseases they get this time of year. There is no need to feed bait unless it is older than 3 weeks, and if its that old....you ain't fishin enough.

[fishguts.]

yup i agree with ron salt adds electrolites to the water and your bait will get harder scales and last longer. when i ran my bait shop i kept the minnow room as cool as i could. ive kept minnows for months. now another thing i did have city water {chlorinated} if you do also, you can do like i did. at the end of the pipe leading to my tank i drilled a very small hole and let the water spray,,, this lets most of the chloriene evaporate from the spray. but these were big tanks 500 gallon, if your running in a bucket i think the chloriene would build up very quickly.

[billditrite]

if you have to use tapwater, like i do,they have a chemical that works very nicely ,one teaspoon for every ten gallons and it is available in any aquarium store or pet store about 4.00 for a little bottle that will last a long time

[duck doctor]

i use a 10gal aquarium with public water in the basement at about 40 degrees. i just us a normal aquarium filter and an airator. i have had the same 3 dozen shiners and have had smelt (when i don't use them all) in it. i have not changed the water all winter and never have.  i have found that if you keep the water cold and moving they don't die.  i dunno maybe it is just me.

[Oldfart]

Yep. Go to the pet shop and get "Strees Coat". 1 tbs per 10 gallons of water takes out chlorine instantly.

[black ice]

I use a bubbler also... It works well. The smelt being kept alive I find hard to believe...it's possible but for how long?

[mike692]

Excellent replies so far. I have a bit of a backround in keeping tropical fish, so I don't know why I never thought of using salt. I used it in my aquarium all the time. Stress coat is also a good product. I forgot to mention before, there is also a product called "Start Right". It automatically removes chemicals from tap water, making it good to use for fish without "aging". It is granulated and turns your water a blue green color. I have used it before with great results. I don't use it anymore because I have a spring and a well now. I use the spring water for minnows.

As an interesting side note, my dad used to buy all of our trout minnows in the spring. He would keep them in a root cellar in styrofoam chests. They would live for weeks without an aerator. Anyway, a few years back they found bacteria in his water, and he was forced to install a "blue" light in his water line to kill the bacteria. He hasn't been able to keep minnows since. The only thing I can figure is they are unable to live in that kind of sterile environment. He would bring them home, and they would ALL be dead the next morning.

[duck doctor]

the smelt would live a week or so. some lived almost 2 weeks. the trick i found was keeping the water moving and keeping the filters CLEAN!

[LoveIce]

I use a small chest freezer old one 50 bucks turn the temp way  down fill with water the freezer will keep the water ice  cold a hand full of pickling salt a dubble bubbler 2 big air rocks from walmart keeb it all winter long change the water 1 every week.The bait never dies.

[2 dogs]

I have found an inexpensive method that works well for me. I got an aquarium air pump (the little cheap ones) and put a splitter on it for two air lines. I then have two five gallon plastic pail going. One with shiners in it and the other with fresh tap water. I change every other day and throw out fouled water. It oxygenates the fresh water and disolves the chlorine while keeping the minnows in the other bucket alive. I feed with a pinch of oatmeal every three or four days. I set up in the garage and if they freeze up just move into entry way for awhile or if gonna be well below zero for a few days leave in entry. I can keep them going for several week this way. Also my grand daughter (age six) loves to help me with them and such.