Catching your own bait? How to?

[WHITETAIL111]

Does anyone have any specifics on catching your own bait?  I mean what kind of trap do you use bait types..do you suspend the trap?....put it on the bottom?  I wouldn't mind doing this to save some $$ this season.  Post pictures of your trap and how you set it up.  Any comments and how to suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks guys. 

[rob-s]

check local regulations

[fiddlehead322]

I use the standard tubular wire traps purchased at Cabela's. The style with cones on the ends. I suspend them about 2 feet under water with a gatorade bottle for a float. I tie the float on using a string tied on both ends so the trap hangs horizontaly. Then tie a 1 pound bank sinker on with about 8-10 feet of string to keep the wind from moving it around. Also helps to prevent anyone stealing your traps. You can throw them out of reach. I use an old fishing pole to retrieve them. Cheetos for bait works for me.

[jilly_bean]

 In open water ill wade out with chest/hip waders and place it on the bottom , usually stake it with a big stick and also use something to mark it with like pop bottle or milk jug, through the ice i drill 3 holes toghether drop the trap down, tie it to an old hockey stick which i put cross ways over the hole..i find best depth for the pond i trap in is about 5-6feet, dog food, bread crust works good for bait

[hardwaterfan]

i just bought one of those wire traps last weekend. so far ive just set it up and tied it off with sissel (thin rope). i used a small handfull of cat food wrapped up into a ball with plastic, poked a bunch of holes into the plastic, and used a twisty wire to suspend the bait inside the trap at the top as it sits in the water. i put it into a couple pools on a very small feeder creek back in the woods behind the house. ive checked it twice so far, it does work, but the fish ive caught so far are far too big (12 suckers and one gill.....4" or so).

i can see in the creek the little 1- 1.5" minnow that i WANT to catch.... i think the holes in the trap are too big. so i bought some aluminum screen and i plan on relining the entire trap.

if anyone has advice id like to hear it as well.

[Mainehazmt]

gee  I just put it together and tied on some 20' of parachute cord put some dry dog food in it and threw it in the pond   come back a day later  retrieve minnows  rebait if nessisary and wing it back out    usually get about 200 at a time

[Master Angler]

the fish ive caught so far are far too big (12 suckers and one gill.....4" or so).

Perfect pike bait.  Thats what I set my traps for in the fall.  I trap smaller bait minnows too, usually when theres a few inches of ice on the lakes.  I actually have to go set soon, before theres too much ice.  I hang my trap 2-5ft below the ice in 10-15ft of water.  I do this to avoid catching the sticklebacks in the shallower water, I get fathead minnows this way and don't have to sort out sticklebacks, although they work too, I prefer the fatheads.  And as I have said before on a few other posts, I don't use bait, just a couple chunks of white styrofoam, as an attractant.

[rob-s]

  hardwaterfan , i think you need bread or cheetos to catch minnows, not meat,catfood.
  i catch crayfish with chicken bones.
 hole size and type trap is regulated in this state so you must check local regulations.

[swampbuckster]

Every winter I know of a small creek that runs under a guys driveway. I just go down there and with an ice pole, just drop a teardrop with a waxxie and within ten minutes or so I can pull about six to eight creek chubs out. Maybe I should try to trap them out of there, b/c I usually catch five to ten inchers. Bet there are alot of smaller ones in there though.

[hardwaterfan]

yes they would be perfect pike bait. mostly i need minnow for crappie and tipping eye lures so i really need the 1"-2" smaller minnow.

there is in fact a pond back there as well, kinda swampy, maybe ill try bread and toss it in there for a day.

thanks for the tips and suggestions and if anyone else has anything to say id like to hear it.

[oldken]

i set my trap in a beaver pond in 4 to 6 ft of water i bait with crackers and put the trap on the bottom

[pikeking]

I have been catching Fallfish in a local river now for about 3 months. We have a 200 gallon tank and we are thinking about another. The first tank has about 1000 Fallfish all between 6 and 12". We supply the bait for ourselves 6 of us and we will go through that bait no problem. Not counting the big 6 dozen that I vaccum sealed and froze. It is starting to be a part time job to clean that tank glad there are 6 of us to pitch in.(((((FLAG)))))

[Slammerman]

I usually just buy my bait, but I know a few guys who trap their own minnows - most often while they are fishing. It seems like the bigger Mason jar type glass traps work about the best through the ice. Bait with small pieces of your sandwich and send it down the hole to bottom in shallower water.

One buddy sets his minnow trap on his way out and then drills some holes where he's gonna fish. He says he quite  often has a couple of minnows to start out with by the time he's set-up camp and drilled a few fishin' holes.

[Fish Farmer]

Here was my secret before the new laws shut down my pre ice pastime.

I use the regular cone minnow traps you can purchase or build similar cone shaped traps out of hardware cloth. the finer cloth works great for the little minnows.

Bait with dry dog food, you want to keep the bait in the trap and not floating away like other crumbly baits.

Set through ice on small ponds, early winter these set up before your fishing ponds do so you get you bait trapping done before the fishing season. I like setting up in 3 to 10 feet of water near or over weeds. Set just before dark and check after a few hours or the next morning.

Heres another secret spot not many people would think would hold baitfish and probably are overlooked...golf course ponds. They lock up early and for the size of the pond you would be amazed at what they can hold.  for bait fish.

[fish_finder]

 White styrofoam ill have to try that...i usually trap in an old strip mine pond, one end is ~ 6 feet deep and full of cattails on shore and other weeds, thats where i find most of the minnows

[hardwaterfan]

mason jar glass traps? interesting ill have to google that one..... keep the ideas coming i love free bait.

good luck on the ice folks!

[1MOFISH]

I have been catching Fallfish in a local river now for about 3 months. We have a 200 gallon tank and we are thinking about another. The first tank has about 1000 Fallfish all between 6 and 12". We supply the bait for ourselves 6 of us and we will go through that bait no problem. Not counting the big 6 dozen that I vaccum sealed and froze. It is starting to be a part time job to clean that tank glad there are 6 of us to pitch in.(((((FLAG)))))

i hear that i need to clean my filter 2x a week    mo

[hardwaterfan]

this might be a dumb question but can you feed minnow goldfish food? i lined my trap with some aluminum screen and finally caught a few creek chubs in the size that i need and i hope to keep them alive longer. i have them in a big coleman water cooler with a few rocks.

[rob-s]

sure, they should keep quite a spell with no food.
 surf around the shant here and you will find plenty of info on bait storage. good luck, glad you finally caught some ov the size you need

[Mainehazmt]

this might be a dumb question but can you feed minnow goldfish food? i lined my trap with some aluminum screen and finally caught a few creek chubs in the size that i need and i hope to keep them alive longer. i have them in a big coleman water cooler with a few rocks.

toss the rocks   lol    yes feed them goldfish food just no more than they can eat in 5 min

[hardwaterfan]

ok, thanks for the info guys. 

[1MOFISH]

ok, thanks for the info guys. 

i got koi pellets at the pet store to enhance color they dont dirty water i had chubs in a tank for over a year didnt use all the big ones last season although they feed themselves on the little chubs mo

[Mainehazmt]

I bought the pellets too   but ran them thru a coffee grinder   I mix up thier food lol   I know I wouldnt want to eat the samething every day

[bassranger]

As long as your water temp stays below 40 degrees I keep mine at 38 minnows will go 2-4 months with out feeding the cold water slows there metabolism way down. Plus no food no waste less cleaning. I use a chest freezer with a external thermostat and a good filter and aerator system. My tank will hold 15-20 pounds(160 dozen) of minnows no problem.

[Mainehazmt]

I get mine early   and feed them to fatten em up for the kill too !