What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?

[wyiceman]

Just bought a seining/trapping license for minnows and was wondering what the consensus was about the best bait to use in the minnow traps?  Any input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[OUTHNTN]

WHITE BREAD USUALLY WORKS PRETTY GOOD.  I TAKE ONE SLICE AND BALL IT UP INTO A SMALL TIGHT BALL AND THEN THROW IN ANOTHER SLICE FOR GOOD MEASURE.  THE BALLED UP PIECE WILL LAST LONGER AND I FEEL HELPS ATTRACT MORE MINNOWS.  I'VE ALSO USED DRY DOGFOOD OR A COMBO OF DOG FOOD AND BREAD.  ONCE I TOOK A CAN OF CANNED SALMON DINNER CAT FOOD AND CRACKED THE LID AND CAUGHT LOTS OF CRAWFISH.  GOOD LUCK!

[Pork]

I agree with the white bread. old white hot dog/hamburg buns work good too.
But like OUTHNTN said, just a piece or two.
If you put too much in there & the minis will gorge themselves & die.

[Natty]

Beleive it or not white packing peanuts.( styrofoam).

[wyiceman]

Thanks to everyone for your input, while I'm pickin' brains, when you find a deep hole in the small creek  drainages, do like to set the traps as deep as you can, or is it better in the shallows next to edge or structure - and is it better where the water comes into a pool or closer to where it exits?  Once again thanks, just hoping to speed up the learning curve, and produce some more minnows  

[HoleHpr]

Beleive it or not white packing peanuts.( styrofoam).

I'm not a minnow trapper, but should we be putting styrofoam in our water systems?  Does it all come out with the trap? 

[Natty]

Yes it all stays in the trap.   That's why it works

[carcaju]

plain goldfish crackers work as well

[bobbyfish64]

saltine crackers..the cheap ones . I have been using them for years..works great!

[isthereiceyet89]

still have yet to try it but i have heard and seen people using ivory soap  .A local outdoors tv program did a segment on catching bait and they had more in the soap trap then the bread idk if it was just a fluke or what i want to try it though. i generaly use bread or dogfood if bread is low

good luck

[baginwal]

Definitely..........wh ite bread!    I take about 3-5 pieces of white bread, hotdog or hamburger rolls, etc, break them up into smaller pieces, roll them into balls and place them in the trap.  I catch bait all summer off my dock doing this.  Simple and effective.

[d3]

U have caught minows (summerand fall) using as others stated  dry dog food, crackers, canned cat food, I have ut it in chese cloth to prevent it from being eaten from the outside etc etc.  Anyway I always caught a ton of little cat fish beause they were on the bottom.  I moved them up by floating them and the results were a little better but I also caught a ton of baby blue gill.  Hope this has helped you prevent doing some things you were thinking about.

Now I have a question I put a trap under theice in a place I catch alot of goldens in summer fall and did not catch not even a one.  Do they start to move into the shallows like the bluegills and such? I thought I heard this somewhere before.

D3

[PIKEHUNTER69]

WE HAVE GREAT LUCK WITH A HANDFULL OF DRY DOG FOOD!

[fish_finder]

DOG FOOD DOG FOOD DOG FOOD...multi colour stuff like kibbles n bits works best for me, we tried two traps in the same hole 3 nights in a row and dog food out fished bread every time, prbly cuz bread dissolves and floats away after awhile dog food is still in the trap next morning

[Master Angler]

All I've ever used is white styrofoam as well.  A couple 1-2" cubes, or a few packing peanuts.  Stays in the trap and lasts for years.  More of an attractant than bait, but it works.  I replace them when they get faded, dull looking.

[howesfc]

I use dry dog food also.

[pirkaus]

Ritz crackers, throw a couple in and let it soak in the slack water by an eddy
Pirk

[wilenard]

Dry dog food; specifically Tuffy's brand.

Good luck!

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

I put a 20 pound pike in my trap. The minnows love him.

[isthereiceyet89]

I put a 20 pound pike in my trap. The minnows love him.

[Greg2ha]

What kind of minnow traps do you use? Frabill? or homemade?

[wyiceman]

What kind of minnow traps do you use? Frabill? or homemade?

Just bought a couple from the store but have seen a few larger homemade ones - are there size limits on home made ones?  A few that I saw (at a bait dealers minnow room) were about 3'X1'X1'.

[Silver~Ghost]

Bagels...

[joeythejigger]

I found they like bagles too.  Mostly the Wheat ones and sometimes the blueberry.  Never the Onion or Garlic.  They like them lightly toasted with buteer and a selection of cream cheeses.  I baited once with Bagles with a cream cheese and smoked salmon spread but all I caught were Jewfish! 

[pirkaus]

Just bought a couple from the store but have seen a few larger homemade ones - are there size limits on home made ones?  A few that I saw (at a bait dealers minnow room) were about 3'X1'X1'.

Check your state regulations in NH there is a size restriction on length and opening diameter

[servocam]

Growing up, I use to go to the stock dam on the farm and throw in the trap using saltine crackers or oyster crackers - learned that from my dad.  When I didn't have any crackers, piece of bread worked.

[biglaker]

we always used to trap bait we tryed everything gravey train dog food is best bait we tryed we used to put in 5 bait traps the ones bait stores sell and in two nights time catch all the bait we would need for the winter 10 gallons of bait golden shiners

[Border Jumper]

We would always use whtite bread in our traps.

[Madpuppy]

Fish food in a nylon.

[auger-elbow]

Just bought a seining/trapping license for minnows and was wondering what the consensus was about the best bait to use in the minnow traps?  Any input is greatly appreciated.White bread or go with dog food
Thanks