This years bait trapping thread

[Dags Bait Maine]

they use them in the southern states for catfish

be carfull, as by law, only baitfish are legal to take by trap with a recreational fishing license, which means sunfish have to be released. Make sure if your in a visible place that your not leaving a pile of dead fish on the ice, because a gamewarden will figure you out real fast. I have this friend, and when this friend catches any undesirable fish, he stomps on em and sends them back down the hole.

-Dylan

[mainemountain]

has anyone tried this, and what were the results?

[b turdy]

blacknose dace -- they're hardy and great for trout in my experience.

[COLD-AS-ICE]

I've  been throwing the sunfish back. But the last few times I check my traps it's been 100% shiners. I figured out that when I pull the trap and check bait daily and replace the dog food that's when I get all the sunfish. If I let the dog food sit for 2-3 day it's all shiners.

Make any sense to anyone?

[Lowrance25]

I've  been throwing the sunfish back. But the last few times I check my traps it's been 100% shiners. I figured out that when I pull the trap and check bait daily and replace the dog food that's when I get all the sunfish. If I let the dog food sit for 2-3 day it's all shiners.

Make any sense to anyone?

the sunfish may be getting out and the shiners get stuck. Shiners aren't too bright lol.

[COLD-AS-ICE]

I don't believe the sunfish are getting out. You should see how many I was getting. Now none at all. Trust me I'm not complaining about it though.

[FRESHBAIT]

You don't need a permit to transport bait fish,  What the rule is talking about and what I was talking about was the transporting of the bluegills that Mainute was catching in his bait traps.  Mainute was thinking about just bringing them back and releasing them.   So then he would be in violation of transporting live fish with out a permit,  and to top it off an invasive species at that.  A 10k fine if he is caught. 

I had a copy of the permit to transport live fish at one point in time as well as a stocking permit.  I'll see if I can dig it up somewhere.  I want to say it was $26 to get a stocking permit.   

[FRESHBAIT]

That looks like a black nose dace,  I've gotten a few of those in my traps as well.   They are good bait, hardy and swim well.

[Woods Wise]

I think that I finally have this thing figured out, three days ago, I had moved a trap to a new spot, pulled 5 doven, moved another trap over there, yesterday, pulled 9 dozen, moved a third trap over ther, today I pulled 24 dozen, yes 291 shiners! I brought home 2 of the traps and left the black trap painted white(had no fish at all today) and put it in one of the holes that had all of the fish in it.

I am statring to wohder if it is just a bad trap? makes you wonder, it looks just like the galvanized traps just dipped in something. I am going to screw around with that trap for a while to see what I have to do to get it to catch fish, I am a mechanical test engineer, it is what I do. I may try another color next.

Cut the ring out of the entry way. I think the smooth ring that is welded in there allows them to swim out easily. The galvy traps just have exposed cut ends of the wire that make it difficult to swim out. I don't think that it is color at all. The few people that I know that are successful with black traps do not have that ring in the two holes.

[FRESHBAIT]

Link to the Maine IFW website for bait fish species and identification
http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/species/identification/baitfish.htm

[COLD-AS-ICE]

Of course I had to say I was getting no sunfish. So today when I checked I had 1 shiner, 2 dace, an 100 sunfish.  Time for new bait and try again I guess 

[maineute]

did you kill em?

[COLD-AS-ICE]

Nope not my pond. The owner is kinda iffy about having me trap his pond, so I try not to mass murder fish on the Ice. I just throw them back in on the other side of the pond

[pdolewa]

Throw them on the ice or you're going to have and even bigger problem next year!!

[COLD-AS-ICE]

Again not my pond. Don't want to irritate the owner. I think he had some bad run ins with previous people getting bait. There is 3 ponds to pick from so I can deal with a few sunfish here and there.

[FlagChasr]

I use to trap and sell bait 10 years ago. I hardly ever caught any sunfish. The last few times I traped some for my own personal use the traps were loaded with them. I say kill'em all.

[Bout-Time]

IMG_0224 1.psd by chrisminmaine, on Flickr

I assume this is a dace?  Can someone confirm?  It is about 1 1/2 inches long.

Looks kinda like a female Red Belly dace.

Whatever they are, Ive trapped quite a few.

[ChrisMinMaine]

Thanks for the 2nd opinions on the dace. I have been catching several dozen in my trap, and I'm glad they're a decent bait fish. 

Thanks.

[FRESHBAIT]

As I was looking around today I found the link for the fish stocking permit.   Here it is
http://www.maine.gov/ifw/licenses_permits/pdfs/APPLICATION_PERMIT_STOCK_PRIVATE_POND_0511.pdf

[LostOne]

I just pulled my traps for the last time this season(3 dozen shiners).  Anybody else feel like it's over after this storm?

[gregf]

 I hope its not over, my bait traps are the only way i can catch fish lately

[FRESHBAIT]

Pulled all my bait traps today,  I think I'm done catching bait for the rest of the season.  I think this storm will be like all the others rain/snow and then cold temps to lock it back up again. 

[b turdy]

need some help guys.... im trappin this pond that i've trapped since the summer time...  the other day I trapped 3 dozen out of 4 traps...  the past two times I pulled them I have gotten 10 minnows out of 5 traps....  i've been screwin around with depth, but I cant seem to find them... in the summer time they're breaking the surface for food... this place is PACKED with minnows.... only about 8 feet deep.....  cant find em -- any suggestions?

[FRESHBAIT]

I would try just under the ice.  Literally just below the ice.   And probably carpet bomb the pond with bait traps.  If I was catching them all summer and now its starting to taper off I would put a few extra traps in there, and see if someone is messing with them. 

[Wolley]

need some help guys.... im trappin this pond that i've trapped since the summer time...  the other day I trapped 3 dozen out of 4 traps...  the past two times I pulled them I have gotten 10 minnows out of 5 traps....  i've been screwin around with depth, but I cant seem to find them... in the summer time they're breaking the surface for food... this place is PACKED with minnows.... only about 8 feet deep.....  cant find em -- any suggestions?

I agree right under the ice. You may want to try a different bait in your traps

[b turdy]

just under the ice is where I have had them.... and nobody is messin with them, its my buddys pond and private...  i have not put any on the bottom though -- i have been gettin way too many tad poles... I will def try it.  there are some weeds that I put a trap near today, just under the ice -- there's also a dock, should be droppin traps near that dock? been usin white bread.... any suggestions??

[hawgzilla]

just under the ice is where I have had them.... and nobody is messin with them, its my buddys pond and private...  i have not put any on the bottom though -- i have been gettin way too many tad poles... I will def try it.  there are some weeds that I put a trap near today, just under the ice -- there's also a dock, should be droppin traps near that dock? been usin white bread.... any suggestions??

Dog food, the cheaper the better.

[Slammah]

I like a 50/50 mix of saltines and dry cat/dog food. I crush about half of the saltines before I put them in the trap to help get the "stink" out into the water column. I have also had great luck on cheese nips.

[b turdy]

so here's a question.....  i set em at night, and check them the next night...  ive heard that during the day they leave the trap, and then come back at night.... truth to this rumor?

[hawgzilla]

so here's a question.....  i set em at night, and check them the next night...  ive heard that during the day they leave the trap, and then come back at night.... truth to this rumor?

I would say no.  Because of how the trap is configured, they can't really find their way out in any sort of numbers I would think.  They have no reason to leave, no predators can get them and there's food.  If you disturb them by pulling the trap and not taking them out, I've heard that they will become panicked and really try to find their way out but I don't pull the trap just to check it.  When I pull the trap they are going in the bucket regardless of numbers. 

I usually leave my traps in for 72+ hours and have never checked them at night.  It's just too dangerous to be out on thin ice alone, early season, when they are trapping well.