Minnows/Brands

[Roughrider24]

Could be a dumb question but does anyone have a preference on minnow brands, size, salted or unsalted? I usually just pick up any tub of regular, unsalted Minnows of whatever brand. But as of late have noticed one brand of Minnows is firmer and stays on the hook better then the other (could be a mental thing I just decided on day ).

I also noticed I tend to go for the smaller Minnows in my regular tub or just rip the heads off or rip the bigger Minnows in half. Anyways was just curious if people stick to a certain brand or if possibly I just got a couple of bad tubs that had thawed and been refrozen by the shop.

[HoggON]

As far as brands go I'm not sure but one thing I am sure about is bait is everything.  I take my sweet time when choosing my bait, if one places bait doesn't look good I will drive across town just to get good looking bait. 
A buddy and myself fished side by side last weekend, him with some dandy salty's and myself with regular minnows and our walleye counts were pretty well equal.  Although he out pounded me with a behemoth eye! 

[killemfish]

I like Big-Zee.

[Big Burk]

I'm not too concerned on brands but like to have a selection of bait to choose from. Usually have regular minnows, salted minnows, smelts, herring and other baits on hand

[bigk]

I like the candle lake shiners as far as minnows go.

[hunt2001]

I'm not too concerned on brands but like to have a selection of bait to choose from. Usually have regular minnows, salted minnows, smelts, herring and other baits on hand

x2

[Uzo]

I like Salted minnows and the smaller ones. There is a store in Regina that sells the salts just by adding his own salt on top which I don't like....it's not the proper way and I find they r way more mushy.

[jhepting]

I know that when I salmon fish with herring we would salt them because it touffens the skin and is more likely to survive a hit and miss.  I salt my minnows because they stay together better and i know it stands a better chance of staying on my hook when something is playing with it or I miss a hit.  I did how ever notice that the amount of salt needed for minnow is a lot less than the herring i am used to on the BC coast and i deffenly turned my first tub or two into minnow jerky.

[The Spoon]

Big Zee all the way

[ran7ger]

salted minnows never totally freeze, main reason i use them primarily.  the freeze/thaw of regular minnows turns em to mush and it's no fun hacking out a chunk of minnow from a frozen tub when there's walleye below you stealing bait.  some days they only want unsalted though, so like BB said i like to have an assortment.

[Husser]

I had a tub of salted minnows a couple of years ago. They lasted me an entire fishing season. They were the best minnows I ever used. I probably caught a fish for every two minnows in the tub. They were indestructible. I have a had time finding them in Saskatoon though.

[t-tot]

I try to use the ones in the square yellow tub only.

[Mallow]

Where in regina can I get minnows.  I want them to be thawed for Saturdays fishing trip

[Water Wolf]

You should be able to find minnow at both Great Northern Rod and Reel and at Pokeys Tackle shop. 
Wholesale sports has dyed minnows in unfrozen bags along with other bait fish. I am not sure how they would work or how they are preserved.
You might even have some luck at superstore. I have seen frozen minnows in there before but not that often. Superstore usually has lots of smelt and other big pike baits.

It might be good to give the stores a call before going, just encase they are out at the moment.

Have any of you tried those pickled herring strips or chunks you can buy in jars at most grocery stores?
They look like they might work, but I just wondering as I have never tried them myself.

WW

[killemfish]

Wholesale Sports

[ran7ger]

Have any of you tried those pickled herring strips or chunks you can buy in jars at most grocery stores?
They look like they might work, but I just wondering as I have never tried them myself.
WW

as a proud scandanavian it would be blasphemy to use something as tasty as pickled herring for bait! 

[basdif]

Buying bait from major supermarkets scares me a little because the bait most likely came from out of province (or should I say "food" ).  The angling guide mentions purchasing bait from within the province because of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) originating in Ontario.  Just saying... not that I always have this in mind but I usually buy Candle Lake shiners.  I have never tried salted or preserved minnows although a friend swears by salted because they can be reused more than natural minnows.

[bigk]

About time someone backed me up on the candle lake shiners.

[Layne]

Candle lake shiners and Big Zees are about the only two brands I wont buy, not sure why but they just havent done well for me.

[basdif]

Candle Lake Shiners have done really well for me in the SSR.

[bigk]

Crazy how different things work for people I swear by them. Find they have a little thicker skin and seem to stay on better. I usually cut them in half or thirds and like to use the tail end. Hook through 2 trebles so it sits like a swimming fish would towards the end of the tale.

[Layne]

The ones in the square yellow tub used to be my favorite but I cant ever seem to find them here anymore.

[bigk]

We're they salted layne?

[Layne]

Unsalted but they may have come salted as well, its been a couple years since Ive seen them locally.

[churks]

I like the preserved ones that are in the bag they stay good for a real long time and they stay on the hook. I

[Roughrider24]

I remember the ones in the yellow tub, those used to be my main purchase. Right now I have both salted and unsalted Northern lights as well Campbells Catch small Minnows.

[Kinasao]

I you want to salt your own minnows, mix sea salt and borax 50/50 in a separate container. Take a tub of minnows, thaw them out and separate them into two containers. Add the salt/borax mixture to your minnows and you can then refreeze them and use a tub as required.You can use the same tub of minnows several days in summer or winter depending on the bite. In the summer I just store the minnows in the fridge rather than refreeze them if I am fishing several days in a row. The mixture will draw water from the minnows and I drain this off each day. The minnows will stay firm and don't get soft and mushy. Borax is simply washing soda and it is available in the laundry area of the grocery store. One name brand is "Arm and Hammer".

[Water Wolf]

Good info / tip  Kinasao, I will try that some time.

WW

[killemfish]

Layne, were the ones in the yellow square tub northern light minnows? If so, they now come in round containers. Only asking cause I remember getting them in the square containers.