MyFishFinder.com Just like iceshanty but warmer
Ok...what's a roach? I'm assuming it's not the bug type...or is it?
You've probably used golden roaches but they were mistakenly called shiners. Shiners are thinner bodied minnows more commonly used as walleye bait.Just throwing them in the freezer hasn't worked too well. They get freezer burn. Does anyone put some kind of solution in with them before freezing?
Every bait shop in northern Ill. and southern Wisc. sells golden roaches. They range from 3 to 6-7 inches. If you can even find shiners they are about 1-2 inches. Most shops sell fatheads. Google shiner minnows and golden roaches. You will see the bodies are very different. You are correct that there are golden shiner minnows that are mainly found in the East. These are probably the ones they use for bass in Florida and could even be golden roaches mistakenly called shiners. I have actually caught golden roaches while fishing. I recall reading another thread were someone said the same thing. Caught a huge Pike on one I caught that was close to 8 inches long. The perfect bait. Just need to find a way to preserve them after use. I can't seem to keep them more than a week in an aquarium in my garage. It's heated though.
I usually use a pipe, so I don't have left over roaches!
I always thought golden roach was just another name for a golden shiner.....like with many fish. Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)The golden shiner is a prominent and widespread minnow of the Cyprinidae family. These fish are important forage species for predators and are widely used in various sizes as bait by anglers.IdentificationThe golden shiner has a deep, compressed body that is generally golden yellow or brass colored in turbid water, varying to more silvery in clear water. The fins are yellow green but become reddish in large spawning adults. The mouth is small and upturned with a slightly pointed snout, and there is a distinctive fleshy, scaleless keel along the belly from the pelvic to the anal fin.The dusky lateral line of the golden shiner noticeably dips down in the middle of the body, and the caudal fin is moderately forked. The color of the fins is more pronounced during breeding season; the breeding male develops fine tubercles on the dorsal surface of the head and the body. The golden shiner has 7 to 9 dorsal rays and 8 to 19 anal rays. Size/AgeGolden shiners can grow to 10.5 to 12 inches in length, although the average size varies with the environment. Many northerly waters are likely to produce smaller fish on average, and 3 to 5 inches is the norm in many places. These fish reportedly live for up to 10 years.Spawning behaviorGolden shiners reach sexual maturity in their second year when they are usually 2.5 to 3.5 inches long, and spawn over an extended period, commencing in the spring when water temperatures exceed 68°F. They do not prepare nests, as many other shiners and minnows do; rather, they scatter adhesive eggs over algae and other aquatic vegetation and do not exhibit parental care.FoodThe food of golden shiners consists of plankton, algae, insects, and small fish; they feed in midwater and at or near the surface.Other Namesroach, golden roach, shad roach, shiner, pond shiner.DistributionThis species is widely distributed east of the Rockies in the central and eastern United States, ranging from Quebec to Saskatchewan in the north, and to Florida, Texas, and Mexico in the south. It has been introduced elsewhere, including Arizona, California, and Washington.HabitatSlow-water fish, golden shiners are prevalent in lakes, ponds, backwaters, and the slower parts of streams and small to medium rivers. They are common in weedy, clean, quiet, and shallow waters.