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IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: wyiceman on Feb 19, 2010, 01:52 PM

Title: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: wyiceman on Feb 19, 2010, 01:52 PM
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
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: OUTHNTN on Feb 19, 2010, 01:57 PM
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!
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: Pork on Feb 19, 2010, 02:18 PM
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.
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: Natty on Feb 19, 2010, 02:50 PM
Beleive it or not white packing peanuts.( styrofoam).
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: wyiceman on Feb 19, 2010, 03:06 PM
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 :) 
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: HoleHpr on Feb 19, 2010, 03:34 PM
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? 
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: Natty on Feb 19, 2010, 03:40 PM
Yes it all stays in the trap.   That's why it works
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: carcaju on Feb 19, 2010, 03:49 PM
plain goldfish crackers work as well
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: bobbyfish64 on Feb 19, 2010, 06:10 PM
saltine crackers..the cheap ones . I have been using them for years..works great!
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: isthereiceyet89 on Feb 19, 2010, 06:13 PM
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
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: baginwal on Feb 19, 2010, 07:03 PM
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.
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: d3 on Feb 19, 2010, 07:41 PM
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
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: PIKEHUNTER69 on Feb 19, 2010, 08:06 PM
WE HAVE GREAT LUCK WITH A HANDFULL OF DRY DOG FOOD!
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: fish_finder on Feb 19, 2010, 09:07 PM
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
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: Master Angler on Feb 19, 2010, 09:33 PM
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.
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: howesfc on Feb 19, 2010, 09:37 PM
I use dry dog food also.
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: pirkaus on Feb 19, 2010, 09:38 PM
Ritz crackers, throw a couple in and let it soak in the slack water by an eddy
Pirk
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: wilenard on Feb 19, 2010, 09:59 PM
Dry dog food; specifically Tuffy's brand.

Good luck!
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: WARRIOR_ON_ICE on Feb 19, 2010, 10:01 PM
I put a 20 pound pike in my trap. The minnows love him.
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: isthereiceyet89 on Feb 19, 2010, 10:08 PM
I put a 20 pound pike in my trap. The minnows love him.
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: Greg2ha on Feb 19, 2010, 11:16 PM
What kind of minnow traps do you use? Frabill? or homemade?
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: wyiceman on Feb 20, 2010, 12:21 PM
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'.
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: Silver~Ghost on Feb 20, 2010, 12:28 PM
Bagels... ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: joeythejigger on Feb 20, 2010, 12:35 PM
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!  :)
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: pirkaus on Feb 20, 2010, 01:24 PM
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
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: servocam on Feb 20, 2010, 02:24 PM
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.
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: biglaker on Feb 20, 2010, 08:12 PM
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
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: Border Jumper on Feb 20, 2010, 09:12 PM
We would always use whtite bread in our traps.
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: Madpuppy on Feb 21, 2010, 10:10 AM
Fish food in a nylon.
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: auger-elbow on Feb 21, 2010, 06:39 PM
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
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: bigmike7272 on Feb 21, 2010, 07:16 PM
handful of dog food ;D
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: wyiceman on Feb 22, 2010, 08:44 AM
Well so far we've seen white bread/buns and dog food was best from most responders, but we've also heard styrofoam peanuts, different crackers, fish food in a nylon, and ivory soap.  I like to set up an experiment in the same pool with traps filled with the main responses and see which is the best producer.  If anybody else has tested side by side these baits, I'd love to hear the results.  
Title: Re: What's the Best Bait for Minnow Traps?
Post by: fish_finder on Feb 22, 2010, 09:32 AM
I tested bread and dog food toghether last winter side by side, dog food always had way more, now i usual;ly use both, i think the bread works well to help them find the trap quickly then the dog food keeps them around