Author Topic: Feeding minnows (Read 4310 times)

ovidgsd · « **on:** Dec 22, 2003, 04:20 PM »

What's a good choice for feeding them (when they are kept in a fish tank waiting for their big day!

) ?

grumpymoe · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 04:29 PM »

if you look at different posts, the general thought is DONT FEED THEM. they can be kept for several weeks or longer as long as they have enough oxygen in the water. a neighboring angler catches his winter supply now and keeps them in his dark cellar with 2 week water changes and they last until the seasons over end of march

fishercat · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 05:03 PM »

I have had shinners in my basment for up yo 3 weeks without feeding just changed the water every 4-5 days. Feeding is not necessary.

ovidgsd · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 05:18 PM »

Did a search, can't seem to locate the other threads on this subject.....

I have heard many times that feeding is not Necessary, but how could it be "bad"?

olds-Pa · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 05:44 PM »

I do feed my shiners. I keep my winter supply in a 100 gallon stock tank with an aerator. Up to a couple hundred at a time. From the way they eat, i suspect they work up an appetite same as we do. I feed them tropical fish food or when the dogs not looking, finely ground dry dog food. Use it spareingly so as not to pollute the water.

racepoint · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 05:45 PM »

If you feed minnows in captivity...... they will relieve themselves and cause amonia to build up in the water. You would have to change water more often and even that may not stop them from dying. DON'T FEED THEM !! Just don't let the animal activists know I said that.

Outdoors_Nut · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 05:56 PM »

My best friend use to own a bait and tackle store and I have to agree with racepoint. Ammonia build up is the # killer of bait. I have personally kept them alive for almost a year by maintaining a 48 degree temperature in the tank,air rated 24-7,and for those that don't have the luxury of a main water feed,change the water every 3 days. This will keep the ammonia level down.

ovidgsd · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 06:13 PM »

Ok - now there's a potential "bad" side! My tank is a normal tropical fishing tank set up with a carbon filter, etc. So I suppose that filtration system is set up with the idea that there will be fish inside eating and crapping, so ammonia will be filtered out. I'm keeping the tank in the cold basement so the temp is going to be around 45, I'm sure the NEED to eat will be next to nil. The tank does generate a fairly noticeable current, there is a snorkel sucking in water to the filter and pouring it in the top. As a result, the minnows do seem to need to swim a bit. I fish 3 x some weeks, then 3 weeks with out any, so I figure keeping them in this set up makes maintainence easy and feeding them so they remain strong can only be a good thing.

shwung79 · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 06:25 PM »

Keep doing what works best for you!!

In my opinion feeding them is just waste and more work!!

Any ways if you were doing good fishing you wont be able to keep them that long anyways!!

Kevin

crappieloo · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 06:58 PM »

I have kept them over a year. My son had one of those small octogon aquariums around 2 gallons, i set it up just like you would have expensive fish in it. Ya know blue gravel on bottom(turds show up better) the small aerator that came with it and a little hideout thingy for them. Worked perfect. Fed them about 1 time every 3 or 4 days cause thet were active in the livingroom(68 degree water).
If i had them in the basement i would only have to feed them probablly 1 or 2 times in 2 weeks.

Bussman · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 22, 2003, 10:47 PM »

I am with the non feeders on this one.

I kept golden shinners that I caught while fishing in my basement for 4 months without feeding them. At the beginning I had 60 (give or take) and the numbers went down slowly as I used and replaced some. They were all 6" to 12". I used a plastic storage container that held maybe 40 gallons and a home made fliter/airater. The first week I changed the water every other day until it cleared up. After that I changed some of the water maybe every week but I was also adding new "dirty" fish. Those fish were dark colored when I caught them but after a few days in the tank with clean water they got a nice Golden Shine to them.

At the time I had town water with clorine in it so I always put declorination drops in the water. You could also let the water sit for a few days to let the clorine dissapate. They made excellent pike bait on tipups.

Muskie Matt · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 23, 2003, 07:43 AM »

I was wondering what to look for it catching your own bait. I usually buy golden pond shiners and suckers that range from $7.50 per dz to $2.00 a piece! I wouldn't mind trying to catch some myslef. For the past couple of years I've been keeping the bait I purchased in a 10 gallon "storage" type container I got @ wal-mart. I tried feeding them and found they really didn't eat but it did dirty the water. Those things last forever. I sometime put the bait "keeper" pellets in the water, turns it blue. My bait is some of the livliest out there. I want to know how to catch pond shiners or suckers. I'm guessing it's like jigging w/ a small piece of bait, but where do you find these things, shallow, deep, what time of year? Any info would be appreciated. I live in western-massachusetts.

NJ_ICE_HUNTER · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 23, 2003, 08:08 AM »

From my experience, you need to find a local shallow mud type pond......it sounds like B.S., but you just gotta ask around.....its one of those things that just gets passed through local knowledge. When I was little there was a pond by my house about 100ft in diameter that we always used to catch suckers and giant golden shiners in. I now ice fish it and jig up those suckers with little pieces of hot dog or earthworm. You can find suckers in a lot of trout streams too.

Bussman · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 23, 2003, 08:11 AM »

I used to catch them in the Retreat in Brattleboro,VT. Its a setback off the conn. river but this should work anywhere you know the fish are at. What we used to do is maybe an hour or 2 before dark we would crumble up a bunch of bread and throw it down a few holes. We were doing this in 6' to 8' of water. Just as the sun was setting we would hit these holes with the same jigs we were fishing with all day for panfish (very small and tipped with a spike). They would hit like mad for about an hour or so. Usually they hit at a foot or 2 off bottom but sometimes we used 2 hooks with one a foot higher and could double up. I have since fished them in NY the same way and sometimes I get lucky and find them without the bread. The trick is finding the water that holds them. I have found the best action is mid to late ice. Good Luck!

George

grumpymoe · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 23, 2003, 08:19 AM »

good old minnow trap with small chunks of bread placed in the shallows (weedbeds, rocks & boulders ) on most lakes will get you a good supply of live bait. hardwater bait just requires cutting a good size hole with a spud or if you like getting wet (chainsaw works well) and covering with a sheet of styrofoam and snow. you can check overnight or 2-3 days and you should have all the bait you need

BuckShotJon · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 23, 2003, 10:46 AM »

Yup a regular minnow trap works well.

To find crek chubs locate a small creek that has current in it. Then find a still water spot in that creek. Let your trap stay overnight and check the next morning. If there is chubs in there you will have caught them.

I have one creek that has so many chubs in it that you can select the amount you want out of your trap. But I usually don't use the creek chubs because I have almost no luck fishing pike with them.

Also the same creek I release the shiners I have leftover in this creek sometimes. I have noticed over the last couple years I am catching shiners of all sizes. Must be they are reproducing in there.

Jon

FullTmeDad · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 23, 2003, 10:48 AM »

Racepoint is correct. Feeding minnows will cause an increase in ammonia. UNLESS you have a filtration system with an active carbon filter and a "bubbler".
I maintain a 300 gallon poly-lined galvanized tank stocked with minnows trapped from the river. I lost two tanks from die-off before I learned. Very costly mistake! I no longer feed my fish and they do just fine.
FTD

grumpymoe · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 23, 2003, 04:50 PM »

i envy you guys who can keep alot of live bait at home.our provincial regulations allow a maximum of 15 dozen minnows that MUST BE KILLED before transporting from where they were trapped. the only exception is bait shops who are licensed to sell and they may be used at any location after sale. the idea i guess is to keep unwanted fish out of some lakes. i guess i can only hope they change the regs but i dont hold much hope for that to happen

grumpymoe

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