Shiner trapping

[Erb]

Been itching to get on the ice, just got back from school figured I would try to trap some shiners. Have tried a few places, no luck. have heard beaver ponds and fire ponds. Not sure if I should put it on the bottom of the water or suspended in the middle. Also not sure if I should put it near the dams or running water. So far have found that on the bottom and near the water running out does not work. Have a new place picked out for tomorrow. We will see.
Happy to be doing some sort of fishing
Happy thanksgiving everyone

[merk42]

I have marginal luck catching shiners in late fall/winter. Seems the creek chubs that look like dace, migrate out of the brooks and pull back to bigger water, I never catch any in brooks at this time...I would try ponds, use dry kitty food or pond fish food on the bottom. You should get some...

[jigmaster5]

Have tried a few places, no luck. have heard beaver ponds and fire ponds. Not sure if I should put it on the bottom of the water or suspended in the middle. Also not sure if I should put it near the dams or running water.

They slow down w/ the skim ice, but you can still get some.

I have my best luck w/ no flow this time of year & on the bottom.

Keep trying!

[Erb]

Headed back to unh. No luck. In Hudson NH, tried 1 beaver pond. 1 large pond near weeds. And 1 stream. May try again up in Durham. If not will be trying again second week of December once I am back for the long break. Do guys that use nh caught shiners find they have better luck fishing? Catch a lot of different types of shiners ? Had been using a frabil trap just got a  be gees one also.
Thanks for the tips

[rmoody79]

I have my best luck using Amazon, 2lb and 5lb bags from Anderson farms

[Erb]

I have my best luck using Amazon, 2lb and 5lb bags from Anderson farms
[/quote]

Been looking at doing this, do you get the golden shiner minnows? About how many come in a 2lb bag? 99$ worth. Probably will end up going to my local guy to give him the money drive is just a hassle. But really want to trap some.

[lowaccord66]

I have my best luck using Amazon, 2lb and 5lb bags from Anderson farms

Anderson wouldnt ship to me? Didnt know they had some on amazon.

[rmoody79]

Maine is the only New England state that Anderson says they won’t ship to, probably bc Maine treats brook trout like sacred cows and consider a 4in shiner invasive

[lowaccord66]

CT was the same.

[sploke]

I have my best luck using Amazon, 2lb and 5lb bags from Anderson farms

Just FYI, it looks like their prices via Amazon are marked up about $15 per item vs ordering directly through their website.

[merk42]

Yes native caught shiners last longer. Can't say they produce more fish with any certainty, but I now have two large enclosures in my pond to keep the mink from eating all the shiners, been transferring from pond to enclosures for the last few weeks and they are all alive and hanging in there.. 3ft round and 4ft round. 4 ft tall. 3 ft in the water and 1 ft out the water for access once things freeze up. The mink cleaned me out last year.. Demoralizing to say the least...I guess it was like going to a fish buffet... I was away for a weekend and came home to a mink swimming around an enclosure...we chased it away... stinkers they are for sure...

Headed back to unh. No luck. In Hudson NH, tried 1 beaver pond. 1 large pond near weeds. And 1 stream. May try again up in Durham. If not will be trying again second week of December once I am back for the long break. Do guys that use nh caught shiners find they have better luck fishing? Catch a lot of different types of shiners ? Had been using a frabil trap just got a  be gees one also.
Thanks for the tips

[Erb]

I don’t want to give up but getting close, have tried 10 different places this week with my two traps and not a single thing in them, small ponds big ponds, beaver ponds. Any more advice? I have been using bread and fry dog food, putting white styrofoam in the trap read that helps, throwing it out and letting it sink to bottom. Should I try to get it off bottom. In Hudson NH

[merk42]

my only advice is try ponds that are influenced by streams.

[Erb]

How about setting in streams? And should I set near the stream flowing into the pond or flowing out? Or away from the running water?

[merk42]

I never catch anything in streams after october. Try in the ponds that the stream flows into...or flood into... The one pond I catch stuff now is a pond that gets flooded by a stream. otherwise I do most of my catching all summer and put them into my pond. Now in the enclosures...to keep from the mink... The mink and I will fish. ;o) The minnows breed in my pond too... Flatheads and others... I would really like some banded killifish. but they don't thrive...in my watershed.

[rdhammah]

a friend turned me onto a little farm pond. it's got a good population of goldies. went to the spot where I did well last year. This year nothing. I went 1/2 way around the pond tossing pieces of bread all around and waited til the little dimples appeared. I've tried trapping, but MA shiners must be too smart, so I fish for them and catch one at a time. I catch them down to about a foot from the surface. It's tedious but it's fun.

[gunvault]

Good morning All :
    I have trapped many shiners -minnows and crayfish, done best in the warm weather and put them in my tanks with filters and bubblers , I have used dry dog food, cheetos , cut up fish carccass's  I put the food in a small wire cage and hold it in the center of my traps  with hard wire ,right in front of the entry holes, works Great in the warm, but as others have stated when the water gets cold the numbers of successful catches goes way down, even in ponds that are so good in the summer and fall ?  I think it is just the way they feed ?  When it gets slow a #14 hook and line sometimes works but takes time ?  Best of luck

[Erb]

rdhammah, so go to small pound throw bread until you see dimples in the water then catch with with a net?

[Erb]

Good morning All :
    I have trapped many shiners -minnows and crayfish, done best in the warm weather and put them in my tanks with filters and bubblers , I have used dry dog food, cheetos , cut up fish carccass's  I put the food in a small wire cage and hold it in the center of my traps  with hard wire ,right in front of the entry holes, works Great in the warm, but as others have stated when the water gets cold the numbers of successful catches goes way down, even in ponds that are so good in the summer and fall ?  I think it is just the way they feed ?  When it gets slow a #14 hook and line sometimes works but takes time ?  Best of luck

14 hook and line, what do you use for bait on the hook bread? Same idea small ponds?

[PikeKing23]

It is all about location for me.  It took years to find a pond/bog that consistently produced shiners, then more years to find the spot on the spot.  I also find that bread works better on shiners than all other bait (that I tried) and keeps out the unwanted fish.  Dogfood just gets me bullheads.  Month of November works best for me.

[TheCrittaC]

I've done well in the past with Market Basket brand cheese curls and dry dog food.

[BogMan]

Not sure of prices from Andersen but it was like $140 for 5# of shiners which is about 400+ 3.5-4"
They ship them Fed x overnight. They lasted all season with my good aeration. We could never find someone close by who was open when we needed them so I started going there.
Had a few spots when I was a kid that were loaded with shiners but too open and nosey folks watching you drop in your traps.

[gunvault]

Erb
     On the hook for bait I use a small piece of worm sewn on like a piece of elbow macaroni
   It woks well for me or a small wet fly with a clear bobber or a fly rod really what ever you prefer , they will usually hit anything if they are feeding as long as it is small, a longer shank hook works best so you can remove it without hurting them, to short a shank and they swallow it. Best of luck

[lowaccord66]

The laws for using a cast net for bait collection in NH are pretty vague if you ask me.  The law states you can use a drop net but that, depending on the definition applied may not be a cast net.  I cant seem to find the states specific definition of a drop net outside of the diameter that is allowed.

[CranMan]

Maine is the only New England state that Anderson says they won’t ship to, probably bc Maine treats brook trout like sacred cows and consider a 4in shiner invasive

Nor Mass.

[Dipstick]

      Erb,
I prefer/have my best luck as soon as my little bait areas freeze over. The less time I have to keep bait alive/maintained the better. Ice also allows me to suspend my traps off bottom to avoid hornedpout/ pollywogs. I'm in the monadnock area, haven't trapped till today, but threw a couple out this afternoon for kicks. Also, I try not to leave traps more than 4-6 hours, otherwise I feel that they get smart to them. Good luck!

[BHardy]

It’s time to get trapping!! 

[rdhammah]

ERB, sorry. first time back since making my post. I fish for them with a size 18 dry fly hook and a swivel about 6" above the hook for weight all under a small Thill Shy Bite float. I always bring a couple of small garden worms, but primarily use bread dough (flour/water). Don't make the dough too sticky If I use worm, just a tiny piece. Shiners' mouths aren't very big. I only keep the mediums. large ones go back.

[merk42]

been catching chubs all summer and fall, put them in my pond. Then because of the mink, I live in the Mink Brook watershed, I built these to have some for fishing. Otherwise the minks are happy to clean me out...and fast too. They must be good at what they do. Once late Nov rolls around I start catching them in my pond and putting them in cages. This way the mink gets some food and I get bait when I need it.

[bassin212]

Incredible set up!