Fishing Without Minnows

[wyogator]

I was just wondering what your guys' thoughts are on this.  With our local sporting goods store closed and our local minnow guy (Arlen) out of the trade, it's beginning to look like it's gonna be a long dry winter without minnows around here.  I can always get them at Scheels when I'm in Billings and maybe Havre if their minnow man is still in business.  However that's not always an option, nor convenient.  I have almost always fished for walleye and northern with minnows, either live or a fresh pinched-off head on a jig.  The few times I fished without, (Lake Frances, because they are illegal) I did poorly.  Nightcrawlers didn't work on tip ups or jigs.  Have you guys done well without minnows? How about frozen minnows on a jig, or Berkeley Gulp minnows? How about jigging without any bait? I should know these answers, because I have been ice fishing for a looong time.  Except I have almost always had minnows.  I fished western Mt lakes with nightcrawlers and hammered the trout.  They just don't seem to work on walleye through the ice.  Let me know your thoughts.

[Fortpeck1]

I fish walleye and northerns mostly.
If I can't find minnows I use herring, smelt  2nd choice.
3rd choice is preserved minnow from walmart[3+"]
walleyes will hit a flutter spoon or lipless crank bait without minnows or minnow head
My favorite lipless is a live target yearling series.

[wyogator]

I already called Albertsons to see if they had any frozen herring. No dice on that.  I have slayed walleye and northern during summer on trolled diving cranks.  I just wasn't sure about ice fishing.

[mtcommonwalleyeguy]

Small smelt on a tipup would be a good choice for both species. If pike only, buy some monster smelt (6"+), they love those. I've had plenty of luck in the past for walleyes with maggots, wax worms, or salted/preserved minnows, like the ones from a bait shop or Walmart. Just pinch them off at the head like a live one. Never had much luck through the ice on a whole preserved minnows. I do primarily use buckshot spoons. Haven't used the lipless cranks much for walleyes yet, but looks like the rattling ones have been doing well further east, so hopefully that translates to MT, as I'll be giving them a shot this year when I go looking for walleye. Without a minnow, I find they take a bit more convincing to bite any of the above, usually.

As far as gulp minnows...the smallest ones will catch a fish here or there, but in my experience, hasn't really been worth running them. I use them open water all the time with a lot of success, but hard water, it's been one here or there is it.

If you live around an IGA or a Super 1, give them a call. I've found smelt at both before.

[wyogator]

I’ll check IGA in Havre, thanks.

[hoofer]

1 inch gulp black and white one on each point of the treble hook on a spoon you like good for walleye,pike perch and most anything that swims.4 inch gulp on jig head works well to.

[Gunflint]

I have seen several posts/videos on here that claim "hotdogs" - a weiner on a quickset - is the rig to use for pike.

[river_scum]

can you use live native fish for bait in your state?  if not, a fresh fillet of perch/gill on a windless tip up should killum!

[appleye]

I use the eyeballs of fish I clean, perch, walleye, crappie, trout... I salt them down with kosher salt or non-iodized salt (sea salt) put them in a small zip lock with a piece of paper towel. On tip ups I use smelt, there are sources on line for smelt, hearing and such. The eyeballs work better that a pinched minnow and stay on a hook almost all day if you use the same lure.

[sploke]

I had a batch of minnows I bought the night before, die overnight.  Found while I was packing the car to head out at 5am.  I ended up using them dead, on tip-ups and still did decent, going for bass and pike.

[Fortpeck1]

Albertsons on east broadway in Missoula have herring

[mthuntr]

Sounds like it might be worth buying a net or minnow trap.  The minnows that Arlen offered years ago were some of the strongest I had ever fished with.  I wonder if you talked to him if he'd divulge a couple spots to do a some personal trapping.

[wyogator]

River-scum, using live or edible parts of game fish is illegal in Montana.  I know the Albertsons on Broadway had herring when I lived in Missoula.  The one in Malta doesn't have any bait.  I have had very little luck trapping my own because the crawdads would always get into the trap and devour the minnows.

[Gunflint]

River-scum, using live or edible parts of game fish is illegal in Montana.  I know the Albertsons on Broadway had herring when I lived in Missoula.  The one in Malta doesn't have any bait.  I have had very little luck trapping my own because the crawdads would always get into the trap and devour the minnows.

Did you eat the crawdads?  I sometimes set out traps just for them.

[wirehairman]

I believe Pryor Creek Bait Co. will ship frozen bait.  I've bought herring from them on a regular basis.  They have all sizes and dyed colors if you want.  Plus, they are a site sponsor.

[wyogator]

No gunflint, I used to eat them years ago when I was a kid.  I have bought Pryor Creek bait before.  They are a solid outfit.

[slamber]

I have seen several posts/videos on here that claim "hotdogs" - a weiner on a quickset - is the rig to use for pike.

I've used them for years and they do work well for northerns. Buy the biggest, cheapest pack at Walmart and for a couple bucks you're set for the weekend. The bonus is you can grill them on your buddy heater for a snack.

[sra61]

Stromberg's Sinclair on the East side of Havre was carrying minnows last year. We always tried to stop in on the way through and give him a little business.

[JiffyJockey]

As someone else noted, it’s illegal to use edible parts of gamefish in Montana. Having said that, my brother and I have had solid success buying live minnows which we use on our annual trip the north central Montana and then freezing the leftover minnows and using those. Sounds mean, but put your leftover live bait in a zip lock and throw them in the freezer immediately. We then use them on lakes where you can’t use live bait and have had very solid success on perch, walleye and Ling. Sometimes use a whole minnow and other times the head or tail.

We fished in Saskatchewan last year on a lake where you can’t use live bait. Everyone uses the frozen salted minnows there hooking the minnow through the back of the gill plate, through the spine and then out the other side of the gill plate. Works great. Also, perch eyes work good and stay on the hook really well.   All the below fish were caught on frozen minnows or perch eyes during the same trip.

[BobberdownMT]

What works in one lake doesn’t mean it will work in the other

[wyogator]

Sra, Sinclair still sells them at $7 a dozen.  I'm currently looking for places to trap them without luck. There are very few small open spots on the Milk.  I haven't caught a single minnow yet. 

[Hydro]

Jiffy Jockey - Great walleye photos! Thanks for sharing your experience with frozen bait, helpful info.

[filetandrelease]

 

 Nice  eyes

[gillsonice]

It is my understanding that bluegill/sunfish are not considered game fish in Montana and can be used for bait, correct me if I'm wrong

[sra61]

Sra, Sinclair still sells them at $7 a dozen.  I'm currently looking for places to trap them without luck. There are very few small open spots on the Milk.  I haven't caught a single minnow yet.

I know that Jim and all of those guys really had to work to get them. I don't think it was really worth their time and effort!

[PerchPounderMT]

What works in one lake doesn’t mean it will work in the other

truth