2012 Bait Trapping

[GraniteBass]

What about shiners that you purchase? It would appear that the same limit applies to those as well.

Also, just as a guideline, how many dozens of "medium" shiners do you guys think is 2 quarts?

[Supervisor]

What about shiners that you purchase? It would appear that the same limit applies to those as well.

Also, just as a guideline, how many dozens of "medium" shiners do you guys think is 2 quarts?

Possession limits would only apply to bait you personally trap and not purchase from a bait dealer.

[Iceholes]

Thanks for the clarification!

I got out on Tuesday of this week for an hour or so.
Bait was abundant only a few feet from shore.  Managed a dozen nice Goldens on rod and reel.

Floating the trap with a coke bottle didnt work as well as with a small poland spring water bottle.  This effort made a huge difference as the trap was bullhead free and I got about 3 dozen small commons with one toss!

Looking to get back out beginning of next week with the warm up.

[Jay Fat City]

Thanks for the clarification!

I got out on Tuesday of this week for an hour or so.
Bait was abundant only a few feet from shore.  Managed a dozen nice Goldens on rod and reel.

Floating the trap with a coke bottle didnt work as well as with a small poland spring water bottle.  This effort made a huge difference as the trap was bullhead free and I got about 3 dozen small commons with one toss!

Looking to get back out beginning of next week with the warm up.

Throwing my trap out tomorrow. It's on the smaller size. I think it's 17 inches long. What type/size of bottle should I use? Right now, I have an empty 20 oz. Moxie bottle in there.

Jay

[Iceholes]

The 20oz bottle seemed to be too large, suppose you could add a little water to it to sink it a bit.  The 16.9oz water bottle worked nicely.

Although before I head out again I may strap it to the center of the trap to allign it so the trap floats more evenly in the water.

[Jay Fat City]

I'm sure I can dig up a water bottle. Thanks! And I'm sure I can zip tie it in the middle.

[NH Fishin Fool]

Possession limits would only apply to bait you personally trap and not purchase from a bait dealer.

How would you prove this one way or the other?

[rockhound57]

my uninformed interpretation of the law, from the info in the smelt rules, would be that you have to have a separate, labeled, container for each persons bait: 2 people, 2 tanks; 3 people, 3 tanks, probably another labeled tank marked:"purchased bait," for greatest protection. and guys like me who fish multiple states, they have to be separated too!
 Cain't be bringin' no stinkin' NH minnows into Me, and no stinkin' Me minnows into NH!!!!!  Especially ironic, since I have several sites on the Saco River that I trap, a couple in NH and a couple in Me, but I can't mix them!!!

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[Jay Fat City]

Bought a filter last night, tossed my trap out this morning, filled my 18 gallon Tupperware container shortly after, and am heading out with the rod back to the bait pond in about half an hour. Let's see how things go.

Jay

[Jay Fat City]

I don't know if it was the east wind or what, but I didn't even sniff a shiner this morning on the rod and worm combo. Coulda caught them with a tennis racket last week. As I was leaving, I did see a big school of them in a storm drain. Might move the trap under cover of darkness tonight.

Jay

[nhdeadhead]

How long does trapped bait usually stay alive in a holding tank? I use to trap shiners for daily use in the spring, summer and fall but never over winter. Also, what do you feed them, if anything?

[Dispy]

How long does trapped bait usually stay alive in a holding tank? I use to trap shiners for daily use in the spring, summer and fall but never over winter. Also, what do you feed them, if anything?

Our "die off" is minimal. Unless you plan on changing filter medium and water more frequently, I would recommend not feeding them. Food and excrements from the fish creates ammonia and it will cause more fish kill as oxygen levels become depleted.

[Rob M-O]

I'm new to trapping bait and have a couple of traps out now in a pond that I know has a lot of shiners in it.  But I can't catch anything but newts.  I just created a rig where I can toss a weight out and then drag a trap out that is suspended under a gallon milk just so it is off the bottom but I still have had no luck.  My other trap rests on the bottom.
Any ideas where the shiners might be schooled up? 
The shallow end near the swampy inlet?  Near some beaver lodges? Close to shore in deeper water or in shallower water on the north end of the pond where the sun warms the water more?  Am I over thinking this and should I pull the traps and try somewhere else even though I know there are shiners in this pond?
I am using dry dog food and stale bread for bait.

[Swampdonkey]

If you don't get a good pull of shiners in 24 hours then find another pond. I don't trap till the ponds are frozen though so it may be different prior to freeze up..

[Rob M-O]

I just don't get it.  When I am swimming the dog there in the summer time, there are tons of shiners swimming around my feet so I know they are in there.  I have even caught a couple of big ones with the fly rod.  I'm not willing to quit on this pond just yet.