Icicles???????

[piscesman]

I was wondering if icicle minnows are seasonal??? I tried getting them last summer but no-one had them. Any ideas out there??? Thanks.
      Kim     

[Lobes]

I don't know why you can't get them whenever you want. You can buy summer sausage and snow peas year 'round!

[piscesman]

I tried buying them last summer and the bait shop looked at me as if I was crazy.............. I want to use them because their extra shiney sides.
      Kim     

[Skipper]

They're just emerald shiners! 

Yes, but they hibernate in the summer.

[iceisnice]

Emeralds require very cold water.  During the summer they die in bait tanks or they will die in your bucket because it is hard to keep the water in the low 50's.  Bait shops do not like to sell bait they know is going to die,  it causes bad reputations and hard feelings.

[2 dogs]

Hate to express my ignorance but what are icicle minnows?

[flockshot]

Hate to express my ignorance but what are icicle minnows?

ummm...as stated above...emerald shiners.

[piscesman]

Thanks for the info again. I didn't realize they need extra cold water to live. That would explain why they are very hardy in the cold weather, unless you freeze them in an ice block like me. To the guy a few posts up. The icicles have a very shiny silver side that attracts the larger fish. With the ice and snow piled on top the water gets pretty dark a few feet down. They have that extra FLASH that could be the difference between a long day and a HAPPY one......
     Kim       

[iceisnice]

So you know , Icicles are on the list for the VHS virus.  It will probably be tough to get them this winter.  There will be all kinds of changes on how and what kind of bait can be moved around.  There are a few topics in this forum on VHS.

[OTIS]

Emeralds require very cold water.  During the summer they die in bait tanks or they will die in your bucket because it is hard to keep the water in the low 50's.  Bait shops do not like to sell bait they know is going to die,  it causes bad reputations and hard feelings.

I don't agree with the cold water statement.  They're native to Oneida Lake which is a rather shallow and warm water lake.  We can buy them year around at the local bait shops and they do not have any special kind of bait tanks.  They seem to stay alive just fine for hours in a bait bucket or livewell.

[walleyechaser]

I agree emeralds are garbage.  Fatheads, goldies and chubs are better walleye minnows.

[OTIS]

I'll agree that they are not as hardy a bait as fatheads or shiners.  But as far as Walleye go, I've seen them out produce other minows 4 to 1.

[iceisnice]

I was just up talking to the region 5 Biologist which is the lower Adirondacks and Saratoga Counties.
Emeralds from Lake Ontario will  most likely not be permitted to be sold anywhere in the state.  There will be those plus many other regulations because of the VHS virus.  I am in contact with NYS DEC every 2 days or so to be up on the regulations.
WE DO NOT WANT TO RUIN LAKE GEORGE OR ANY OF THE OTHER LAKES IN THE ADIRONDACKS.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH BAIT THIS COMING SEASON.  DO NOT TRANSPORT CONTAMINATED BAIT.

[Lobes]

I was just up talking to the region 5 Biologist which is the lower Adirondacks and Saratoga Counties.
Emeralds from Lake Ontario will  most likely not be permitted to be sold anywhere in the state.  There will be those plus many other regulations because of the VHS virus.

I agree.
The Beta virus nearly wiped them out during the 1980's. Now they're studying the DVD virus that could be much more dangerous because it can't be affected by de-gaussing (demagnetizing).