can't find gold

[jonserfish1]

I have a couple of traps in ponds I know have big bait, but all I'm gettin is gils and sunnies???   I've tried different baits/combos and can't figure em out. Any suggestions?

[Bigbait]

You ll never get golden in a trap bread on hook , oat meal, spike or maggots.
That is the way you strike gold found two new stop today nothing big but I caught about 40 at each spot
just by seeing little rain drops on the water. 

[GrizlyGarou]

Forget about the ponds. Find little pools off brooks. The big ones you'll need a hook for, but the smalls and mediums will fit in a trap.

[F.R.E.D.]

Cast net, you can get a cheap one @ walmart. Get a small one so its easy to toss. Throw some oatmeal out, wait for the goldies to show, toss the net . . . done deal.

[jonserfish1]

got a cast net. use it for bunker. I'll try it. how long does it normally take the the oats to draw them in? do you wait it out for hours?

[F.R.E.D.]

@ my spot it is minutes. I toss a handful or two and wait till the water starts to boil or I see the goldies hittin the oats as they fall. I guess the trick would be to find a place that is concentrated with the bait you are after. If you were looking to hold them in a spot try poking holes in a catfood can, tie a string on so you can retrieve (give a hoot don't pollute) and toss it out a few days before. This way they will be in the area when you show up w/ the cast net. After a toss I usually don't have to wait long to either re-bait or just toss with out oats. I find stirring up the bottom will bring them in as well.

[pikeking]

These are some of the bigger ones that I got over the summer while Carp fishing. No way to keep them alive so I froze them.

[THE JIGGER]

You ll never get golden in a trap bread on hook , oat meal, spike or maggots.
That is the way you strike gold found two new stop today nothing big but I caught about 40 at each spot
just by seeing little rain drops on the water. 

Beg to differ with you. A couple of shanty members got about 6 dozen in traps this week in a couple of hours. None were big because of the hole opening regulation.

[pikeking]

Beg to differ with you. A couple of shanty members got about 6 dozen in traps this week in a couple of hours. None were big because of the hole opening regulation.

Every one we have in the tanks are Goldens and we got almost all of them with traps.

[drl823]

8-10 inches we catch with Gulp maggots (small pieces) or bread balls, everything else 5" and below we got in traps.

[jonserfish1]

thanks for all the advise! heading out later.I will try all suggestions. Hopefully give the gils & sunnies some company in their new (temporary) home. Thanks again

[jonserfish1]

oatmeal definitely kept them active, but I still could not hook any. Going again in the am with the net. I did get a couple of bites on gulp worm bits but need to downsize gear I think.

[Bigbait]

Big or little a #6 hook is amazing, sabiki rig works wonder.  I've caught 2lb bass,2 giant crappie and 20 bullhed
all while shiner fishing with maggots / spikes. Using that small hook in last month I caught about 150 8 to10 inch
150 6", let go in pond I m stocking 300 2 to 4 inch. Now that fishing 4 hours a day about 10 day.  ( I get 25 to 75 per on ave day) I found two new spots just by drive by in the evening looking for little rain drop or mist on the water if you see this throw bread,maggots or for big one little tiny crappie jig on bobber.    

[jonserfish1]

I have become a master at throw netting............... .for sunfish. I could not catch a pond shiner if my life depends on it. This summer I actually caught a giant fall fish(I think) on a tiny diving rebel. Now that I am targeting bait I can't find a @#*%ing thing. On the bright side I will be jigging up large sunnies in my basement until ponds freeze.

[Bigbait]

It not that hard I took class two years ago, throwing cast net for bunker think. I found one of guide books slash
hand out while getting out my ice fishing gear it takes about thirty minutes to learn. I got so good at it could lift the net, had to release a load. 8) 8) 8) 

[jonserfish1]

I can throw it fine, have been  throwning it for years in the salt. Just can't get a damn pond shiner I've hit about 15 local water bodies and NADA. On the bright side I can jig in my cellar if anyone is getting jig fever.