This Years Bait Trapping Thread

[maineduckhunter]

Nice set-up.  What did you fill the PVC with for the filter?

Drilled holes in 1/2 inch pvc, then rolled it in a blanket of this,

[thedirtydirtyfisherman]

nice filter set up, that will definately help keep the water clean.  I myself don't use a filter if im just keeping fish and not feeding them.  After the initial introduction, you want to change the water because the fish will actually throw up whats in their stomachs just from the shock of moving.  After that if you don't feed them and you keep the water cold, not much in the way of particulate matter will come about.  What is important is having a bio filter established.  This regulates the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrate levels in the tanks and keeps fish happy.  I actually will use water where the fish are coming from along with biological colonies you can buy in the store.  I add this to the water where i have green scrubby pad sitting (after being rinsed numerous times) and I haven't had any problems with the chemical makeup of the water.

[APJ]

I find if I dont feed my fish they get really skinny.. I like fat bait.. As a result I do have to change my water twice per week sometimes 3 times a week. But thats with 900 bait and a 150 gal freezer. But I have no water shortage either..

[joefishmore]

What do you feed them ?

[zorchester21]

The pond I live near is loaded with bait fish every summer I see them boil up near the surface but have been unsuccessful in trapping them. I set traps with cat food but have had no luck. Can anyone help me out?

[lunkahville]

The pond I live near is loaded with bait fish every summer I see them boil up near the surface but have been unsuccessful in trapping them. I set traps with cat food but have had no luck. Can anyone help me out?

The variables in this make it hard to help. How deep is it? What is there for structure? How big is it? And on and on and on. I'd try setting 2 shallow one on bottom one on top. Then 2 deep one on bottom and one bout half way. If there is structure I would be around that

[marabou]

Try chumming the water with a can of wet cat food also

[woodchip]

I find a lot of small ponds and lakes loose their main source of oxygen when the snow ice covers the surface and takes away sunlight from the plants,  Some of these lakes the fish get sluggish  and are not very active.

[maineduckhunter]

Should be all set for the 2015 season. Good mix of dace and shiners!! 

[APJ]

What do you feed them ?

Gold fish flakes  and instant potato.. Teaspoon of each twice per week.

[lunkahville]

Might have already been stated but I don't have the time to read 20 pages of posts. What is the average people let traps soak for. I'm going 3 days roughly and pulling 4 doz or so each pull. Am I waiting to long? Got location down just need duration

[APJ]

Might have already been stated but I don't have the time to read 20 pages of posts. What is the average people let traps soak for. I'm going 3 days roughly and pulling 4 doz or so each pull. Am I waiting to long? Got location down just need duration

3 days is good I check every other day but i;m close to traps too. Use small white pieces of styrofoam bread and dogfood. Also make your holes large like 3 ft in diameter seems to help..

[matthewt]

Got a question.  Been bait trapping for 5 years. Keep them alive all winter no issues. Usually use a freezer. This year tried a horse tub steel one. After 2 days I lost over 100 bait.  I have some foam in the water. The only thing different is the tub. Anyone ever have an issue with these? I can't find where it says they are bad for the fish. Water temp is 39.2.

[Grumpy]

Got a question.  Been bait trapping for 5 years. Keep them alive all winter no issues. Usually use a freezer. This year tried a horse tub steel one. After 2 days I lost over 100 bait.  I have some foam in the water. The only thing different is the tub. Anyone ever have an issue with these? I can't find where it says they are bad for the fish. Water temp is 39.2.

  Is it galvanized? 
 More bait than past years?
Not as many gallons in the container?
Tap water?
 Something is up to lose that many.  Are they shiners or emeralds?

[matthewt]

  Is it galvanized? 
 More bait than past years?
Not as many gallons in the container?
Tap water?
 Something is up to lose that many.  Are they shiners or emeralds?

Stainless steel
Less bait than in the past. 
Just as much water
Lake water

[BassinAssassin]

Maybe some sort of oil or residue from something on the steel before it was filled? Did you wash and rinse it before it was filled?

[Grumpy]

Huh, well happy bait=  big fish,  so hopefully you get it sorted out!

[matthewt]

Maybe some sort of oil or residue from something on the steel before it was filled? Did you wash and rinse it before it was filled?

Washed the heck out of it.

[BassinAssassin]

Well I would bet that you had an ammonia spike from all the fish added at once. Do you have filtration? Tanks have to "cycle"  to be able to handle the ammonia before you can really add a lot of fish to the tank.

[matthewt]

Well I would bet that you had an ammonia spike from all the fish added at once. Do you have filtration? Tanks have to "cycle"  to be able to handle the ammonia before you can really add a lot of fish to the tank.

Same filter system I have been using for years

[BassinAssassin]

Yeah but a tank should be up and running for like 2 weeks with about a doz bait in it to get the bacteria going to handle the ammonia that is going to be generated by the fish. If you just put a bunch in at once on a new batch of water and a throw your old filter to it all in one day your gona have a huge ammonia spike and that will kill your fish. I would change some water but no more that 1/3 of it.

[Dags Bait Maine]

If the foam is from the bait then it is likely excessive proteins on the surface of the water and in a bait tank is a sign of bad water quality. Fresh bait will make a lot of this if your filtration and water volume can't handle the load. You need to do some water changes until your system catches up.

-Dylan

[matthewt]

If the foam is from the bait then it is likely excessive proteins on the surface of the water and in a bait tank is a sign of bad water quality. Fresh bait will make a lot of this if your filtration and water volume can't handle the load. You need to do some water changes until your system catches up.

-Dylan

Thanks Dylan.  That makes the most sense. I grabbed the water directly from a lake but it may need to have some cycle time.  Thanks for the info

[matthewt]

Anyone have luck with the gold colored shiners?  I can't seem to get anything but those and have never had luck with them

[lunkahville]

With red fins? Yeah I've fished with them but eh. If your catching them and wanna get rid of some I'd take them I guess.

[freshwater fishing]

Anyone have luck with the gold colored shiners?  I can't seem to get anything but those and have never had luck with them

Ya I had some good luck with them this past weekend caught a nice size brown

[matthewt]

With red fins? Yeah I've fished with them but eh. If your catching them and wanna get rid of some I'd take them I guess.

No red fins.  Black spots on them

[Dags Bait Maine]

You people are hopeless with your fish identifications and descriptions!

-Dylan

[APJ]

You people are hopeless with your fish identifications and descriptions!

-Dylan

Ya are we driving you crazy yet??  Don't you know we are all experts..

[thedirtydirtyfisherman]

is it legal to use brook trout for bait???