Thread: Keeping Minnows alive?

You might consider adding some canning salt (1tsp/gal) to the bucket. It helps with longevity.

When trollin I tie the minnow basket to my boat and let it float along with my boat. That way it's constantly circulating fresh water and oxygen.

If you have ever dove hunted and have a dove bucket that came with a insulate liner, you now have a great minnow bucket. You can get a lid for the bucket from Academy Sports that holds your net and pump pretty cheap. They also sell one with the lid and a pump as a combo purchase for about $15. I turned the Styrofoam lid of the dove bucket upside down and cut out a hole the size of the bait bucket lid and a slot for the air hose. This shields some of the heat off the water. I use the above mentioned Walmart fish tank pump while at home. I just installed a 12v pump with dual outlets on the boat for when on the road and on the water. Test run was today. Did not run the battery down at all and only ran the livewell pump a few times to change out the water on the fish. One line to the bucket and one to the livewell. I use a smaller bucket for fishing with one or two net full of minnows with no pump during the cooler temps. Add new minnows to smaller bucket as needed. I got tired of buying D cell batteries and the expense. I have had no problems keeping minnows for weeks this way. Also, while at home between trips, add some Better Bait or whatever the blue crystal stuff is called and change half the water every other day. If more than a couple days, feed some regular old tropical fish food flakes to keep them happy. I will upgrade to a larger holding tank one day, just not got motivated yet.

If you are going to get minnows just the day before just get the cheap bubbler from Walmart and insert in bucket. Keep in the coolest place you can. If you are going to keep some for a few days and not many of them find a Goodwill or thrift store. Get the largest old cooler you can find. Fill with tap water and let sit for a day or 2 to let Clorine dissipate or when getting pump buy a small bottle of cloraway for aquraium and follow directions. They also sell the salt to and it does help. Kept 6/8 dozen in 30 gal plastic tote with aquarium filter for a couple of weeks. Got tired of throwing all that money in the lake. Now I have gone crazy and have a 100 gal plastic watering trough with 2 filter pumps and 2 bubblers in my shop can keep up to 4lbs pretty easy, know it's not practical for most but it can all be done to scale. Just bought some of that bait saver from BP shops last week and can tell the difference. I use a 5gal bucket with the styrofoam bucket liner fr om BPS for main bucket then small bucket that is plastic with styrofoam liner to fish out of. If you fish much the cost of those minnows you may throw in the lake at the end of the day will off set the cost of setting up a minimal holding tank of some kind. The biggest thing for me is I like to load my boat and go fishing with out having to stop and hope the bait shop is open and has minnows. Didn't mean to take over your thread just trying to pass on info.

And while we're on the subject ... many states have laws/rules or request that you DO NOT dump your minnows into the lake, but dump them out on the ground !! This is to insure that no "illegal alien" minners get established in your waters.

... cp

Originally Posted by crappiepappy

And while we're on the subject ... many states have laws/rules or request that you DO NOT dump your minnows into the lake, but dump them out on the ground !! This is to insure that no "illegal alien" minners get established in your waters.

... cp

South Carolina just passed this law in 2012. I try to keep mine for the next trip using the above methods. Seems a shame to dump them on the ground. A lot of guys here don't know this law went into effect and I suspect this spring some of them are going to get a nasty surprise when a GW see them dump minnows in the lake.
SeaRay

Sea Gulls here tend to tend to them, when I changed baits yesterday or a minnow was lost while landing a fish I dont think a single one went to waste, the gulls ate good. I keep mine much the way Cray does for much the same reason, I hate having to stop somewhere on the way to the lake.