Thread: Jim's Bait - Nowata

cant get out today..but hoping to head out in the morning!

Bait101..didn't check..you guys open on sundays??????

I will have my door's open at 6;00 am !! P.S. The coffee pot will be ON . Look foward to seeing you !

In our bait shop here in Augusta, ARK, we keep the water temp at 58* - 60*. When your water temp gets above 68*-75*, you will start to have problems. You also have to treat your water with a chlorine neutralizer if your on city water. Well water not so much trouble unless it has a lot of different minerals. We use "Better Bait". We also use Tetracycline Hydrochloride in our water when getting in a new batch of minnows (40-50#).

We hand sort our minnows so as to offer different sizes for the fishermen.(small, medium, bass, trotline). No matter how well the minnow farms grade their minnows, you will still wind up with different sizes from a #6 crappie vat. If your selling by weight and do not sort, sombody will pay a lot for a few minnows the size they are wanting. Anyway, once they go into those different size tanks, they are not handled again until they sell. Ours are handled 3-4 times. We also feed our minnows. You will have problems once in a while that will be beyond your control. Sometimes the farms will have problems with a pond that affects your minnows. You just have to tough it out and clean your tanks out really good and get another batch. You do not want the bacteria to continue to spread to a new crop.

Do not overcrowd your minnows! This will be the main cause for ammonia. Change your water on a regular basis. We change ours out every other day. We never put new minnows into dirty water. We try to keep 10# of minnows to every 100 gal of water during the summer months. As it gets cooler weather, you can keep more as their metbolism slows down with the cooling of the water (45*- 50*).

Are there minnows farms in OK? We only have one area here in Arkansas that is suitable for raising minnows. Hope this helps. No one helped us 6 yrs ago when we started...It was like a big secret and they did not want competition...lol..If others in your area do not sort their minnows, it will help you on your minnow count by weight. The fishermen will like that.

Good Luck!!!

PD
Judy's bait Shoppe
Augusta, AR

Thank You so much for the info !!! And your right ,, people are afraid of the competition . When your just starting out , you need all the advise you can get ! I have learned that Crappie.com has been a GREAT source for me ! Not sure about the minnow farm's here in OK. Can any of you guy's out there answer that one ? Again ,,, Thank You Very Much For The Info

bait: I just got off the phone with my minnow supplier about if he goes to OK. He said there is a guy who comes down to his place and gets minnows for there. He is to be there on Wednesday to get a load. Email me and I will give you his name and maybe you contact him or find someone who knows him.

PD
Judy's Bait Shoppe
[email protected]

Bait101,

We hauled them minnows to bluff landing by BA this weekend and had a blast. Not sure if I am gonna get out this week or not..but be sure you'll see me if I do!

Also,

Are those 10' or 12' light action crappie poles in there..I need a replacement..had a tip break on me this weekend.

I'm glad you guy's had a good time !! I have a couple 12' Zebco Slab Seeker's . Very light weight . Have a few replacement tip kit's also but not sure if it's the size you need .

hey bait101 You still got them fishing lights? how much?

Sure do ! Range from 19 to 26

BAITSHOP - Grasshoppa, you have learned well:D You are the first person that has really done your homework and it shows. Your customers should be happy as can be.

The Okla Dept of Wildlife has on their website a list of aquaculture growers.