Jim's Bait - Nowata

[bait101]

Thank's For the WONDERFUL posting re; Jim's Bait in Nowata !!! It's been a long haul in getting it open , but thank's to ALL the positive feed-back , we plan on staying a LONG time !! Again " THANK YOU EVERYONE " : ) : )

[Crappie Reaper]

Thank's For the WONDERFUL posting re; Jim's Bait in Nowata !!! It's been a long haul in getting it open , but thank's to ALL the positive feed-back , we plan on staying a LONG time !! Again " THANK YOU EVERYONE " : ) : )

You're welcome! And welcome to the top Crappie fishing website there is. There is more info about Crappie fishing to be read in this forum than anywhere else in the world.

[pondhopper]

Thank's For the WONDERFUL posting re; Jim's Bait in Nowata !!! It's been a long haul in getting it open , but thank's to ALL the positive feed-back , we plan on staying a LONG time !! Again " THANK YOU EVERYONE " : ) : )

OK! Ive missed something. Somebody update me on this. Its very close to my stomping grounds we might be able to trade stories sometime.

[bait101]

Jim's Bait . We are located at 305 E. Cherokee in Nowata . 918-273-7485 !!
We only opened our door's a week ago yesterday and already it's been GREAT !! The best part of all this is meeting everyone and being able to help with whatever we can !! Come on down ,, We'll swap stories !! My coffee pot is ALWAYS on !!!!

[okfishingfanatic]

Been there twice already. Awesome service, selection and competitive pricing. Even helped me carry stuff out to my boat. Open at 6 so that's a plus!

[Crappie George]

I most likely will be wholesaling minnows also and can meet or beat prices you are already paying have family in hospital gonna set me back a lil bit for now however

[bait101]

Hope everything goes well with your family member . I send you my prayers !Get in touch with me re; Bait when your ready !!! Thank's : )

[cricket george]

Bait101 and Crappie George - Both of you do yourself AND your customers a favor. Treat your minnows. What the dickens am I talking about... treat your minnows?? Typically, when a minnow is seined out of the minnow growers rearing ponds they are dipped and handled 5 times before the bait shop(Bait101) receives the minnows. The sixth dipping is out of Crappie George's holding/transport tank and the 7th time is out of Bait101's tank to the end user....the customer. By this time the minnows have alot of their scales knocked off and are bruised which,due to overcrowding, causes stress and allows various fungi and bacterial infections to start growing on the minnows.

Case in point, I purchased 2 dozen 3" shiner minnows on 8/14/10 from an OKC bait shop. The same day or more specifically 2 hours later a minnow was acting funny and died. I was not able to go fishing that day and I put the minnows in a 55 gallon holding tank with aeration. Sunday morning I dipped a dozen dead ones out. Tonight I dipped the rest of the 3" shiners out. They were all dead. Last night I added 1 pound of rock salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons of oxytetracycline (antibiotic) to the water but it was too late the minnows were too far gone. Tonight I lost $8.00 worth of minnows. Never got to use them.

Bait sales are slow right now which is typical for late summer. It is too hot for most people to go out and fish. The bait shops have to hold this bait much longer and the water temps in the tanks are high. The higher water temps trigger the bacterial growth on the injured minnows which causes the ammonia level to rise in the tanks. When the ammonia is at or near a toxic level then we notice foam in the tank. The minnows slowly begin to die and the ammonia levels rise aided by the warm water and the exponential growth of the bacteria. The dissolved oxygen level drops because of the bacterial oxygen demand and the minnows die.

Ok, now what do I do? I want to develop a good reputation with my minnows so customers will speak highly about me and come back. Good bait means happy repeat customers Home Depot sells salt for a persons water softener which costs around $5.00 or so for a 50# bag. That is cheap. I would add at least 1 pound of salt per 200 gallons of water in the holding tank. Next I would add oxytetracycline, an antibiotic that is normally added to drinking water for chickens and turkeys. This can be found at a coop or feed store. It runs around $7.00 a bag. These 2 working together will kill your bacterial issues and promote healing/conditioning of the bait. The antibiotic is used up within roughly 48 hours after adding to tank. The salt remains to keep working. If the bait is not too far gone then the minnows should be fine.

You say that is too much trouble? Its a hassle and costs me money? Yes, it is on all three counts. But then what is your reputation worth???? If both of you do this the bait is in better shape, lives longer and people will tell their friends about your new venture.

The problem that I just laid out is the biggest problem in handling minnows. The various people involved want to handle the bait and sell it as fast as they can before it dies with no regard for quality. Typically the bait shop and the bait shop supplier get caught in this trap. The reputation goes out that "old Joe" does not have good minnows cause they all died before I got to use them. Who takes the hit? Old Joe.

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure and apologizes plus replacing the lost minnows that the customer complained about.

This is just a suggestion, do what you will

CG

[ACSooner80]

I've been there three times now and its a great place. I'n gonna do my part to help stay round for awhile!!

[bait101]

Thank you CG ! Very well put !! Your right , It all fall's on "Joe" the Bait Shop owner ! So far it's going good . I do treat my tank with salt & antibiotics. I so far have a loss of about 2 per day . Normal . I feel very fortunate to have my tank & minnows doing well. I also keep my tank at a steady 60*. That has realy helped . I am new to this whole adventure , so believe me when i say , "THANK YOU " for the advise !! : ) Please keep it coming ! bait101