Minnow Fisherman

I like to use the minnows under a bobber and to tip the jigs while spider rigging. SO with this in mind I acquired a large tank like the bait stores have and got it rigged with aquarium bubblers just like when i take them in the boat. So I go out and get two pounds of medium minnows and add them in the tank after getting the water adjusted for them. But I have been loosing quite a few as of lately and was wondering what you guys who buy minnows in bulk do to keep your alive for a long period of time.

Insight is the root to all is well. Any pictures of setups will also be welcomed.

I catch my minnows now. I have tried to keep minnows in the past and I know what you are going through I use to buy mine by the pound. They can be expensive especially if very many die. I have used old deep freezers and the commercial spin type minnow agitators. I have used Better bait and other products also. But the best thing that I have done to keep minnows is to keep them in the lake that I fish. I use a 5 gallon bucket with a top. I cut the bucket half into add a piece of 1/4" hardware cloth in the middle of the two pieces making it how ever tall you want it as to how many minnows you need to keep. I drill holes use the small plastic zip ties to build them. Then I tie mine to a old post that is out in about 8' of water in the lake about 2' below the surface of the water. You could also tie it to a dock also or a old tree out in the water somewhere. When I get to the lake they are already there and they stay healthier than any other way I have tried. I have been doing this for years now and maybe I have been lucky but no one has ever bothered them. I catch my minnows in the family pond with a cast net and use 4 leaf clover traps that I also make myself. You can see how to build these traps on youtube. One other thing I remember is if you use any water with chlorine it will kill your minnows. Well thats how I do it, hope this helps. Good luck with the minnows

keep them dark, hungry and clean water

Filtration helps out allot. And cool water temps. I don't keep them in the summer.

Water temps will kill the minnows. My cellar is a nice 65 degrees in the summer but I still loose some. To keep them longer I will freeze a few milk jugs and place one in each morning. Switching them out daily. I can keep them all year long. The colder they are the less stress they have on them. I run 2 aquarium pumps one on each end of the tank. Both pumps have outlets for 2 hoses. I think I paid around $9 each at Wally World.

Your tank is cycling, basicaly building up bacteria on the filter media to break waste down into ammonia, then nitrite, then nitrate. (Nitrate you remove by changing the water) its a nautural cycle for an aquarium, which is essentially what you have. Once the bacteria is established You don't have to worry about it again. it can take about a month for that process to finish though. Go to an aquarium store and see if they sell a product calles Bio-spira (it hould be refrigerated) , dump it in and itll complete the xyxle overnite. Itslive bacteria that can break down all of the waste in a pouch, rather than waiting for ut to grow on its own.