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I was just wondering where people near me get their minnows from. I have seen a few bait shops but was wondering if many catch their own from the lakes, river or ponds around the area. I live near the Rainbow river and Withlacoochee, and a few lakes also. I even thought about putting together my own minnow tank out in the yard. Maybe there are some minnow farms around where you can buy them by the pound.
Anglers Resort is probably the closest to you and a good launch site across the street.
Boat Rentals on Withlacoochee River, Fishing Boats, Pontoon Boats, Kayaks for Rent in Dunnellon Florida.
and the attached Blue Gator has some excellant eats too and live entertainment on weekends. Real nice place. We go every time we camp at the Rainbow.
Dunnellon Restaurant Tiki Bar Waterfront Dining on Withlacoochee River, Live Entertainment.
I know of no bait shops within 100 mi of your location
that would be rasing their own crappie minnows.
Most all minnows used around here are from Arkansas or Missouri trucked weekly
to various commercial retailers/distributors
Most are of the Missouri minnow strain
Some shops have the "bull nosed minnows" and / or Tuffies strain.
Some shops at various times of year will carry the Orange minnow - mini gold fish
Some shops will sell minnows by the wgt -ie: 1/4 - 1/2 & 1 pound
A lot sell by the dozen only.................
Do to life expectancy of minnow during summer months - most will be above average 1 1/2 inch size - as fall sets in - some shops will go to small - med & large crappie
minnows.
Size of minnow used is mostly based on what the fisherman feels comfortable with
and how it is going to be used - cork/bobbered - spider rigged - long-lined -etc
Most bait shops carry Live shiners - wild & domestic for Bass fishing - which are
way to large for spec fishing.
Mosquitofish (pot gut minnows) could probably be grown here. You can find them everywhere around here in the wild. They work good for specks if you can get enough of them. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...30&pcatid=1530 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofish
Or net ya some grass shrimp.
Ron, are those the minnows that they catch in ditches on east coast thats
some call "Pogies" kinda short and squat with fat tummy.
Somewhat like a Bassin Assian electric chicken plastic.
Like you idea also Mike - Grass shrimp really can turn on Spec's at times -
Found a new way to handle them - put your grass in styrafoam bucket or
large cup - put in newspaper - put ice on newspaper - Shrimp will go into
suspended annimation mode. come to life after being put on hook.
Wet corn meal works good too. Never tried the newspaper. But yep keep cold and moist and they come right back quick.
The links posted sow pictures. We always called them pot gut minnows. They are every where there is water for very long. I get them in the ditches here when it rains a lot and water stad in the ditch.
i know a couple guys tried them last year ( Mark Irle & Rick Hartsock) but they
never offered any furtrher information as to pro's & con's of their usage.
Rick finished 2nd at Arbuckle tournament -but was unknown if he used them than
Thought he may as used them at West Toho..........
Ron, you continue to amaze me with your wealth of knowledge about our Florida
inviroment, and/or where to find answers to various questions.
You truly are an assest to our fishing world.
Mike - (Huntinslabs) also falls into needed and helpfuyl catagory on CdC.
Thank you gentlemen for your support.
Prolly used them and didn't want any one to know. They are a natural bait. As kid w would spit a small piece of earthworm and let it hang from a hook. The pot guts would try to eat it but was to big for them to swallow. We could lift them out of the water before they could let go.
Thanks Harold. I was just born and raised here by some wonderful parents.
Sure glad I wasn't born in Louisiana. LOL
Hey now! I can tell ya this Yelim. As a kid to finishing high schoolnit was a blast growing up there. Hunting and fishing was everywhere. Our bicycles took us on some great outdoor excursions. In high school I mowed grass to pay for my own huntingnclub membership and my own 3 wheeler to hunt off. I was fortunate that we had a spare truck to drive but had to buy my gas and everything else. Saved more money and bought a boat and that furthered our agendas. Ran trot lines in the big river and the barrow pits along the levee and sold enough fish that it supported me till summers came and yards needed mowed. But having no kin there and no other connections to good jobs with the unions i struggled after trade school. When the opportunity came to relocate I jumped on it. Still miss the excellant hunting there, but kinda make up for it by fishing alot. Still get itchy fingers and the strong desires to draw blood very often and occasionally score a trip to SC. Love Florida though, heck I love everywhere i have been in the south.
Just messin with ya Mike.
I one telephone work I and around Covington, Slidell, Mandeville and Bogalusa. Loved that place with all the water and Bayous. Wish I had a shrimp Po Boy right now!
Stores or shops usually sell minnows by scoops quarts or gallons leeches or sold by the pound while night crawlers are sold by flat
Ya aint gonna find no leeches down here in a bait shop. Crawlers are way too expensive and hard to keep em in the heat.
Go to Angler's Tackle Shack in Bushnell and see Ms. Brenda. She sells minnows by the pound, small and large size. Good, healthy minnows... I purchased a half pound from there and fished the FCC tourney at Lochloosa on Oct. 10th and I still have some alive and well now. I just keep air on them and frozen bottles of water to keep the water cool in insulated minnow/bait cooler (Engel) . Good bait shop, nice people!
My local Ace Hardware. Nice and healthy pick them up the night before and keep them slightly iced and plugged into a good air pump until the following early morning (before most bait shops open) departure. They even pick out / save the smaller shiners for me knowing I come in looking for them to add to my minnow order. Nothing beats being considered a regular at a smaller store. They treat me right and have earned my continued support.