KEEPING MINNOWS ALIVE?

lightfoot52 · 05-30-2009, 06:45 AM

How is the best way to keep minnows alive for 2 or 3 days?would like to start buying them on Friday evening and be able to use them all weekend.does anyone have any idieas? THANKS LIGHTFOOT FROM Indiana

Chuck7 · 05-30-2009, 07:40 AM

I had them in this for 2 days..and still died..good luck.They have to eat..

I built this 15 years ago..

Phil from Maine · 05-30-2009, 07:43 AM

The best trick is, is to keep the water as cold as you can. So keeping them in a styrofoam bucket with Ice on top of it will work for a while. you also need to make sure that they have plenty of oxygen. Buy keeping the water cold the minnows will not use so much oxygen up helping them to keep better. Good Luck..

ksfowler · 05-30-2009, 08:17 AM

Go to a pet store and buy a bubble machine for a fish tank and put it in there that will provide all the oxygen that they need. you could also give them some fresh water every couple days as well.

Phil from Maine · 05-30-2009, 08:35 AM

Changing the water regularly and pumping air into it deffinately will help. Keeping the water cold as well as keeping them in plastic or styrofoam containers also helps alot. I trap live bait for personal use and I keep them in an old deep freezer. The trick is to keep the air into them and keeping them as cold as possible. Keeping them cold will minimise how much oxygen they use up. Metal containers that are not insulated will heat the water quicker and does not help you out much at all.

hillbillyhunter1 · 05-30-2009, 03:37 PM

If your fishing the same place all weekend (lake, pond, river) and you could trust them not to be tampered with, I may think of hiding them somewhere nearby (in the water) in one of those metal minnow buckets with a big rock on top. Don't overcrowd them (it causes a lot more stress on them)...use two buckets if you have to. Phil is right for storing them at the house...keep them as cool as possible. Don't use your tap water if it has chemicals (chlorine) in it. If you want to make a minor investment, buy one of those big 5 gallon-type minnow buckets with the aerator built in. they work well...but no matter what..keep them cold. Put some ice around the bucket but not in it, again, if the ice contains tap water chemicals

Chuck7,

The problem you may have had was that that water, especially if it is constantly recycled and there is significant plant and leaf debris, may have had it's PH way out of whack.

Chuck7 · 05-30-2009, 03:51 PM

Chuck7,

The problem you may have had was that that water, especially if it is constantly recycled and there is significant plant and leaf debris, may have had it's PH way out of whack.

not sure...I had them in a minnow bucket it was cold as I only buy minnows in December when the crappie are biting. SInce then..I had 3 different occasions where great egrets ate ALL of my big Koi ...[&o]so I've since filled my 25 foot long fish pond in..I had built it with chicken wire and concrete.

fishinty · 06-01-2009, 07:34 AM

The best thing to do is put them in a fish aqarium and put frozen bottles of water on them . Remember to keep the areator or pump going or they will die. Feed them goldfish food . I have had A LOT of expience with this because I usually buy them on friday and use them on the weekend for crappie.

Chuck7 · 06-01-2009, 08:40 AM

That sounds good.I need to try that..

fishinty · 06-01-2009, 09:27 AM

I have been doing it for years. Since the crappie here bite all year long . I could probabaly keep them alive all year long.