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I'll be staying at CP marina and really really dont want to drive into sandusky early AM sunday for bait. Anyone get shiners the night before? Is this a horrible idea? Maybe a portable bait aerator or something? Any recs for bait closest to cedar point if I do get up early? Looks like Pipe Creek and Hookers are closed up. FYI, I now have a boat without a live well, going with good ol minnie bucket.
I purchased a Marine Metal Aerator Bubble Box 1.5V on Amazon for $8.99. Two D cell batteries last for 2 days and it keeps most of 2 to 3 scoops of minnows alive in a 5-gallon bucket (1/2 full). I pull the dead ones out and try to keep the water from getting too warm (bucket in shade and change out 1/3 of the water every couple of hours).
Sandusky Bait (city ramp) has the most consistent stock of shiners or goldies imo. Unfortunately my experience with Pipe Creek is that they were always out of shiners but, per your post, they must be closed now...
best thing to do is get a small cooler like one that holds a 6 pack fill it 1/2 way with ice, buy your shinners the day before and just put them on ice. Also maybe buy a cast net and catch them the night before in your marina.
Don't worry about them dying, we never use a whole minnow anyway always cut in half. Drain water and put them in 91 % wintergreen rubbing alcohol, keep cool, works great.
put minnows in zip lock no water and keep on ice
Thanks. I wondered about ice. Ended up with floating .minnow bucket!Quote:
Originally Posted by BILLY JOE
Years back got tired of the minnow hassle. Bought a 5 gal aerated minnow bucket that has an insulated liner. The battery powered soon failed and the replacement didnt last either. Besides batteries didnt last very long. Bought a xgeao aquarim pump for less than 5 bucks, then bought a plug in your lighter socket 110 volt inverter. Been over 7 years and NO issues! Pumps twce the air and I add a feeezer pack ( the sealed container you put in your freezer) and I can keep lively minnows for days. If I keep up with picking out dead ones and add a gallon of spring water twice a day I gave kept them fot 3 days !! Battery bubblers are a waste, get a small inverter ( less than 20 bucks) and a cheap aquarium pump and you are good for days. Gotta keep them cold, so add ice or use cold packs like I do, just keep swapping them out. I have well water at my home, so I keep a few gallons of untreated well water to change out a couple times a day. If you have to buy soring water
Get an insulated minnow bucket, forget the battery powered bubbler. Buy a 110 volt inverter that plugs into your lighter plug, and a cheap aquarium pump. It will kast forever and pump twice as much air. With no batteries to buy get a few gallons of spring water or untreated well water like I have at home to change the water a couple times a day. Pick out the dead ones and keep water cold with ice or ice packs like a student uses in his lunch box. I can keep minnows in my 5 gallon insulated bucket for days!!
I cut the end off an inverter that plugs into the lighter and soldered on spring clips to attach to a battery. I use an old deep cycle battery. I can put it in the back of the truck or anywhere else to power a cheap aquarium air pump. Works great and runs for a really long time. Don't think I have ever ran it dead.
Good idea, on mine I just made a long cord with clips on one end and a lighter socket on the other. I have run mine on the accessory battery on my boat for 2 full days and still had a good charge left. The little inverters are not a battery draining device...sure beats buying expensive D batteries every day, and the aquarium pump creates so many more bubbles !!Quote:
Originally Posted by dunn782
A variation of Billy Joe's: Keep in zip lock bag on ice. Any left over, when back home add a good amount of K salt in the bag and place in a freezer. This sort of "Mummyfies" them. They get quite tough, and stay on the hook for 3 or 4 catches! You can do the same with live minnows too.
Lot of folks claim sucess wuth salted minnows, but I have not gad any luck with them. Even tried sneaking a few in on days when the bite was good and no luck. Gonba try the pickled minnow recipe where they are frozen in alcohol ( cheap booze) and see how well that works, after all, everyone can appreciate a little cocktail niw and then !!!
How do you salt and freeze your minnows? Are they dead and getting stale when you do this... if so, it may explain why the fish don't bite. Fish also rely on scent, and "rotting, stinky" fish smells are most likely a turn off.Quote:
Originally Posted by airshot
You might try: A dozen still alive Shiners, placed in a baggy without water, just a couple Tablespoons of kosher salt and kept in the freezer.
Absolutely, only good healthy minnows, I have a very good insulated and aereated minnow bucket, so any left over minnows are good and healthy. Just never have had sucess wuth salted, my neighbor hasnt either. When I can get some good shinners I am gonna try the minnow cocktale version.
many articles on the internet on ways to salt minnows, Ohio DNR has a good one. Most have a brine to soak minnows in before salting. I did that before using the alcohol method, salting was a pain.