Quote Originally Posted by Madd Matt View Post
Okay... I'll tell you my secret, and everyone can tell me that I'm nuts. But I dare you to try it.

I go into the bait store with a ziplock bag and gets my scoops of minnows put right into the bag. No water.

The bag goes into the cooler with the ice. The minnows die. But they are on ice and they stay bright and shiny, and firm. In fact I will go as far to say they they are more firm than a live minnow. They will keep their scales and stay as bright as the live ones.

I don't have to scoop any minnows out of the bucket. In fact, I take a Wet towel and put it on the side rail of the boat, put a handful of minnows in it with a couple ice cubes and fold the towel over. The ice slowly melts and the towel stays ice cold, and when you have up and down action you never have to bend over for minnows.
The bait shop guys tell me that the only customers that get their minnows like that and put them on ice are the old timers... Which is where I learned it.

To each his own, especially when it comes to fishing.

-Maty
X2, It is easiest way to keep them fresh.