# Keeping Minnows alive



## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

Just wondered how you guys keep minnows alive in the cold this time of year. Every time I buy them when it's near this cold, they die pretty fast. But I see some guys' minnow bucket and they still have live minnows.


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

I don't buy 'em. I catch 'em from the same river that I'm fishing. I have kept them for a couple of weeks in the garage during colder weather. Just change the water every two or three days. Catching my own is cheaper than the bait shop, but better yet, I can keep minnows of varying sizes. Some days they only take the tiny ones, then large the next.


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

i wish i new where to catch them, but i keep a small bucket in my car, and the minnows stay alive for about a week in the winter, the summer is a different story they die within an hour or 2


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

Best place I found this year is at the launch on the Rocky. I was there a few weeks ago and caught about 30 dozen for the dehydrator. Actually I didn't even have to do much, after a few casts some kids were intrigued watching me net. They asked if they could try, so I said sure! All I had to do is keep track of whose turn it was.


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## joel_fishes (Apr 26, 2004)

Archman,
Do you keep them in the water while you're fishing? The small, metal wading containers seem to keep the minnows alive pretty well even in the warmer months. I also use the Quick Minnow (plastic) one. That one works better in the cold. It is harder to keep fresh water flowing through though.

Joel


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

bajuski, i believe i was there at that time, did the kids want to keep the shad? i had a noodle rod and asked for a shad...


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

Liquidsoap, that was not me. It was muddy that day and noone was fishing. I bet them kids are bugging netters now though. They had a blast, there were three boys and a girl, all about 10 or 12 years old and they caught shad too!


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

Joel,

Sometimes I keep them in the water, it depends on where I'm at. I have used that Quick minnow container, or the standard yellow and white plastic container, and no matter what they die pretty soon. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. In the past, when it was high 30's to low 40's, they would stay alive for about a week in the car. But when it's this cold, they're usually belly up after about 30 minutes.


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