# dying minnows?



## foundationfisher (May 12, 2008)

i fish an old gravel pit that seems to be different than most other lakes. it's very clear with little shallow water, average depth about 20 ft. slow to warm up, so it's several weeks behind other lakes. got some today full of eggs. i found a sunken island ice fishing that tops at 14 fow into 20 fow. been catching some slab there the past week or two on a slip bobber/ minnow 10-12 feet deep. the last few trips out, my minnows seem to die almost as soon as they hit the water. this just started after it got so hot last weekend. could the water temp change that much in that depth to kill my bait? if they keep swimmin, they get bit. any ideas? thanks guys.


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## mastercatman (Jan 30, 2005)

Depending on species of minnow....I am assuming you're using fatheads which are most commonly sold south of Lake Erie. It takes a lot to get them shocked to the point of death. If you are fishing down to 14' the water temps there will be much cooler than near the surface where the water may feel warm. I would try icing down your minnows just a bit to acclimate them a little better. Also, use a portable aerator, spend the money to buy a quiet one (gets old listening to those things hum!). The other thing you should do is add a little salt to the water (non-iodized). This helps the minnows uptake of oxygen, adds electrolytes reducing stress, and keeps their slime coat in good shape. I recommend about a tablespoon full for each 2 gallons of water. The better shape the minnows are in, the less likely they will die off as quickly. I figure, your main problem is hot days = warm water in minnow bucket = dead minnows when they hit cold water too fast! Hope this helps, good luck!


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## foundationfisher (May 12, 2008)

thanks mcm, they were fatheads, and the bait shop is only a mile from where i was fishing. a mile ride in the back of a pickup on a 90 degree day would warm a minnow bucket up real quick. i should have figured this out myself. i'll take your advice. thanks again, FF.


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## mastercatman (Jan 30, 2005)

foundationfisher said:


> thanks mcm, they were fatheads, and the bait shop is only a mile from where i was fishing. a mile ride in the back of a pickup on a 90 degree day would warm a minnow bucket up real quick. i should have figured this out myself. i'll take your advice. thanks again, FF.


You're welcome! Good luck fishing now!


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I would think using jigs would be a good option. In the warmer months I especially like a 1/16 oz roadrunner head. Count it down to 8 or 10" and use a slow retrieve.


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## Crazy4Smallmouth (Apr 13, 2004)

I used live minnows for 50 years, but I have found something to take their place. Keitech Swing Impact swimbaits! 3"ers are perfect for crappie. The "Intimidator" turned me on to these last fall at CJ Brown in Springfield and they have outfished live minnows just about every time out since. We routinely fish 10' down to 35' fow and the crappie eat them up like candy. We rig them on 1/16 to 1/4 oz jigheads, let them hit bottom then slowly drag them across the bottom. Some days other retrieve work better, but most often just a slow reel is the ticket. You have to buy them on-line because Bass Pro, Cabelas and the rest do not carry them. Here is a link 
http://stores.ebay.com/Keitech-USA/...599735010&_sid=15869930&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322 
and another link
http://www.landbigfish.com/showcase.cfm?PID=5125 
Land Big Fish has been out of stock recently.
Anyway, we have found the best spring colors to be silver shad and gold shad with bluegill getting hot in July. Give it a try. I don't even buy minnows anymore. I used to buy 5 dozen minnows everytime out.


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## Intimidator (Nov 25, 2008)

Here's another option if your willing to try!

A few years back, I was also a minnow fisherman when it came to Crappies...I was born and raised that way...! All the local bait shops started counting minnows exact...that didn't bother me as much as half would be dead by the time I got to the lake...I then invested in an insulated minnow bucket, air pump, and chemicals to keep them alive...then when they still died I was buying ice.
I got fed up with all of this and started researching, reading, and listening to Crappie Anglers who used nothing but artificial bait. I then found a key article that talked about Japanese Anglers who "Panfished" and their techniques and what they used. I started researching the 2 main baits they were using...Keitech Swing Impacts and MegaBass Rocky Fry (Vibe Tail and Curley Dot tail). You can fish these under a bobber, swim them, bounce them off the bottom, vertical jig, troll, drift, Texas or Carolina rig, etc. These baits are so versatile and probably the highest quality baits I have ever seen. They are made with a silicon plastic so the action is unbelievable and they hold the "squid" scent for the life of the bait. Now most other companies have some form of swimbaits for Crappie that are cheaper also. 
Now when I go Crappie fishing, I carry a pole, a plastic pocket box with my Keitech swimbaits, jig heads, and niblets, multi-pliers in the other pocket, towel (on my belt-loop), and sometimes a basket....!


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## foundationfisher (May 12, 2008)

thanks guys. i've had days when jigs worked better than minnows, but my jig collection is limited to feather jigs and mr. twisters in various colors. guess i need to get into the 21st century and go shopping for some hi tech stuff. thanks again.


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