Catching Minnows

[MSUFisherBear]

Hey all,

It's been about a week and a half since I have been near a body of water and even longer since I have been really serious about doing some fishing. I have noticed this time of year that I can catch some big bull bluegill and the occasional cat or two by fishing some minnows. However, I am to the point that I am tired of paying for minnows, especially if I have a slow day and I don't nearly use the amount I bought (which as anyone knows can happen a lot this time of year). So I decided it might not be bad to use the last $10 I had on one of my BPS gift cards to get me a minnow trap and try my hand. It's not something I have done before, but I sure would like to learn how to do it, especially for those two day floats when I want to do some catfishing of an evening.

So, to cut to the chase, I am looking for some ideas from anyone who may have tried this on the James or Little Sac. I have an idea just off of what I have read and researched through various online articles. I'm thinking of using bread and cornmeal stashed in either cheap pantyhose or onion bags (that way the minnows don't eat the food right off the sides of the trap). However, where should I anchor one of these in the river? I am thinking close to the bank, but I have heard that a lot of people have put them on the lower end of a shoal with the funnel opening pointing down stream. Does anyone have suggestions on what I have found or what I may not have found yet? I appreciate all the advice.

Also, I am hoping to hit Fellows or Springfield here in the next week (maybe Sunday) for some bass. I'll be sure to post any pictures/reviews and possibly some video from my new action camera if I can. Till then and as always, tight lines and God bless!

[BFTMASTER]

I have not used one on the streams you mention, but have in many others. I like to anchor mine with some square tube steel from my shop, kinda of like skids on a helicopter. Then I use cheap saltine crackers and crush them up. I don't use panty hose or anything, but the areas I trap are heavily populated. I position at the end of a beachlike shoal where it drops off a little ( on gravel). Usually overnight have more than enough.

Then sometimes I put a pork chop bone or chicken bone in, around larger rocks in deeper water for crawfish (summer months)

[MSUFisherBear]

Thanks for the tips. I know it's sometimes just as easy to go pick some up from the local bait stores, but I always seem to do best on channels on just about every river I have fished with live minnows. I am hoping that I can do well with these so I can pick some up and do a little catfishing over those evening stays on the gravel bars.

[exiledguide]

The best minnow trapper I ever knew was John Jones and his wife who lived just down stream from Joe Williams' Trails End campground on the Castor River over by Marquand MO. Mrs Jones swore that the secret was using unsalted crackers. I don't know if that's true but I've never seen anyone catch as many minnows as she did in her trap.