Keeping minnows alive

[Blazerman]

In this heat is it reasonable to expect minnows to stay alive for long? Or is there a way that can help keep them alive for longer periods?

I tried fishing with some fish lights after dark last weekend and was surprised we actually caught some decent crappie. We did not keep any but this weekend i plan on doing it again and maybe keep a few. Last weekend I bought 2 dozen minnows and had them in a Styrofoam minnow bucket and some died pretty quick, and some lasted to the next morning. But i was thinking maybe there is something i could do to help them survive.  

Which brings up another question. If i put the crappie in a fish basket and let it go down 5-10 feet, will the crappie stay alive for a while? Or should i just put them on ice in a cooler? My plan is to fish long enough to hopefully get enough to clean, like 10 to 15, then clean them when it gets light. 

[MoCarp]

Keep you crappie on ice they will be better eating, also a a 1 liter ice bottle in your minnow water...also slip bobbers on the edge of your lights will double your catch

[fishinwrench]

An aerator and a wet towel over the bucket is about the best you can do.  You really don't want to ice them or make them too cool or they'll die immediately when you throw them in the 80°+ lake water.

As for the crappie....Throw them on ice as soon as you catch them.

[Flysmallie]

2 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

An aerator and a wet towel over the bucket is about the best you can do.  You really don't want to ice them or make them too cool or they'll die immediately when you throw them in the 80°+ lake water.

Yeah we always kept them in a five gallon bucket with an aerator and never had any problems. And I remember some very hot nights. 

[Blazerman]

Thanks for the responses. I plan on getting one of these and see how it goes.

 

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/marine-metal-products-cool-bubbles-8-qt-insulated-livewell?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwObPreW-4wIVRr7ACh0-zQdcEAQYBCABEgJBb_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#repChildCatid=12044&affcode=42&campid=1757576084&adgroupid=67599021726&device=c&keyword=010951861&Channel=pla

[snagged in outlet 3]

On 7/18/2019 at 11:15 AM, Blazerman said:

Thanks for the responses. I plan on getting one of these and see how it goes.

 

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/marine-metal-products-cool-bubbles-8-qt-insulated-livewell?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwObPreW-4wIVRr7ACh0-zQdcEAQYBCABEgJBb_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#repChildCatid=12044&affcode=42&campid=1757576084&adgroupid=67599021726&device=c&keyword=010951861&Channel=pla

That's pretty cool.  Let us know if it works.  Good luck!

[Hunter75]

I use that same minnow bucket. It works really well. we also buy the 1 oz bottle of G Juice and put about 8-10 drops of in with minnows. we have been able to keep minnows alive for 3-4 days with the G juice and changing the water out a couple times times per day. 

[Blazerman]

Last night we caught probably 20-25 crappie off the dock but only 2 of them were over 10", which is my personal limit. The first one i caught was 10.5" so i kept it thinking it was the start of a getting a good limit of fish. But that was not to be. I put that one plus the other decent one in a fish basket and let it sink about 10' down and this morning both of them were fine, so i let them go.

I bought 3 dozen minnows and the minnow bucket worked great. All the minnow stayed lively all night and the few i had left were still fine this morning. 

[Tanderson15]

How about a frozen bottle of drinking water in the bucket. I use frozen orange juice bottles in live wells to keep my walleyes fresh

[Al Agnew]

On 7/20/2019 at 8:17 PM, Tanderson15 said:

How about a frozen bottle of drinking water in the bucket. I use frozen orange juice bottles in live wells to keep my walleyes fresh

As Wrench noted above, the ice will keep them alive in the bucket, but the temperature shock when you put them on the hook and toss them in the lake water will shock or kill them.