Anyone use minnow traps? We are going on a shorter trip this year and I was thinking about using minnows to switch it up a bit. Crawlers and leeches are pretty simple to transport and relatively cheap, but minnows usually require big buckets so I was thinking to trap them instead of portaging them in. What traps would you use? I know I can buy a cheap one locally but it seems pretty inefficient. If there aren't any good suggestions I'll probably get the cheap one and just deal with the extra bulk hanging off my pack.

Also do you recommend floating the trap at the surface or not? I can imagine being at the bottom would catch crayfish if it is in the right place so I need some info on placement. And experience or tips would be great.

Never tried one of these but always thought of getting one. Throw it over the edge of a beaver dam. Tie off with fine wire and take a good mental note of where you put it.

quote PortageKeeper: "Never tried one of these but always thought of getting one. Throw it over the edge of a beaver dam. Tie off with fine wire and take a good mental note of where you put it."

our group uses one of those linked by Portagekeeper. Add some bread crumbs or whatever (not bacon or meat-- brings in the Crayfish ) and you will get something.

A minnow trap can be great if placed in the correct area. Put bread inside and check it often. Put it near moving water if possible, right on the bottom of the lake. Just tie it off with paracord and toss it in. Bait with fish guts or bacon to catch crawdads.

I had the one Portagekeeper posted but lost it. I worked OK. Above posts are perfect tips. Bread and placement make the difference. Stream mouth was my best luck. If I had used fine WIRE, I'd still have it. :)

I use one at home. The basic walmart model. It's fun catching your own bait. But BW lakes are relatively infertile so not as effective up there. Moving water may help. My partner brought one last trip. He caught four minnows in the week. Not much good if you have to travel shortly after. I use Fritos. They are oily and I think that helps attract the minnows.

I know I wouldn't get many minnows, but crayfish can be fun to catch too. Wouldn't mind trying to fish with one of those, or boiling a couple just to try them. I was thinking we would use dog food and/or bread, maybe fish guts if we are looking to get more crayfish. Even 5 minnows would be enough to fish with a bit though. I was planning on bringing in leeches and night crawlers, minnows would just be extra and a little fun in the process.