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mastertangler
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10/30/2017 01:24PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Ever try and trap your own minnows? I am no stranger to seining, hook and line as well as trapping. I was digging around and came across this guys video and it prompted me to pick up the works. In addition to the G40 minnow trap I picked up the extension, floating lid and flat bottom.

Nifty that you could use the extension as a receptacle to hold your minnows while your fishing just by adding the floating lid and flat bottom. I believe it would be not so hard to paddle with this set up as well as long as you were just easing around. Plus you now have a secure livewell to keep your minnows in overnight. Pretty slick set up IMO.

It would also be good for a wade fisherman.

Gee's traps, extension and floating lid
 
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10/30/2017 11:58PM  
that is a nice looking product , thanks MT
 
Savage Voyageur
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10/31/2017 01:52PM  
I grew up at a lake cabin. I have trapped minnows and used minnow seine’s hundreds of times. I always liked to see what was in the net, 10 minnows or a net bundle 1 foot big. Quickly remove the shiners and get the game fish back into the Lake. The minnow trap is a generac trap, put a slice of bread inside, come back in a few hours and it’s full of bait.
 
mastertangler
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10/31/2017 05:56PM  
SV I have always just trapped minnows in smaller creeks........seems like a guy should be able to catch them in lakes as well. Ever set any traps in lakes?

I have been digging around and dry dog food seems to be a good bait lasting longer than bread. But I have also heard that the white bread has a visual aspect to it and one guy even caught some with a white plastic plate broke into pieces.

Another guy on Utube swears by using live insects as the best bait. He puts a glo stick inside the trap and leaves it out for several hours at night. Then takes and sets his trap using the bugs for bait. That was sort of interesting.

When I was a kid my Dad and his friend ("Uncle Paul") would man the seine and I would walk the bank with 2 full minnow buckets while getting eaten alive by skeets.
 
Savage Voyageur
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10/31/2017 08:46PM  
Like I said I grew up at a lake cottage on Pelican Lake, near Fargo. I would put the crusts from white bread in and they would fight to get into the trap. You would get about a dozen minnows an hour. If you were trapping you need to check it every hour and rebait it.
 
10/31/2017 09:59PM  
Looks like what we used at my Grandparents place, it was sacrilege to ever buy bait when you could trap it myself.

My Grandpa also rigged up some rods to elecricity that would drive night crawlers to the surface in daylight. We would run around and capture them until we had enough. It was magic to a 7 year old :)

T
 
mastertangler
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11/01/2017 05:49AM  
I am thinking somewhat shallow bays in front of where a creek dumps in. Or at the base of falls or perhaps along a sandbar.

When I blew up my knee in WCPP I was on a sandbar. Fortunate for me as there are precious few big sandbars in that country and it gave the helicopter pilot a place to land but I digress. It was a long and rather painful night but what kept waking me up was fish blowing up in the shallow water of the sandbar. I was confident they were walleye chasing baitfish. Maybe sandbars would be good places to set a trap?
 
QueticoMike
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11/01/2017 08:20AM  
Just throw a Zulu :)
 
mastertangler
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11/01/2017 10:19AM  
Got the minner trap ("minner" is southern dialect ;) today and and impressed with the whole set up. First time I have put an extension in and was concerned that it might be to big but its perfect.

I also am very happy with the basket and floating lid. Whats nifty about it is thats its smaller and substantially lighter than any minnow bucket I have seen. Perfect for canoeing or a wade fisherman. Of course you would have to get your bait either on site or use a collapsible bucket of some sort across the portages in order to utilize the Gee's gear.

A guy (or gal ;-) can use the extension coupled with the floating lid and basket part to create a larger type live well for keeping minnows an extended period of time. The other good thing about the metal is that its turtle proof. I had brought a collapsible minner trap into the BWCA once and a turtle quickly punched a hole in it and destroyed it.

I know your having fun Mike catching smallies with Zulus while I am working some 12 hours per day.......dont rub it in ;-) I think it would be fun to fish your river with some minnows and a bobber. Its fun watching a bobber go under is it not? It would be interesting to see how the Zulus would do up against creek chubs on lake St Clair. Thats a bet I would be willing to take.
 
zski
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11/01/2017 01:13PM  
when we were kids we used to trap minnows. always devising a new and improved trap. it was fun and productive. we also did a lot of crayfish trapping. the catalog that the guy flips through looks like there a plenty of designs to choose from depending.
 
QueticoMike
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11/02/2017 10:12AM  
I have out fished minnows or creek chubs on the river before in late Nov. with Zulus. I went to LSC last year and threw the Zulu and only caught a couple of fish. We caught most of our fish with big silver twister tail grubs. I'm sure creek chubs would have worked better on LSC.
 
mastertangler
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11/03/2017 06:06AM  
quote QueticoMike: "I have out fished minnows or creek chubs on the river before in late Nov. with Zulus. I went to LSC last year and threw the Zulu and only caught a couple of fish. We caught most of our fish with big silver twister tail grubs. I'm sure creek chubs would have worked better on LSC."


I think much depends on time of year on St Clair. I have 2 friends who guide on the lake and its not unusual for them to have 100 fish days in June. The Zulus would probably do very well when fish are on these 3 to 5 ft flats. My Dad and I usually get rolling after the season opens (3rd weekend in June) after the walleye bite dies down on the Michigan side of Erie. We find them in 11 to 13ft of water in july. While we usually catch a few tournament fish each outing (4lbs and up) but our average is 3lbs (17" to 19"). Everybody wants to eat walleye off St Clair but we like the bass better hands down.
 
FlambeauForest
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11/03/2017 09:25AM  
I trap creek chubs religiously this time of year. Most of the lakes have turned over, I have yet to find a better bait option. They respond well to chumming in creeks. I'll toss a can of tuna in with the lid slightly pulled back. Come back half hour later and my trap will usually be full of creek chubs gorged on tuna bits. Small black/red tailed chubs go for 10-12$/dozen here. Trap and a can of tuna about 10$. Tuna in a lake, recipe for crayfish no thanks. Summer months I usually target big ones with a kiddy pole and a tiny hook kernel of corn or gulp maggot. Creek chubs don't mess around they'll hit anything.

BWCA- Bacon strip in a trap.
 
QueticoMike
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11/03/2017 10:33AM  
Never heard of the can of tuna trick. I always just use some type of white bread.
 
mastertangler
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11/03/2017 10:35AM  
Flambeua have you ever tried dried dog food? I never have but that seems to be the consensus on line. I like the tuna can idea, seems like it can't miss.

I also like the bacon idea but to take that on a canoe trip would be a non starter for obvious reasons. That was why I was hoping the dog food idea would be good if it worked. Pretty much odor free and lasts a long time but easy to transport. I will probably also vacuum seal single slices of white bread or a piece of white plastic plate as a visual aid in addition to a handful of the dog food. I bet the tuna would work best though, maybe I need to bring a few small cans ;-)

In the summer when we fish out of a tin boat we catch chubs with hook and line. Seem to catch the bigger ones that way.........I like em about 4" and 5" if they are really chewin.
 
FlambeauForest
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11/03/2017 01:18PM  
I've tried everything. Oatmeal, dogfood, marshmellows, hanging a white grub. I like 6-8" creek chubs they like meat. They must have a sense of smell. If I'm going after shiners/dace I prefer the clear water bottle method below with bread or oatmeal. Minnows see it swim in, and the container prevents the bits and pieces from floating away. Always carry in a sports drink bottle for this purpose. The traps are not hard to make. Keeps a guys mind occupied on solo trips during those windy days.

 
mastertangler
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11/05/2017 03:01PM  
Flambeau have you tried tuna in packets? When using cans do you just knife a bunch of holes or use a can opener? Do you use tuna packed in water or oil? If I went with tuna packets I wonder what I could put it in to allow some of the material (tuna) to slowly dissipate and create a cloud or chumslick that the bait could follow. Maybe just crush a foil packet to break the tuna up and then pop a bunch of holes in it with a knife......could work.
 
QueticoMike
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11/05/2017 03:42PM  
Get the family size tuna aluminum foil pouch, make some tuna salad with half of it and throw the rest of the packet into the trap.
 
mastertangler
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11/05/2017 06:43PM  
quote QueticoMike: "Get the family size tuna aluminum foil pouch, make some tuna salad with half of it and throw the rest of the packet into the trap."


Being raised on fresh bluegill, crappie, bass and walleye I could never stomach "tuna casserole" which smelled horrible and tasted worse. Hence my distinct aversion to all things fish which comes out of a can (mackerel fish patties also come to mind, blah!). I am assuming tuna out of a foil pouch will be likely similar. Besides, fish which doesn't need to be refrigerated sounds "fishy" to me.

Maybe I will try a combination, a smorgasbord of sorts within the confines of my metal mesh bait provider ;-)
Sounds sort of fun. Tough to beat a jig and a minnow.
 
QueticoMike
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11/06/2017 10:34AM  
Mac and Cheese with tuna is pretty good too :) The tuna in the foil tastes just like the stuff out of the can, you are right about that.
 
FlambeauForest
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11/06/2017 12:10PM  
Only dolphin safe tuna in water folks!
I've heard the white globs of testes from a male fish make for decent attractant in canoe county. Heard from a friend.


 
mastertangler
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11/06/2017 05:19PM  
I have a small (tiny as far as chum containers go) mesh cage of sorts which is meant to attach directly to a fishing line which might make an ideal container for the tuna.

I can't help but wonder if the schools of bait I mark on my depth finder could be caught. Maybe drop a trap over the side of the boat on a still evening loaded up with tuna and give them a 1/2 hour.
 
dpreiner21
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12/01/2017 09:24PM  
I had a friend who used to trap minnows and would throw a couple small crinkled balls of tinfoil in his traps. The shimmer of the foil must attract them? Always seemed to catch them.
 
mastertangler
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12/02/2017 07:37AM  
quote dpreiner21: "I had a friend who used to trap minnows and would throw a couple small crinkled balls of tinfoil in his traps. The shimmer of the foil must attract them? Always seemed to catch them."


Interesting. I have heard of guys using pieces of white plastic foam plates much the same way. I bet the foil looks like another school of minnows from a distance. I would like to be able to trap minnows in lakes as opposed to creeks. That would be nifty.
 
gregpop
  
06/07/2018 05:26PM  
If you find a minnow trap from 40-50 years ago it will still fit your new trap. The stories of "had a trap like that when we were kids" is no joke. The Gee's traps really last that long. Up until the imported black vinyl traps came into the states (about 25 years ago) the Gee's G-40 held a patent for the design. So if you see an older galvanized trap at a yard sale or flea market... snatch it up. Because the quality of the traps are top of the line and truly last a lifetime. Let me know if you do find one. If it has any embossed lettering on the bands like, Cuba Specialty, made in Houghton, Ny or a metal stamped plate, I might take it off your hands for a small fee.
 
boondock
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06/07/2018 06:54PM  
When my Grandparents owned a campground my grandpa made me a trap that looked just like one of those. I had big plans of expanding my night crawler business at the campground, but I only really managed to catch stickelbacks. Even the Iowans wouldn't buy those (sorry, old joke from my grandpa)
 
analyzer
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06/07/2018 09:25PM  
I have successfully used my canoe to trap minnows...

Analyzer Minnow Trap Method
 
Savage Voyageur
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06/07/2018 11:36PM  
analyzer: "I have successfully used my canoe to trap minnows...


Analyzer Minnow Trap Method "


That is so funny Garret. Thanks for the laugh.
 
Selfsuffi
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06/09/2018 08:41AM  
We used to trap minnows on just about any lake in the BWCA 35-40 years ago. We only had a landing net and we would drop in a fine mesh cloth inside it and lay it out in the shallows and scatter a small handful dehydrated hash browns (uncooked but rehydrated so they don't float) inside it. come back a couple times over an hour time period and "stealthfully" scoop them up. Sometimes that was the most fun part of the day for us kids. It follows the color white theme as well.
 
bruleman
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06/09/2018 11:34AM  
Going back to the 1960's and for many years thereafter, we trapped are own minnows, in ponds located just a short walk off Brule and Seagull. I could show you on a map, where they are located. We used the old style two piece traps, wired together. The minnows swim in the ends and can't find there way out. On our first run, we would get a couple dozen in 15 minutes or so, using a piece of white bread as a lure, then just check our catch, every other day or so. The Brule Island Camp charged a nickel a piece for the minnows sold there, so it was quite a lucrative endeavor. The camp did a minnow run back on the trail at Star Lake. I recall tagging alone with the camp manager to check the traps. We were required to have a posting on the trap with our name and address. The regulations may have changed, so I would recommend checking the law before proceeding.
 
gregpop
  
06/10/2018 01:25PM  
Back in the 60's the Gee's trap was the only traps. Still as good today as they were 60 years ago.
 
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