Okay, I am thinking of trying some different things this year during my trip. Fishing for Lakers, Brookies, etc... Taking a flyrod... Trying New baits, different baits... One of the things I am looking at trying is Minnows. Always before I have just taken leeches and used artificial baits. I do not look forward to trying to keep Minnows alive in a plastic bag for a day or so. So I am wondering if any of you have used "Salted Minnow/Shiners" for walleye, lakers, or whatever will bite them. If so, what size of minnow/shiner/chub do I need? Amount needed for two people? I usually take a half pound up to a pound of jumbo leeches. Also, can you purchase these salted minnows/shiners/chubs there in Ely. Or do some of you make them yourselves? Any information regard this matter is appreciated.

Bruce

Hey Bruce,
I've used salted minnows in the past. Mainly for the stocked trout in rivers and steelhead when they're on the redds (spawning).
If they are good and dry/hard they stay on the hook well.
I would imagine that they would do fine on a jig or trolled on a harnes. We catch pike, lakers, and splake on dried/frozen/salted smelt (larger minnow).... of course pike will eat anything.
They have scent... that puts you one up on soft plastic.

Hex

Just buy live minnows in the bag, drain ALL of the water. Then add the side walk salt (used for melting the ice). Use enough to completely coat all of the minnows. We do this right after we buy them so that they are all alive when they are "salted".

Side walk salt works best because it is already in pebble to sand size pieces.

We killed the lakers on Tuscarora using minnows on jig heads.

How soon after the minnows are salted should they be put to use? Could you salt them and then freeze them?

Bruce I have used store bought Uncle Josh preserved minnows in the past. Usually for deep fall walleyes. They have produce fair to good results. I use "fireball" short shank jigs, sometimes with a small stinger hook. The minnows are pretty durable and with the action imparted by the jig seem to entice the fish. This year I am going to try them on some swimming type jigs and try slow retrienves and trolls. Like you it's fun to try new techniques. I am not real trusting of the jars the minnows come in and usually repack them in a wide mouth nalgene food jar.
TR, great idea on do your own salties. Please share more on how you do this. My head is swimming with the possibilities.

We have salted minnows for many years on trips for walleyes in Canada. Since it is not permitted to take live bait across the border, we usually get our minnows ahead of time and salt them a week or so before the trip. The best method that I have found is to get large fathead minnows, drain them and then apply large amounts of salt to whatever bag/contianer that they came in. Once this is done, remove the minnows from the bag and scatter them on a screen. Apply some more salt if there are some that did not get as well coated. Let the salted minnows dry outside for a few hours on the screen. When they look somewhat dried and are shriveled up a bit, they are dry enough (this is the reason for the LARGE fathead minnows...when they are dried up, there is still some minnow left). Put them into whatever container that you want to carry them in and then freeze them until you leave. They will last for quite a while once unthawed because of the drying, and they do very well catching walleyes. Good luck!

w/regard to salted minnows (just might give this a try this year), where do you typically hook the minnow as opposed to live minnows?