Is it even legal trap minnows for use as bait? If so does anyone do this in the bwca? What do you use to attract them?

I once took my canoe, tipped it on it's side, with about half in the water. Took a little pancake mix, and tossed it in the water inside the canoe so that it sank to the bottom of the canoe (just a sprinkle, so don't get your panties in a bunch "LNT" folks) . There were already minnows nearby, so I only needed to wait a few minutes. Then I walked around the backside of the canoe, sneaking up on the portion that's still on land, so that my hands were gripping the top side of the canoe. I had a partner, stand on shore on the other side, back a ways so they don't scare the minnows, but where they could see them darting in and out of the canoe. When there was a sufficient number of minnows inside the canoe, he yelled "now", and I tipped the canoe upright. I then had 8-10 minnows or so, trapped inside the canoe, with just the problem of bailing out several gallons of water until I could catch the minnows. Repeat as necessary.

From the MN regs: Licensed anglers may take minnows or leeches for their own use with dip nets, traps, or seines.

I have tried trapping minnows (using a minnow trap) from camp on several occasions without much luck. Location is the key. You'd probably have better luck trapping in a small creek/river or pond.

We brought one along on Ensign two years ago with no luck. I used to trap minnows at the lake cabin with a crust of bread. I would get lots of shiners. I like the creek/river suggestion by snakecharmer.

works great near a small creek in the spring with a little pita bread or pancakes for bait. our group has small square cube about the size of large mailbox with a zipper for putting in the bait. The trick is getting them out in time I think they slowly figure how to escape. Like mentioned--- location is key. Also helps to have something to put them in that they will stay alive in for a few hours,, something we forget every year.

Last year I brought a homemade minnow trap made out of 2-liter pop bottles (used to catch creek chubs around here, very effective) and baited it with some old bread in the BWCA. If you want to see how to do these, there are examples on Youtube.com.

We placed the trap just next to shore in a rocky substrate. Before bed, I went to check the trap to see if we'd caught anything, and to my surprise a mass of crayfish had appeared and were battling for control to the funnel of the trap (despite the fact that they were all too large to go through the neck). In the morning, I found 3 red dace (a baitfish) in the trap. I'm not sure if the crayfish being there was bad for the trap's effectiveness, but either way I think, as the others said, you'd have better luck in a creek.

Thanks for the great advice and tips. I cant wait to try out my minnow trap.

Gander Mtn sells them.

I once helped a guy seine for minnows in a creek. We had a net that was about 10-12 feet long, and maybe 4 ft high, with weights on the bottom. There was a hole about the 4-6 inches in diameter in the middle of the net, with a long sock like netting attached to it. When we're walking the creek, the minnows (mostly sucker minnows at the time), would school up against the net, and find their way into the hole and end up in the sock. I thought it was pretty clever, and effective.

It's called a bag seine, and the hole in the middle is normally 2 feet or larger leading into the bag (sock). You tie the end of the sock shut with a nylon cord to hold the minnows in. When it fills up you untie the cord and empty them into your holding container.
These are more for commercial dealers, and would be a bit bulky to carry on a trip.

quote The Great Outdoors: "It's called a bag seine, and the hole in the middle is normally 2 feet or larger leading into the bag (sock). You tie the end of the sock shut with a nylon cord to hold the minnows in. When it fills up you untie the cord and empty them into your holding container.
These are more for commercial dealers, and would be a bit bulky to carry on a trip."

Thanks for that clarification. I was maybe in 6th grade. It's been a long time, I couldn't remember exactly.

I've not done it in the BWCA but we do do it at the lake cabin. Using a seine about 12 - 15 feet long with the weighted line on the bottom. Luckily we are close to a small river inlet to the lake. We usually do pretty good at getting shiners and other assorted minnows. While walking through the water perpindicular to the shore we will be a few feet out. A third person will walk out in front of the deeper end of the net to scare the minnows toward shore and into the net. I have not thought of trying at the Bdub. I may just give it a try with a small trap or tallmatt's bottle trap suggestion.

We brought a light-weight trap along to Wine Lake. We were pretty excited when we checked it in the morning to find a bunch of minnows. A few hours later, a huge snapping turtle was laying on it claiming the trap for himself and proceeded to tear the trap apart and all the minnows escaped.