Minnows and how to catch 'em

[Gerry Castles]

With the river trout season upon us and all this talk of accepted methods and baits, I was wondering if anyone has a foolproof (and legal) method of capturing a supply of live minnows.

 

[John McLaren]

The traditional bottle trap is quite effective: you need one of those bottles with an inverted bottom which you knock out, tie strong string on the neck and around the body, pop a few bits of bread in the bottle and make sure the top is screwed on,lower into water in a minnow populated area and leave for 10 minutes, or longer if necessary.

 

[Gerry Castles]

Thanks John I actually found a whole pile of stuff on the net which pretty much echoes your 'bottle trap' Gonna give it a try although I suspect catching them will not be easy, it never is.

 

[James Kinnear]

Gerry, get some plastic lemonade/coke bottles 2 lt size and cut the cap end off cut at about 3ins back from the cap and invert back into the bottle and fasten with paper clips. Burn holes in the bottle with a hot nail/soldering iron, attach string to one of the holes you have made and put some bread and stones( to sink it) in the bottle and chuck in the water where there are minnows, leave for 20 or so mins and pull in with the string you tied to the bottle and you should have minnows.
I make about half a dozen at a time and put them in various locations as sometimes you get minnows in one location one day but not the next.
good luck ...james.

 

[Gerry Castles]

Thanks James for the 'Blue Peter' traps.
It all of course hinges on 'where there are minnows'. I can see myself getting quite intense about this minnow fishing lark and
can see this thread goning on well into the summer

 

[Will Hopkins]

Hey, my friend Matthew and I have made quite a "sport" of minnow fishing. those long "pole" rods that you sometimes see being used sometimes have an end piece with elastic/rubber end to witch you attach leeder and a v.v. tiny hook, or fly. We then use these for when its just too hot, catching the minnow(s), and then releasing them or whatever you prefer. Good fun, and an interesting start for the v. small members of the family. We found a neigbour of Matthews who would lend us the end of his pole. Good luck, and have fun !

 

[David Bruce]

I have used the glass and now plastic bottle traps over many years. Very effective. I believe it helps if there is some flow through the bottle so with the glass bottles I place a piece of nylon mesh (a piece of old stocking/tights will do) and with the plastic type I burn a series of small holes into the end. I use large pieces of bread crusts that stay jammed into the bottle but releases small particles into the flow as an attraction.
ps. if you live near the Dane in Cheshire please come and take all the minnows you can find - bring a tipper truck....... you'd never

 

[Gerry Castles]

It's the Thames I'm afraid David. I've also just found an ancient byelaw that requires me to seek written permission from the EA before I can trap minnows in the Thames.
Absurd isn't it?

 

[Barry Kneller]

Surely Gerry,if the by-law about fishing for trout in the Thames states that it is legal to use live minnows for bait does that not give explicit permission to catch the minnows in the first place?

Re the minnow traps, I have a small telescopic minnow trap that I've had for about 40 years, its very similar the the plastic bottle type described by David. If I can dig it out I'll bring it up to SWP next week so you can have a butchers.

 

[Gerry Castles]

Not according to the bye-laws I've just received Barry. I'd be interested to see your minnow trap. See you on Saturday.

 

[Chris Bishop]

Single pinkie, 22 barbless hook on a whip. They're a bit small for bait though.

 

[Gerry Castles]

Might be for pike Chris but not for perch.