Minnow Trap Bait?

  Hi All;  I just ordered these nifty minnow traps:

http://stores.channeladvisor.com/harleerod/Items/025355000222?sck=20248892

Now I'm wondering what to use as bait.  Attracting and catching other small river/estuary creatures is good also, for our various creek/river/estuary biology studies.  Hope the river otters don't tear them up, but I think the traps are fairly durable.  I'll tie them to the bank or use little floats.

I'll give a report after I have some success with the traps. 
What a cool present to give to a kid! (A kid of any age )

So...what to use for bait...  Will be fun to try all kinds...

Thanks, -Mendocino Matt

The easiest thing to do is to take a can of cat food and punch a few holes in the lid and place it in the trap.  The can will keep the bait together and the whole will let enough out to attract your minnow, crayfish, etc.. to the trap.

Brian

Can cat food works well and is probably less messy.  Zilla from Lake Tahoe uses dry dog food/kibble with good success too.

Thanks guys, I'll try them both and anything else I can think of for bait also.

I've had good success with crayfish using oily things like anchovies, cat food, chicken and smelly jelly in a tobacco pouch. May work for minnows too, I reckon.  We'll see.

What I've done before is to take a slice of bread and roll it into a tight ball and place it into the trap. We have done this in Lake Tahoe to get minnows. It attrackes the minnows real fast, but you do tend to loose the bread fast, BUT, if you are in a heavy area of them, you will fill up fast. Are you looking to getting minnows for the CSBA and BAM? Good Luck.

Kibbles N Bits dry dog food.

Matt you better read up on the regs. I don't think you can take minnows in the coastal streams or use bait.

It's not for bait, and I will read up and ask about the regs.  It's mostly for monitoring various fish, all catch and release for Big River State Park/ Mendocino Land Trust.

How do you guys use these in lakes?  Do you put it on the bottom, but near shore?  Float it with something?  If floating, do you use an anchor to keep it in place, or desired depth?  What depth works best? 

I have been tempted a few times to use them, what with the 13$ for a dozen jumbo's at CB&T, but haven't figured out when and where to use em.  Wouldn't mind tossing one out at say Del Valle, coming back for some bait after doing a few trolls or something.

I have had very good luck with dry dog food.

Hey Matt,

Fresh or frozen salmon roe works well for juvenile salmonids.  I'll be running a line of traps in the pond on Pudding Creek this summer.

Also, thanks for stopping by and visiting our screw trap the other day.  It made working on Saturday a little more fun.

Dave