Need Help Catching Minnows (Darters, Shiners, Dace ect.) in KW

[Courtney June Wurtz]

Hi everyone,

My name is Courtney I live in Kitchener ON. and I am having a hell of a time catching Minnows with my minnow trap.

I have used hot dogs, crackers, different kinds of cat food..

I have been putting my net out along different parts of The Grand River and I'm not catching anything... could it be my locations? I have been dropping it in clam pools, not through the main current.. should I be placing it in the middle of the River?

I need to collect 15 species of fish for school in September and I am not getting any where..



Any tips, or better locations would be awesome! Thanks.

 

[Dozer]

I do think it is your location(s). When I setup my minnow trap up north you can catch them without putting anything in the trap - fish are curious and kind of retarded. I would stick with the hot dogs as they won't deteriorate as quickly. I really don't know your area very well, but look around on the map for some feeder creeks - something smaller. Jump in your car and cruise around looking for minnows. Don't be afraid to try riffles ( faster moving shallow water ) as well. Just yesterday I was cruising on a road full of head water trickles, one trickle had no minnows, meanwhile another one 100 meters away was loaded ( I like to stop and look at rivers - its refreshing ).

Best of luck on your quest to kill 15 individuals :evil:

 

[Dozer]

Oh and be sure you correctly ID the species if you decide on keeping it - I highly doubt anything would happen but if you end up with some endangered bugger in your car and get caught, it may just turn you off from ichthyology!

 

[BearInTheWoods]

I trap minnows in the weirdest places. I live in Mississauga and though its a shitshow city full of people I have creeks everywhere. Basically I use offshoots of the credit and storm management ponds.

You should do the same with the grand. I use bread, let it sit out on the counter for 2 days. Don't want it soft but you also don't want it crunchy, in between and it will stay firm in the trap for over 24 hours.

A good idea is to just walk some creeks in your area with extremely stale crusty bread or crackers and test the waters. Find the pools and just toss out a little and wait to see, if it is a "profitable" creek you will see action and set the trap.

Then just have faith they are still there when you get back, at least I do lol, probably not so busy around you.

 

[BearInTheWoods]

Was going to post a short 10 second video of my last trapping. 3 hours, got 5 dozen. It was swarmed before I could pull out my phone.

Too lazy (and should be working) to figure out how to post a video. Suffice to say I love using live bait and I hate paying for it. It is easier than most would think.

+1 to troutddicted though - I found a creek which was loaded to the gills but unfortunately I'd get a couple red dace with each trip so I stopped using it altogether.

 

[riverrat]

Do the minnows need to be from the grand or from any water source from around the kitchener area and do you need dead or alive

 

[chasingfish]

Hi Courtney. You inspired me to try my hand at catching Minnows as well. Left my net overnight in a section of the grand close to my house, just got back from retrieving it. I caught a total of 18 crayfish (yay :rolls eyes) and 1 bluegill. So effectively nothing. I have a couple other spots in mind, if they produce I will let you know.

Up north I used to catch them everywhere, but I'm not willing to drive that far for some minnows. So i will keep on searching around here.

 

[Alfiegee]

What bear said. The bread used to work for me.

Act like you are fishing and put your trap where there is some cover for the minnows. They are trying to keep away from any predators. They will seek cover.

Chasingfish, those crayfish are deadly bait for bass, pike and cats in the Grand, so not really nothing.
I do believe tho, there is a limit on how many crayfish you can have in possession. And there is also an invasive spieces of crayfish that should be dealt with as you would a Gobie.

Alfie.

 

[chasingfish]

Alfie. Yes those crayfish are excellent bait, unfortunately you can't transport them over land aka take them home. At least that's the way I read the regs or I woulda kept them all for sure.

Please if anyone can prove me wrong I will have a freezer full of bait for smallies [emoji3]

 

[BERRRG]

When I setup my minnow trap up north you can catch them without putting anything in the trap - fish are curious and kind of retarded.

Holy sh*t that's funny. Got an lol outta me at work.

 

[Courtney June Wurtz]

Do the minnows need to be from the grand or from any water source from around the kitchener area and do you need dead or alive

Does not need to be from the Grand. Just any water source, I need them alive. So that I can kill and perserve them.... lucky me.

 

[BearInTheWoods]

chasing - technically they can't be transported over land but I think that really is only to enforce the more important part of the rule... they are supposed to be used only in the waters they are caught from. Someone else may be able to better clarify though.

Crayfish *usually* only take over the traps when you leave them overnight. I find if I set in the morning and collect before the evening sets in there won't be any. I just discovered on my last outing at my spot I can throw a trap, have a smoke and ponder life's mysteries and by that time I got 2 dozen. Pretty sweet but I bet the bait shop guy is wondering how he'll put his kids through college now that he hasn't seen me this season.