# Sick of tossing my minnows away



## Mr. Marley (Oct 28, 2005)

I am sick of tossing my minnows away after i get done fishing every weekend. My ice fishing is limited to late nights only on the weekends. I have kids, and i seem to not be able to get out on the ice until 9:30 at night on the weekends only. One main challenge also is getting live bait, Spikes are no issue, but Minnows and Chubs are a big concern. When i do have them, i seem to have to throw them out when i am done fishing, costing me money. 

This weekend, i decided it would be cheaper/easier for me to get a holding tank up and running, and it would save me time, money, and gas. After getting it set up and the minnow/chubs switched over to the holding tank, everyone seems to be very happy, and very active.

My video was to large to post.


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## Outdoor2daCore (Nov 8, 2010)

Looks good, I did the same for the same reasons. I keep mine in my lightly heated garage so it's cold, but not freezing. I use a bubbler and well water and try to change out 5-10 gallons of water every few days. I still need to get a filter to clip on to make em last even longer. Final thing, I found was it's easy to overload it and have em die off pretty quick, so i limit the numbers to only a few dozen at a time. I still end up buying em every few weeks, but it certainly beats throwing em out.


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## fishingmonster (Jan 17, 2011)

Outdoor2daCore said:


> Looks good, I did the same for the same reasons. I keep mine in my lightly heated garage so it's cold, but not freezing. I use a bubbler and well water and try to change out 5-10 gallons of water every few days. I still need to get a filter to clip on to make em last even longer. Final thing, I found was it's easy to overload it and have em die off pretty quick, so i limit the numbers to only a few dozen at a time. I still end up buying em every few weeks, but it certainly beats throwing em out.


You could buy and old aquarium at a garage sale and set it up in your garage!


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

I bought an aerator, oxygen stone, flexible tubing, and some chemicals from the pet supply store for less than $20. When I have a lot of leftover minnows this works great.

You have to use de-chlorinator if you are using city tap when changing water to reduce chlorine and also helps if you use an ammonia reducer otherwise the minnows will get sick and die fairly quickly even with aeration.


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## Mr. Marley (Oct 28, 2005)

d_rek said:


> I bought an aerator, oxygen stone, flexible tubing, and some chemicals from the pet supply store for less than $20. When I have a lot of leftover minnows this works great.
> 
> You have to use de-chlorinator if you are using city tap when changing water to reduce chlorine and also helps if you use an ammonia reducer otherwise the minnows will get sick and die fairly quickly even with aeration.



Exactly what i did, and i added a filter also, so i don't have to do some many water changes. So far it is working great.


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## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

How much of the reducer do u use? I would love tips on keeping them alive. I have an old cooler w an aerator designated for minnys but don't have much luck keeping them past a week. I change the water...tap water but I let it sit for a day or so.


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## Mr. Marley (Oct 28, 2005)

d_rek said:


> I bought an aerator, oxygen stone, flexible tubing, and some chemicals from the pet supply store for less than $20. When I have a lot of leftover minnows this works great.
> 
> You have to use de-chlorinator if you are using city tap when changing water to reduce chlorine and also helps if you use an ammonia reducer otherwise the minnows will get sick and die fairly quickly even with aeration.


Right now i have it set up in my basement shower (never gets used), but plan on moving it to the garage to keep them cooler.


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## Mr. Marley (Oct 28, 2005)

Big Skip said:


> How much of the reducer do u use? I would love tips on keeping them alive. I have an old cooler w an aerator designated for minnys but don't have much luck keeping them past a week. I change the water...tap water but I let it sit for a day or so.


The bottle of reducer cost me $5, and i believe it says to use 10ML for every 10 gallons. i have about 15 gallons of water in the tote. i think i dumped in maybe 20ML


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

Big Skip said:


> How much of the reducer do u use? I would love tips on keeping them alive. I have an old cooler w an aerator designated for minnys but don't have much luck keeping them past a week. I change the water...tap water but I let it sit for a day or so.


Can't remember exactly but it was only a drop or two per gallon. Doesn't take much


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## perchyanker (Jan 26, 2011)

As a person looking into doing this for more of a reason because of the distance to drive to get minnows how long do you keep them alive? I got a bathroom with a tub I don't use and don't really heat and was wondering how long I could get them to stay alive in there. I haven't made the plunge mostly because of the sketchy weather and inconsistent ice in SW Michigan but, if we did have a nice cold stretch I was gonna buy like 10 dozen just so I have them and didn't have to drive 30 minutes plus to get them. 

I keep some pike shiners alive on accident in a toilet that I forgot to flush in the same bathroom for over 10 days without anything but the water that as there which is what got the idea rolling.


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## mistaken 36 (Feb 23, 2014)

Mr. Marley said:


> I am sick of tossing my minnows away after i get done fishing every weekend. My ice fishing is limited to late nights only on the weekends. I have kids, and i seem to not be able to get out on the ice until 9:30 at night on the weekends only. One main challenge also is getting live bait, Spikes are no issue, but Minnows and Chubs are a big concern. When i do have them, i seem to have to throw them out when i am done fishing, costing me money.
> 
> This weekend, i decided it would be cheaper/easier for me to get a holding tank up and running, and it would save me time, money, and gas. After getting it set up and the minnow/chubs switched over to the holding tank, everyone seems to be very happy, and very active.
> 
> ...


Certainly a good thought, i have done it with crawdaddies in the summer fishing for bass, have feed them brineshrimp even flake food seemed to more lively than the day i get them. Also could save the fresh dead and salt to use the heads if fishing for walters.


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## Mr. Marley (Oct 28, 2005)

I 


perchyanker said:


> As a person looking into doing this for more of a reason because of the distance to drive to get minnows how long do you keep them alive? I got a bathroom with a tub I don't use and don't really heat and was wondering how long I could get them to stay alive in there. I haven't made the plunge mostly because of the sketchy weather and inconsistent ice in SW Michigan but, if we did have a nice cold stretch I was gonna buy like 10 dozen just so I have them and didn't have to drive 30 minutes plus to get them.
> 
> I keep some pike shiners alive on accident in a toilet that I forgot to flush in the same bathroom for over 10 days without anything but the water that as there which is what got the idea rolling.


read they will


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## Mr. Marley (Oct 28, 2005)

Mr. Marley said:


> I
> 
> read they will



I heard you can have 15 minnnows per gallon. I also heard that they will last for a long time, that theirvery resilient. Don't need much food either. I have it for when I need it. Colder water is best. My filter is for a 5-10 gallon, and the only reason I have 15 gallon is I haven't cut the tote yet and my filter pick up tube is short, and I needed that much water for it to be submersed. I guess I will get two maybe 3 more uses out of these minnows.


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## toppm (Dec 30, 2010)

I post this every year. I keep my minnows alive for weeks without am aerator. I use a styrofoam bait bucket in a 5 gallon plastic bucket. If it's colder than 32 at night I bring them in. I also keep another bucket with water in it . Every day or 2 I dump half the water out of the bait bucket and fill it with water from the other bucket. Key is to keep both waters at a constant temp, not to warm or cold. I have well water but if you let the water sit for a couple days it should be good. Good Luck.


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## Mr. Marley (Oct 28, 2005)

The only reason the tote is in the never used shower, was just in case the tote leaked, the water would go down the drain, and not get water all over.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Take your leftover minnows, and strain them out of the water. Toss em on some newspaper, til they are done flopping, and are drier. Scoop them up, and shake them in a ziploc with Salt, then freeze them. You can just thaw them, and use them later. How long do your minnows typically stay alive after you impale them on a hook? I've had great luck on Trout and Steelhead with salted minnows under a float.


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## Jim_MI (Jul 9, 2012)

Fishndude said:


> Take your leftover minnows, and strain them out of the water. Toss em on some newspaper, til they are done flopping, and are drier. Scoop them up, and shake them in a ziploc with Salt, then freeze them. You can just thaw them, and use them later. How long do your minnows typically stay alive after you impale them on a hook? I've had great luck on Trout and Steelhead with salted minnows under a float.


I keep them in a kitty-litter tub with an aerator stone but no filter. I change out about 2/3 of the water every other day, replacing it with cold well water and adding a bunch of ice cubes as the water runs in. Have never had any issues with temp shock. When I change the water, I pull out any dead ones and add them to a small Tupperware container that has about a cup of water and more salt than will dissolve in it (saturated salt solution). So the dead minnows are essentially brined as they sit in the salt water. Much less stinky than storing the dead minnows on dry salt, and they remain more pliable and life like for jigging.


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## CrashAxe (Jul 10, 2010)

Jim_MI said:


> I keep them in a kitty-litter tub with an aerator stone but no filter. I change out about 2/3 of the water every other day, replacing it with cold well water and adding a bunch of ice cubes as the water runs in. Have never had any issues with temp shock. When I change the water, I pull out any dead ones and add them to a small Tupperware container that has about a cup of water and more salt than will dissolve in it (saturated salt solution). So the dead minnows are essentially brined as they sit in the salt water. Much less stinky than storing the dead minnows on dry salt, and they remain more pliable and life like for jigging.


I have a friend that uses an old cooler, 75 quart size I think. Runs the aerator pump and puts a 1/2 gallon milk jug of ice in it. Keeps another jug in the freezer to switch it out. He keeps minnows all season.


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## Martian (Apr 28, 2011)

what works best for me, is a big cooler. aerator and stone. My aerator is a double , so I have 2 stones. really easy to let off water, and refill. Just pull the plug. They are by the road all the time , and generally, the plug is shot. so they throw it out. I find something that plugs it. The one I have, an aluminum arrow is perfect , no leak. The one before, a sharpie pen, it kind of tapers to a tight fit. It is by my laundry tub, beside the crock, and when I want water out, I pull the plug, when in, I have a 4 ft. hose on the faucet. I went to Gander mtn for some pike minnows fri night. They did not have the bass minnows, pike chubs were $9 for 6 !!! I needed 2 dozen. I told the guy I am not doing that. $36 for 2 dozen. Went to my local hardware, $9 a dozen, I did do that , he also gave About 4 over, and when we were done I had 6 left, they went in my cooler. Oh yeah, at the end of the year, I wash it out, and my ice fishing suit and boots fit in it


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## fishingmonster (Jan 17, 2011)

Funny Tip I got from a real old timer and I tried it years ago. For wigglers or a couple dozen minnows left after fishing! He said to take the top half of a small minnow bucket (Top Only) make a hook with a wire hanger and put it in your toilet tank. (Tank Not Bowl) Close the lid on the tank every time you flush the bait gets fresh water! And no one is the wiser) I tried it with wigglers worked great. BUT Make sure they can not escape because you will get a divorce if they end up in the bowl when she uses it!


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