Dead minnows

[Fishaholic]

think ive read somthin like this before on here but couldnt find it, I came across this tip while doing some research on the rock river,


dead minnows
When you have a bucket of dead minnows, don't dump them out. Drain them and fill a ziploc bag with the minnows, and generously pour canning salt(works best) into the bag. Be sure there is a little bit of water as well. You can freeze them and take them with you next time, they work best while jigging, but the positve ions from the salt attract fish no matter what...

[heath19]

I have caught fish through the ice on dead minnows a few times. Last year we wore the big bass out in spring lake through the ice on dead minnows. I was using a little cecil and i would hook a dead minnow through the lips and we caught a lot of big bass. Another trick i use often is for ring perch, even if you have live ones dead ones work better. I cut the head off and put it on a little cecil hooked through the lips, and put the tail on another pole and i have caught a lot of ring perch doing that.

[Fishaholic]

were the minnows froze or fresh??

Suppose all this would work for shad too!!

[heath19]

The minnows i cut the heads off are usually fresh and live. I will use the dead ones in the bucket first, but when the dead ones are all gone ill use the live ones. The dead ones we used for bass were fresh too. I used live ones that day too, but i found that the dead ones worked just as good if not better that day so i used them and saved the live ones for a day when they wanted live ones. I have never tried preserved minnows, or never even thought about preserving my dead ones.

[Fishaholic]

never thought of it either suppose if it works why not right?? ill hav to try that sometime!!
you fish today???

[heath19]

I would think preserving them would work for walleyes though. When i jig for walleyes i like to use a hair jig and hook the minnow through the lips/head, and then in the tail with a stinger, so im sure they dont live long and they dont put off much action besides me jiggin it. So i wouldnt see why you couldnt preserve your dead walleye minnows and use them the next time?? and no i didnt fish today, i probably should have but i figured it wouldnt be nice out there with the wind. my great uncle and son fished yesterday and kept 20 sum nice bluegills between the two of them.

[Schoe]

When I first started going to Canada on Fly In Trips we paid through the nose for live bait minnows until a friend told me to do the salt and freeze thing.

I was skeptical of those shriveled little bait fish, but, I was working out in Ohio at the time and had excess to creeks that held lots of Creek Chubs of all sizes. So, I set minnow traps and caught loads of bait which I salted and froze like Jason posted .

Not only did they work for the Walleyes but the larger ones also took big Northern Pike while trolling or drifting but an occasional Lake Trout.

So, my next trip I will be well prepared with the Salts. Schoe

[Fishaholic]

:party0011:well il be, ganna have to remember this, dont do a whole lot of fishin with minnows cept fer some crappies every now and then, might have to try fer some walleyes this yr!!!:party0045:

[heath19]

Jason, i just got into walleye fishing last year and its not that hard to do once you figure it out. I fished the Dixon dam from ice out till at least a month after and caught a lot of fish. I know they do good down in rock falls which would be close to you!! I also fished below dam 13 on the river in the fall and did great. We will have to hook up sometime this spring or fall, or both and try to get some walleyes:icon_biggrin:

[Sonny]

Man, I'm glad SOMEbody's got walleyes figured out. I sure don't. Every time I think I do, they change or break the rules... kind of like certain people of the female persuasion in my life (LOL).

I've tried several store-bought preserved minnows, and none of them worked until I bought some freeze-dried minnows from Joe "Kastaway" Kulis. Once you got those wet enough to stick with a hook, they worked just fine for perch and 'eyes. Never did my own preserving, though. I'l have to give this a try. Thanks, guys, and tight lines and slimy landing nets to all of you.