Bass-Addict

Then use them for bait?

I have several Gees Minnow Traps and they work great, but I have trouble getting them to stay closed with the clip that comes with them. It will fasten but not tight, and the trap always has gaps between the two halves where minnows can escape. Right now I’m using twisty ties but it’s not ideal, is there a more permanent solution? Really irritating because if I don’t add this extra level of security they come apart pretty easily and I’ve lost traps before.

Yeah man it was pretty awesome. Had a 6” fatboy creek chub and he just hammered it, I saw the gold flash and my rod doubled over. Solid 15”. It still had the shiner it had snagged off of my hook a moment earlier in his mouth! Caught another one not quite as big a few minutes later. They are back!

Yeah, the ones on hook and line would probably be bordering on Muskie bait I’m just lookin for 5-6” smallie candy. Can you not catch them in traps?

I usually set traps in deep holes in tiny creeks, tributaries of bigger creeks. However, I rarely get any over a 2-3” max. Where do I find the big fat 5-6 inchers? I typically explore smaller creeks that feed larger creeks, and usually seek out deep holes and pockets holding chubs. The biggest I ever seem to be able to find are 2-3” max, however. Where do I ge the fat 5-6 inchers? What conditions and water bodies do I need to focus on, ie depth/current/structure. Do I need flowing water or rocky structure, or do they tend to like stagnant water and muddy/sandy substrate? Thanks!

Got skunked on the first river I hit, water temps still hovering around 45 so I jumped over to the smaller one that runs parallel to it that I paddle all summer which was just over 50 and kicked off the season. Tight lines!

I only fish creeks for smallmouth so that moving water never gets that warm, I have had a lot of success fishing minnows and crawdads all summer, nightcrawlers occasionally too.

Yeah, I’ve got an aerator clipped on an insulated locking Engle bait cooler with a net insert to change water easily. Is it as effective to simply fill it with the water from the river I’m fishing right before I start or do I need to put them in the river and let the acclimate for a bit before starting and keep them in there?

I catch my creek chubs in a trap and then take them in a cooler in my kayak or to bank fish. This time of year, however, no matter how cold the water in my cooler is they don’t seem to last more than a cast or two. Do I have to keep them submerged in the water I’m fishing in order for them to acclimate so they don’t get shocked or do they just have a lower tolerance for being nose hooked/fighting to get free in frigid water?

Haha gonna start petitioning Elon Musk to fund a minnow cloning project.

Yeah I didn’t mean come back to life I thought maybe they only survived the season then died and new ones were born.

I am not talking rivers, I’m talking tiny shallow little rocky streams you can walk across without getting more than the bottom of your shoes wet. I find deep holes in those where minnows congregate and drop minnow traps. If they die do I have to wait for them to be reborn every spring and then to grow? If so wouldn’t it be like the middle of the summer before I have any decent sized ones? That’s strange because I distinctly remember pulling some big chunkers out of my minnow traps last summer, I can’t imagine those were only 3-4 months old. If not, where could they have gone? Do they hide, or just have yet to make their way downstream when it rains heavily all spring?

Man I’ve tried everything lure wise, not happening on this creek. I’m not sure how so many are having abundant success with it. Cold water would be even harder.

Interesting, maybe I just didn’t have the right presentation/location? I think a part of the problem was that the water was so cold that my minnows were dying pretty quickly. Is there a solution for this? I tried adding river water to my bait cooler but it didn’t seem to help.

I’m at the very top of the river so I’m a long ways from where it feeds into the Ohio. I would imagine most of them are wintering nearby, just gotta locate them. It’s strange though as towards the end of the season in November when the bite dropped off I cast all over my spot, including the deep (10+ ft) slow water just past the current and got nothin. I had live minnows on a split shot too, you would’ve thought if they were there they would’ve bit. Is it possible they become lazy that quickly and I simply wasn’t getting it right in front of them?

Oh ok I guess I was confused because I was always told their wintering holes are far from the current and surrounding slack water they feed in during the warmer months.

Lol what? You just said two completely different things.

I’m thinking of going fishing tomorrow, water temps been in the mid 40s and ambient air temps in the mid 50s for a week or two now. A little chilly to paddle but I have a spot I can walk to where there’s a nice current break and a deep hole. Will I have much luck there this early in the year or do they not move into the active water until it gets warmer? I ask because I’m still recovering from an injury and it’s a long walk, but worth it if these are prime conditions. Thanks!

Any idea when it starts in southern Ohio?

I’ve heard everything from March to May. When is the spawn, and how does it work? What is the best way to fish this, and does it last long or is just one short burst? If it’s only a day or two I may wait until the bite is here to stay as I have all of my gear put up. Thanks!

Got 3 brand spankin new St. Croix Premiers thanks to their extremely generous warranty, an additional Shimano Nasci 2500 and a Berkeley Wall mount for them. I’m ready for you smallies, watch out! https://ibb.co/RPYt4PL https://ibb.co/v16Y0xm https://ibb.co/0D4FZrk

How much more line capacity am I getting with the 3000 over 2500, and will I notice a difference in smoothness/feel? Wondering if 2500 isn’t better suited for my creek smallie fishing and if I shouldn’t just stick with that if I’ve been happy with it.

You think it’s better to swap the entire handle or just the knob? Would the knob/handle of a 2500 fit a 3000?

But where can I get a second 2500 knob/handle?