I would like to start catching wild golden shiners for bait because I hear they produce huge bass. Currently my friends and I use small bluegill that we catch on bread and with nets. I understand catching shiners is practically the same method used to catch bluegill,(I don't even know if I have shiners in my lake)but I was wondering if there was a way to only catch shiners

Thanks!

I'd make sure you have them and that netting them is legal first. If both of those are a go, chum the water with bread crumbs until you see the shiners start schooling and feeding, then just toss your net on them. We did this at my buddies pond and caught dozens of big shiners in just a few throws each time. 

I'd make sure you have them and that netting them is legal first. If both of those are a go, chum the water with bread crumbs until you see the shiners start schooling and feeding, then just toss your net on them. We did this at my buddies pond and caught dozens of big shiners in just a few throws each time.

It is legal, but I'm not sure how to locate them so I can't tell you if they're in my lake but thanks for replying!

I was told the professional shiner fishermen use dog food to attract the shiners...

Find a beaver hut. Big shiners like beaver huts

Use a fine mesh net and scoop it around in your fishtank where your golden shiners are raised.

I've actually caught them with crappie jigs in a local city reservoir.

I have only once fished a couple lakes that have shiners. I just used worms as bait. I also caught a couple on a Crickhopper. LOL

Fish for Golden Shiners in the same local that you would fish for panfish. I was fishing for panfish when I caught this one. I think that I was using a size 7 or 8 hook and I was using bread balls.

 

Fish for Golden Shiners in the same local that you would fish for panfish. I was fishing for panfish when I caught this one. I think that I was using a size 7 or 8 hook and I was using bread balls.

Isn't that a CQ? That's not your panfish setup is it?

Though I rarely use live shiners, there are 3 professional guides living in my community

who encourage their clients to use wild golden shiners (the ends justifies the means):

 

As Per Professional Shiner Netter

=> Obtain "Quaker Oats Oatmeal" for chum

=> Find a Shallow Weedy Shoal in 'dingy' water

=> Select 3 separate chum sites in 2-ft of water (1.5 to 2.5 ft)

=> Broadcast 1 cup of oatmeal per 15-ft area

=> Mark each bait site with a Styrofoam marker, but to prevent divulging your operation,

         position each marker offsite (e.g. 20 yd north of the site nucleus)

=> Wait at least two hours then return to the site gingerly and quietly

=> Toss a cast net into the nucleus of the bait site

                  A good haul might snare two dozen shiners, a bad haul...'zero')

 

At a buck a shiner the price of a golden roach seems exorbitant, but if you try your hand

at netting your own shiners, you might begin to realize that the netters earn their money

 

Roger

Isn't that a CQ? That's not your panfish setup is it?

It was that day. I using a Conquest 50 and a Loomis MBR782GLX for Bass and was having no luck and a buddy showed up and he was fishing for Panfish so I changed hooks, added a cork and a bread ball. It sure beat getting skunked. LOL

Lol that's awesome

One of my local holes are swamped with these things.  More shiners than bass, sadly.  First time out on it, first cast with a black Jitterbug, one of these bit as soon as the d**n lure hit the water.  I musta cast right on top of it or something.  Since then, haven't been able to snag a d**n one.