I have been doing some live bait fishing with minnows, and grass shrimps. But it gets pretty expensive since I buy 2-3 dozens at time. Anyone here ever catch their own live bait? If yes, what trap would you recommend? I bought one from tackle shop here, and sit it over night but caught no more than 5 small minnows. Or any good lures anyone would recommend would work as well, so I can stop spending 20-24 bucks for bait each time I go outhaha!  

When ever I go after Catfish I have a throw net.It work really well.It was only 14$ at Academy.I mainly catch Minnows and Shad in it.It will pay for its self after a few uses.When you catch your own bait in the same lake you fish, the bait is is not foreign to the fish.

The only time I catch my own bait is during the spring herring run. They are just really fun to catch

24 bucks for 2-3 dozen minnows?  I pay about 75 cents a dozen down here in Florida.

Yeah. it is like 4.99 per dozen here. I usually get 2 dozen of small minnow, then 3 little box of grass shrimp which goes for 4.50 each.

Whenever I go crappie fishing with the grandkids, I'll take a seine net down to the Arkansas River to catch minnows for bait. It's pretty easy to net up a hundred minnows.

Tom

Yeah. it is like 4.99 per dozen here. I usually get 2 dozen of small minnow, then 3 little box of grass shrimp which goes for 4.50 each.

Are you talking about minnows or shiners?

Shiners are $10-12 per dozen around here

Bassn Blvd, I am talking about small minnows. I get them from a small bait shop on the way to the lake. All the live bait in that shop is raised by the owner; I guess that's why it cost so much?

I can't imagine anywhere in the United States paying 10-15 dollars for a dozen of minnows.  Shiners, yes. But not minnows.  Minnows are usually a dollar or less per dozen.  

Perhaps shiners are called minnows up north?

Bassn Blvd, from my posting above I said $4.99/dozen for minnows and I will get 2 dozens at time. Then 2-3 boxes of grass shrimp, which goes for $4.50/box. That's how I end up spending 20 plus per trip on live baits.

The only bait I have ever caught is worms, to hard to get the other stuff

I get creek chubs in the nearby creeks, Absolutely the BEST BAIT EVER. Bass and Catfish go crazy over them. I catch them one by one using an ulta-lite with 4 lb test, a 1/32 oz jig-head with a berkley gulp maggot on it. Works great normally all i need for a day is 12-15 of em

that minnow trap you have will work fine.

its all about location.

throw a ripped up slice of white bread in the trap, and put it in shallow water real tight to cover.

in my creek i can put my minnow trap in and catch easily over 100 blacknose dace and about 20 or so golden shiners overnight.

keep trying and switch your location each time.

i cheat !! , i go to the pet store and buy feeder fish(little goldfish) for $.27 each and i usually get about 2 dozen wich comes out to around 6 bucks and change . they work awesome for crappie anyhow , out here in CA. , you can't use cast nets or anything similar to catch shiners or shad , wish we could . i hate to have to pay 9.00 for a dozen shiners !! the really only time i catch my own bait is when i go to the beach and fish off the pier to catch mackerel to use for catfishing ....

Dude, that sucks about California.