# keeping minnows alive??



## greenhead

What do you guys do with your minnows to keep them alive longer in the summer?


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## gandergrinder

I keep buying more because I usually can't keep them alive.


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## Field Hunter

Buy yourself a $10.00 aquarium pump and a small amount of tubing and an air stone.....you can keep even shiners alive for a couple of weeks if you keep them in a 5 gallon bucket in a cool dark place....also you can buy a battery operated aerator if you're some place without elctricity. I bought the Frabill battery operated one and a couple of the D batteries.... will last a weekend.


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## sportsman18

Same as gandergrinder. Keep buying more because it seems how hard i try to keep them alive such as givin them fresh water out in the boat and even putting them in a minnow bucket still doesnt work.


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## huntingguy

I fish with large suckers which are fairly hard to keep alive. I bought one of those 6 gallon Aerobait buckets. Its got a styrofoam lining and a motor operated (by batteries) pump at the bottom. 2D cell will keep em' alive for the weekend. I find the biggest challenge keeping the water clean and healthy, as opposed to keeping the minnows alive. Good luck. :beer:


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## muskat

We use a battery operated aerator inside an old chest freezer.......works well. Can keep shiners for around 2 weeks.

When at the lake, we use large dryer bins from an old grain dryer and put 
them off the end of the dock, top sticking out, and easily keep shiners for 4 weeks.


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## Eric Hustad

When I come in from fishing I put the minnows back in the bucket with a large rock in there to keep it on the bottom rather than floating. I found that it keeps shiners really well for three or four days like that.


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## nodakoutdoors.com

Eric Hustad said:


> When I come in from fishing I put the minnows back in the bucket with a large rock in there to keep it on the bottom rather than floating. I found that it keeps shiners really well for three or four days like that.


This is assuming, of course, that they're staying at the lake. :wink:

How are them $4/doz shiners doing over there bro???


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## mallard

More like 5.00$/doz. this year.


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## djleye

Like hooking a .50 cent piece to your line everytime!!!


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## Razorback

We always seem to have a cooler along w/food and refreshments w/extra ice we've found a smaller cooler with fresh water and a little ice works great and with one of those battery operated aerators the minnows will keep for some time.


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## Eric Hustad

Hey thanks for returning my phone call little brother. The $4.50 shiners are doing just fine because once on the hook they know they are safe in that lake!!! Anyway not much time for fishing this spring with babies due anyday which makes you an uncle again. Ok if staying at a lake with a dock put a decent size rock in a minnow bucket and this keeps minnows alive longer. I can't remember who told me that trick but it really works, and sure beats little brother forgetting to put the minnows back in the water. Funny story I buy three dozen shiners for the weekend and Chris leaves the bucket on the dock and they all die. So we tried netting shiners and that didn't work so back to the bait shop, and an evening killed trying to get bait. Memories


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## nodakoutdoors.com

Eric Hustad said:


> Funny story I buy three dozen shiners for the weekend and Chris leaves the bucket on the dock and they all die. So we tried netting shiners and that didn't work so back to the bait shop, and an evening killed trying to get bait. Memories


LOL - moral of story...buy fatheads.


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