Emerald shiner help

[delilah]

I went and netted bunch shiners today to go perch fishing I have them with air bubbler in water and 4 hours later 20+ of them are dead .. What I'm I doing wrong .. Used upper river water too

[GAMBLER]

Gotta keep emeralds cool.  They do not do well is warm water. 

[js003c]

Cold water is key. I periodically add ice. It also helps to add oxygen to the water as the ice melts.

Side note...Just curious, where did you net your shiners?

[delilah]

Cold water is key. I periodically add ice. It also helps to add oxygen to the water as the ice melts.

Side note...Just curious, where did you net your shiners?

 

 

upper river .. at boat launch on river road ,, in tonwanda .. was waste dont think i can find anyone to go fishing now

[steelie1975]

frozen bottle of water, keep cool regular ice from house can have bad effect unless purified, it has ammonia  in it.

[Xxx]

When we net minnows out of our local lake we found you need to put them in a round container, we made a 20gal. Container out of a coke syrup jug, the fish swim around but in a tub the bumb basterds run in the corners and bang their noses till they bleed then die. Been pretty good since we went to the round container, and yes they like it cool. I made a pump up with 50ft of 1/4 inch hose to pump up cold water out of the lake. Good luck it's not easy keeping those little guys alive.

[lost a lure]

frozen bottle of water, keep cool regular ice from house can have bad effect unless purified, it has ammonia  in it.

ammonia in ice?

[ifishy]

what did you net them with emeralds can be more sensitive to abbrasive nets and the damage can cause them to die.  that said cold water can dissolve more oxygen as well as slows down metabolism causing a need for less oxygen thats why cold water is important for more sensitive species. circulation is also important these are wild minnows so they they are used to constant fresh water not like store kept minnows which have already been acclimated to captive conditions

[delilah]

what did you net them with emeralds can be more sensitive to abbrasive nets and the damage can cause them to die. that said cold water can dissolve more oxygen as well as slows down metabolism causing a need for less oxygen thats why cold water is important for more sensitive species. circulation is also important these are wild minnows so they they are used to constant fresh water not like store kept minnows which have already been acclimated to captive conditions

My old man let me barrow his net he throws .. Really sucks. Was looking forward to perch fishing .. I would go catch more if I could find someone to go with me..

[Xxx]

I use a umbrella net 3ft x 3ft and a strong green light. Anker up where you know they are send the net down 10-12ft down, the hang the green light over the net about 5ft down, now it's a waiting game first the little ones show up then the bigger fish show up and they will be swimming in a circular motion slowly move the light and pull the net up as fast as you can. I usually get 10-15 at a time, it's not easy you really need to rip that net up. Have it so the 4 corners fold up like. I also painted my whole net black, it came in olive green with a white net, paint the rods black also. I Have whitnessed larger fish coming to investigate, easy for me to pick out is the walleyes, usually we cast around with plugs, some nights it works others it doesn't. Can tell when the predetors come by the minnows flea the scene fast, then it's a waiting game again. Good luck to ya!!!

Check your rules before you do this!! I had to buy a special license to catch minnows out . Our local lake here in PA.

Edited November 3, 2015 by pap

[Pequod1]

I have practiced a lot keeping emeralds alive during warmer weather. A couple of things, First, temp. is the key but -  do not throw ice in there and do not cool them down rapidly. If the temp of the water you got them in is 50 deg try to match that and slowly raise the temp. They will die immediately if you thermal shock them. Second, Use a cooler with a couple airaters. They need the room. A bucket is too small. Transfer them to an airated bucket for transport too. Third, change the water at least once a day and remove any dead ones immediately. Make sure the water has no chlorine in it. I just keep a bucket full of water out a day in advance. The chlorine disintegrates in 24 hrs. And fourth, if you are really serious, there are some commercial products out that bass fishermen put in their live wells to keep the bass healthy for weigh ins. That works too.

I know, pain in the *** but I can keep them alive for a week like this in a 60-70 deg garage. Hopefully, you can feed them to the fish before that.

[Sk8man]

Pequod 1 is 100 percent on the mark with his strategy and it is chlorine in tap water not ammonia.. I use two aquarium filters and keep a couple  buckets of lake water handy in my garage for replenishing. I also have a portable aerator that I take with me in a 5 gal bucket when I am using the bait to keep them alive and healthy in case I have left overs to return home. With larger bait like shiners etc. you can't put as many in the container as you might with say fatheads. The round container point is also a good one and can be critical especially with fragile bait like sawbellies. It is also important not to "shock" the bait by introducing too extreme changes in water temps. . Ice cubes do contain chlorine if taken from tap water but if just using the bait say in the boat that day it can help in hot weather because it reduces oxygen consumption but I don't then return unused bait home afterward and placing a small frozen water bottle in the bucket can also help and will more gradually reduce the water temp than the cubes. The key to keeping them is related mainly to oxygen consumption and you 'll know if either the water temp is too high and/or the density or number of them is too great if they are at the top of the container "gulping" air even with aerators present. When in the boat or even shore fishing with bait I frequently take out and add lake water to my bait container.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Sk8man

[jimski2]

Go to a pet store. There you can get chlorine remover, salts, ammonia controls, carbon filters for oil removal, filters for slime and scale removal. Aerators for your tank and double their capacity, say a sixty gallon aerator for a thirty gallon  tank. Most important remove dead minnows quickly as they decay and poison the water. Bait saver salts kill ick and slime on your minnows. Keep your filters clean and do not feed the minnows as their excretions poison the water. I have had emeralds survive ninety degree days with this stuff. Now you may think this is overkill but the price of perch at the super market near you if they have them is over twenty two dollars a pound now. I use a thirty gallon stock tank that I picked up at Tractor Supply. Keep it in my shed at the lake. I  pick up minnows at Dave's in Derby or Millers at Sunset Bay, he usually has good emeralds. The other dealers have goldens as they survive longer but the perch prefer emeralds ten to one. When we go out at dawn, no one has to drive to the bait shops. My neighbors share the minnows and bring the leftovers to the tank.

Edited November 4, 2015 by jimski2

[TileMan Dan]

$22 /lb for perch.?!!!  Think lobster and Angus rib eye steaks.

[Xxx]

All the above is spot on. Keeping the water clean from their own nature calls is a big key factor. The cost of keeping minnows out ways the cost of buying bait, plus the idea of just getting the bait when the mood strikes you is worth it to me. But I will say it's like having a pet, they need your attention or they will die!

[GAMBLER]

If you are worried about chlorine, put your water in five gallon buckets and let it sit for a day or two.  The chlorine will dissipate over time. 

[Silver Fox]

Styrofoam is the #1 thing you can put minnows in. Do a test of a non Styrofoam bucket and a Styrofoam bucket. Huge difference.

silverfoxcharters.net

[EsoxAC3]

I hate keeping those bas$&@*s alive! Unfortunately I love to ice fish..... They take a lot of care as was well outlined above. A hearty shiner would be a dream come true!!

[Pequod1]

I love it. " A hearty shiner would be a dream come true".  I guess I am not the only guy who spends way too much time with his bait 

[Silver Fox]

I love it. " A hearty shiner would be a dream come true". I guess I am not the only guy who spends way too much time with his bait

Dude, your the "master baiter"!

silverfoxcharters.net

[Shakemsam]

Fatheads $1.75 a dozen..

You guys keep playing with your bait

While I'm out fishing.

[Xxx]

Dude, your the "master baiter"!

silverfoxcharters.net

LOL, now that's funny, hey Fox you have a great sence of humor "Master Bait-er" when we were in Canada we fished 3 in a boat and I was in the middle, well the fishing got fast and furious before you know it all I'm doing is breaking worms into 3's and handing dad and skip worms, that night that's what they called me The Master Baiter LOL

[Xxx]

Fatheads $1.75 a dozen..

You guys keep playing with your bait

While I'm out fishing.

The forage out of the lake your fishing most of the time works better, yes fat heads are way cheaper, but we are referring to 2-31/2" they are $3.75 to 4.25 a dozen when fishing is good you go through a couple dozen a day. During this period of time you get big $$$ into bait plus it's something to toy around with, it's a challenge soon to be a obsession. Being able to keep them alive after you worked your a$$ off. Nothing about fishing is profitable we all know that. Being able to access bait in the winter on a Sunday morning at 5:00am is next to impossible. Edited November 4, 2015 by pap

[BSmaster]

I have always like to play with my bait -  It started when I was a kid.

 

Warm water and even in some cases ice cold water is detrimental.  I have used several set -ups and am currently building a new one out of an old bath tub.

 

What I suggest...

• PPG knowledge or population per gallon.  Many times I have had a banner bait gathering day only to lose them because there were too many in the bait pal.  Colder days you can have a higher number and summer days, the opposite.  quit while you are ahead - don't be greedy.
• Styrofoam works well and if the PPG is low enough requires no bubbling since the gases permeates the wall structure.  I use these for one type of bait exclusively that I will no longer place in the plastic cooler.
• Line the bottom of your storage container with clean gravel - this will act as a trap for all the waste.  in most cases you will only need to clean this a few times a year depending on how much you play with your bait.
• If you use plastic coolers (I do) use cheap aquarium aerorators with the stone bar.  the more splits you make the efficient it is.
• Check your bait often!  They will tell you how the situation is.  If you are losing a lot fast - then you have a problem that needs to be addressed quickly.  I find that when I lose more than a couple in a 12 hr stretch that it is a water problem.  I do not run the filtration system.  I just change the water.  I remove the bulk of it usually agitating my gravel to get the waste suspended  and refill with fresh water.
• remove your dead bait immediately...
• Feeding is typically not needed but I like to use shrimp fish food at Walmart.
• A couple relative large flat stones leaned against the side or off the bottom gives the bait a sense of security.
• Plastic bottles filled with water.  In the summer I freeze water and in the winter I fill them with hot tap water.  Do not put ice or hot water directly into the tub!  The plastic container is an excellent buffer.  It equilibrates at better rate fr the fish's health.
• It helps to have light control.  I like to make sure they do not see much light and also I think they get jumpy and this is bad for their health.
• I like to keep my bait storage solution separate from my bait transport and fish solution.  Yes you have to scoop.  I scoop mine and place into trolling buckets and place them in an aeriarated cooler the night before so all I have to do is grab them place them in a bucket of water with a lid (a small hole in the lid) and go.
• If you have a natural set-up available I suggest you make it coon/heron proof and utilize it.
• Know the bait collection and usage rules.  I buy certified bait often now because of the rules put in place just makes it more easy to abide by.  There is a certain pride that comes from getting your own and I agree with that.  Good fishing and happy master baiting.

Joe

[old man]

If you have a pool and it's covered you should have a fair amount of rain water in it. Keep your bait there and use your skimmer to take out as needed. No maintenance needed and most will still be alive in the spring.