Minnows have been dying in schools due to the environments they've had to endure while in fishermen's possession. What have you seen in the way of minnow buckets where the hoses won't fall of, the batteries are rechargeable and the fish will live through a long long warm day. Oh, did I mention, also needs to be affordable as It will rarely get used.
Years ago I only used styrofoam buckets and the minnows lasted quite long. I'm told that styrofoam infuses oxygen into the water. The key is to not over fill it.
I want to learn more and I hope you all will solve the issues listed above.
Grem you go first.....Grem? Yo Grem!
Who ever said I use minnows?!?
I have the flip style with floating tray which is nice but they don’t do great. I have the various bubbling buckets and if you throw the blue pellets in they last a long time.
I have the metal oval style I like a lot but it’s hit or miss on losing some.
Best thing I’ve found after murdering hundreds of thousands? Quality of fish, don’t mix shiners w fatheads most of the time, if you find a shop that keeps them in a pond those things will live forever.
Short term tricks like fridge, the little thick foam cup with press lids can hold 6 big fatheads with some of the blue chips/pellets. Local guy does it in vending machine. Place in Hazleton sells from a auto garage. He must not keep his as cool as others. He puts in sandwich machine on weekends in tiny bags and they live a long time. I keep 1/2 lbs of shiners or fatheads in a huge cooler with a bubbler and blue pellets.
Now on temp, down south i always put them in ice water. That hasn’t been very effective in PA. Not sure why but suspect the water gets a little to cold and then they get shocked. A little ice in aerated bucket does help but have to be careful.
If I’m gone a week or two I took my old fridge and drilled a hole in the side. I pass the airline through it and keep a cooler in there so large I have to pull it out to open it.
If just garage temp just change 3 gals of water every few days, scoop the few dead ones and they should last a few weeks or more. I have had them inexplicably die but it’ll happen multiple batches from one shop. Bait shops aren’t all equal. The place they don’t survive well is also the place that runs a lot of volume by a lake. You’d think they turn them faster but the little garage they are hardier. The guy with pond full is out past Tuscarora and a long drive.
So I like the bait up container but they don’t last long in there and need constant fresh water changes. The Tin can is another favorite but they splash onto your clothes. I keep meaning to cut a foam insert for that one. The longest lasting for all day is the bubbling buckets but,,,,, but,,,, put a much larger cooler in your vehicle if multistopping and dump any left in bucket back in cooler.
Oxygen and keeping their metabolism low enough to minimize water degradation is key. I never repeat never feed them. Even if I have them a month and I do often.
