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Stickleback minnows for bait? #6852186
04/23/20 09:33 AM
04/23/20 09:33 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,301
Waterville Minnesota
M
mudtracker Offline OP
trapper
mudtracker  Offline OP
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,301
Waterville Minnesota
Trying to trap minnows for bait and getting at least 10 sticklebacks for every regular minnow. Always been told they arent good for fishing bait but have never tried using them. They sure are active little wriggly minnows, am wondering if I should just use them? Crappie fishing right now.


WHO MADE THIS MESS ALL OVER MY FLOOR THE MUDTRACKER WAS HERE HE HE HE
Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852189
04/23/20 09:36 AM
04/23/20 09:36 AM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,963
Central Ontario, Canada
C
Crit-R-Dun Offline
trapper
Crit-R-Dun  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,963
Central Ontario, Canada
Wives' tale. They're very good bait.

Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852190
04/23/20 09:36 AM
04/23/20 09:36 AM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 28,978
potter co. p.a.
P
pcr2 Offline
"Twerker"
pcr2  Offline
"Twerker"
P

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 28,978
potter co. p.a.
try em.seem like they'd be tough on the roof of your mouth.









Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852191
04/23/20 09:36 AM
04/23/20 09:36 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 17,784
MN
1
160user Offline
trapper
160user  Offline
trapper
1

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 17,784
MN
Give them to your fishing partner and keep the chubs for yourself. IMO, nothing will eat a stickleback except mergansers.


I have nothing clever to put here.





Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: 160user] #6852197
04/23/20 09:38 AM
04/23/20 09:38 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
Originally Posted by 160user
Give them to your fishing partner and keep the chubs for yourself. IMO, nothing will eat a stickleback except mergansers.

I believe this too


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852202
04/23/20 09:41 AM
04/23/20 09:41 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,153
Alaska and Washington State
W
waggler Offline
trapper
waggler  Offline
trapper
W

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,153
Alaska and Washington State
I've used sticklebacks for pike, seemed to work good, but maybe the pike were hungry??


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: waggler] #6852204
04/23/20 09:42 AM
04/23/20 09:42 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 17,784
MN
1
160user Offline
trapper
160user  Offline
trapper
1

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 17,784
MN
Originally Posted by waggler
I've used sticklebacks for pike, seemed to work good, but maybe the pike were hungry??


Snot rockets will eat ANYTHING! I believe MNMAN even caught one on a rock if I remember correctly.


I have nothing clever to put here.





Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852265
04/23/20 10:52 AM
04/23/20 10:52 AM
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 480
St lawrence county, ny
E
Eyehi Offline
trapper
Eyehi  Offline
trapper
E

Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 480
St lawrence county, ny
We used sticklebacks for crappie bait all the time .... That's what was in the water and that's what they wanted .... They are a very tough minnow and multiple fish can be caught with one minnow ...

Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852276
04/23/20 11:19 AM
04/23/20 11:19 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 7,954
On Georgian Bay, Ontario Canad...
H
Hutchy Offline
trapper
Hutchy  Offline
trapper
H

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 7,954
On Georgian Bay, Ontario Canad...
I have found a huge difference using them ice fishing compared to bait minnors. Perch seemed to not bite at all on them.

Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: 160user] #6852365
04/23/20 12:37 PM
04/23/20 12:37 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,879
Central MN, sort of old
MnMan Offline
trapper
MnMan  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,879
Central MN, sort of old
Originally Posted by 160user
Originally Posted by waggler
I've used sticklebacks for pike, seemed to work good, but maybe the pike were hungry??


Snot rockets will eat ANYTHING! I believe MNMAN even caught one on a rock if I remember correctly.


That is correct.
[Linked Image]

I have not used the sticklebacks much since I always thought they were inferior. My experience has more or less convinced me anyway. I have, however, heard of others having good luck with them. I won't use them if I think there is even a one percent chance that the fish down there won't eat it unless they are the last minnows left in the bucket. They might work great for you...only one way to find out.


I'm just happy to be here! Today I'm as young as I'll ever be and and older than I've ever been before!
Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852379
04/23/20 12:51 PM
04/23/20 12:51 PM
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 1,354
Saskatchewan
R
rvsask Offline
trapper
rvsask  Offline
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R

Joined: May 2019
Posts: 1,354
Saskatchewan
Big yellow perch are not afraid to gobble up sticklebacks.

Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852453
04/23/20 02:14 PM
04/23/20 02:14 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,515
Nebraska
Trapset Offline
trapper
Trapset  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,515
Nebraska
I have caught lots of Walleye on them. You can usually reuse the same one over and over, they really stay on the hook.

Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852726
04/23/20 06:33 PM
04/23/20 06:33 PM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,520
Champaign County, Ohio.
K
KeithC Offline
trapper
KeithC  Offline
trapper
K

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,520
Champaign County, Ohio.
I have used sticklebacks. I don't think they are as good as dace, fathead minnows, chubs, shiners, small sunfish or stone rollers.

Keith

Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852736
04/23/20 06:43 PM
04/23/20 06:43 PM
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,575
N. Carolina
S
Scout1 Offline
trapper
Scout1  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,575
N. Carolina
I don't know if we have them here. But I've been fooling with my trap catching chubs. Could one build a small cage and leave in the creek to store them until you went fishing? What's the best thing to bait traps or feed caught chubs?


-------------------------------------
DJT & MTG in 2024!
Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: Scout1] #6852848
04/23/20 08:13 PM
04/23/20 08:13 PM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 447
Kiel,Wisconsin
H
Hatchetman Offline
trapper
Hatchetman  Offline
trapper
H

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 447
Kiel,Wisconsin
For those of you using them for pike, how big are your sticklebacks?
The ones in the cricks around here top out at a measly 1 -1/2" long only.

Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: Eyehi] #6852900
04/23/20 08:48 PM
04/23/20 08:48 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,975
Wisconsin
8117 Steve R Offline
trapper
8117 Steve R  Offline
trapper

Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,975
Wisconsin
Originally Posted by Eyehi
We used sticklebacks for crappie bait all the time .... That's what was in the water and that's what they wanted .... They are a very tough minnow and multiple fish can be caught with one minnow ...


I too have caught crappies with them. I always left them for last in the bucket but after the fatheads and other smooth minnows are gone they catch fish too.


Steve
WTA
NRA
Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852937
04/23/20 09:19 PM
04/23/20 09:19 PM
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 146
West Central Mn
S
Snare loop Offline
trapper
Snare loop  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 146
West Central Mn
I think if you read the rule book in Minnesota you will find that Sticklebacks can not be used for bait. Why I do not know.

Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: Snare loop] #6852964
04/23/20 09:52 PM
04/23/20 09:52 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,379
Coeur d' Alene, Idaho
J
James Offline
"Minka"
James  Offline
"Minka"
J

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,379
Coeur d' Alene, Idaho
Originally Posted by Snare loop
I think if you read the rule book in Minnesota you will find that Sticklebacks can not be used for bait. Why I do not know.


Maybe your F&G department is afraid sticklebacks will spread to new lakes, if used as bait.

Here in AK, you can't use ANY minnows for bait. F&G is very concerned about keeping keeping our rivers and lakes pristine. This is good and bad.

About ten years ago, F&G found out someone had stocked perch (a non-indigenous species) in a land-locked, otherwise fishless lake on the Kenai Peninsul. People were enjoying catching and eating the perch. But F&G poisoned the lake to kill every last fish.

Jim


Forum Infidel since 2001

"And that troll bs is something triggered snowflakes say when they dont like what someone posts." - Boco
Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852980
04/23/20 10:06 PM
04/23/20 10:06 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,116
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Offline
trapper
Northof50  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,116
Manitoba
A large part of the diet of sticklebacks can be Purple loosestrife seeds and the seeds are spread to new water bodies

Re: Stickleback minnows for bait? [Re: mudtracker] #6852986
04/23/20 10:09 PM
04/23/20 10:09 PM
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 601
ontario, canada
O
old243 Offline
trapper
old243  Offline
trapper
O

Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 601
ontario, canada
If you want an easy way to store your minnows. Get a 5 gallon pail . bore a whole bunch of holes in it . Smaller than what your minnows are. Don't put holes in the last several inches at the bottom or in the bottom, this leaves some water in the pail while you are dippin.. put the lid on securely. Tether it to a dock or limb with the top just above water. They will keep a few days, this way. old243

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