Frozen Minnows

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slabdaddy
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2012/08/31 08:43:50 (permalink)

Frozen Minnows

As expensive as shiners and minnows can be, I hate to throw away the bait that I don't use. I set up a cooler with a filter and an aerator and have had success keeping fatheads alive for weeks, but emeralds are a different story. Anyway, lately I've started freezing my leftover minnows.
 
I put them in a ziplock bag with water (alive and dead) and throw them in the freezer. I've noticed that neither perch nor steelies seem to care if the bait is alive or dead. This seems like  a fairly cost effective way to deal with the bait problem. My question is this: Has anyone else done this and had success? I haven't used any of my frozen bait yet, but I would assume that letting them thaw out for immediate use would be perfectly ok. Any thoughts?
#1

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    Pork
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    Re:Frozen Minnows 2012/08/31 08:54:41 (permalink)
    It'll work, but will also be a slimy mess when they thaw...
    I salt them & lay em out on a sheet of plastic (garbage bag) in the sun til they start to dry up some,
    (not like raisins, just enough to dry the slime)
    then freeze em in the ziplock w/o water.

    "If you ever get hit with a bucket of fish, be sure to close your eyes." ><)))*>
    #2
    slabdaddy
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    Re:Frozen Minnows 2012/08/31 09:06:43 (permalink)
    Cool. Guess I should have asked a while ago! LOL! Now I have about 15 dozen that will be a slimy mess! Sounds like a good idea Pork. Thanks. What do you use your frozen minnows for? Perch & Steel, or other fish as well?
    post edited by slabdaddy - 2012/08/31 09:11:47

    “If you're in trouble, or hurt or in need - go to the poor people. They're the only ones that'll help - the only ones.”
    ― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
    #3
    Pork
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    Re:Frozen Minnows 2012/08/31 09:18:13 (permalink)
    I just freeze my left over emeralds for erie perch.
    I use fatheadz inland & just buy em fresh.
    I will also freeze large chubz & suckerz for ice pike.

    "If you ever get hit with a bucket of fish, be sure to close your eyes." ><)))*>
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    slabdaddy
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    Re:Frozen Minnows 2012/08/31 09:22:32 (permalink)
    Cool. I've never caught an ice pike. Had no ice last year. Hopefully this year is better.
    Any way to save money helps. I have crawlers that I caught from my yard 4 months ago. LOL.

    “If you're in trouble, or hurt or in need - go to the poor people. They're the only ones that'll help - the only ones.”
    ― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
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    Fisherlady2
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    Re:Frozen Minnows 2012/08/31 12:39:17 (permalink)
    slabdaddy....
    check your regs before using frozen minnows from Erie on inland lakes.
    I think because of potential disease (VHS I think, but could be wrong on initials) that use of any fish caught from Erie watershed is illegal to use elsewhere unless it is certified as disease free.
     If it was certified disease free then keep receipt from when you got it to show any fish cops if they ask where it came from. 
     We freeze ours from Erie area all the time, but we use it on Erie again, and for inland waters we buy local to avoid any hassle.  I honestly haven't looked at the regs about it recently, so don't know if they changed... but still worth the look.
     
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    slabdaddy
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    Re:Frozen Minnows 2012/08/31 12:46:12 (permalink)
    Thanks for the heads-up!
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    Fisherlady2
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    Re:Frozen Minnows 2012/08/31 12:56:37 (permalink)
    Found this under the 'Lake Erie watershed' section of the regs... not under the bait section
    Transportation of VHS-Susceptible Fish
    Out of the Lake Erie Watershed
     
    An infectious fish disease, caused by a variant of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHS), has caused fish mortalities in the Great Lakes. The initial list of fish species that are susceptible to VHS includes black crappie, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, brown bullhead, brown trout, burbot, channel catfish, chinook salmon, coho salmon, emerald shiner, freshwater drum, gizzard shad, herring, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pink salmon, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout, redhorse sucker, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, white perch, whitefish and yellow perch.
    It is unlawful to transport or cause the transportation of VHS-susceptible species of fish out of the portion of the Lake Erie Watershed in this Commonwealth into other watersheds of this Commonwealth except when certain conditions are met. It is illegal to use VHS-susceptible fish species, fish parts and eggs taken from the Lake Erie Watershed as fishbait in Commonwealth waters outside the Lake Erie Watershed except when the fish are certified as VHS-negative. It is legal to transport dead recreationally caught fish out of the Lake Erie Watershed solely for the purpose of human consumption.
    Because of diseases and invasive species, the Commission recommends as a good conservation practice that anglers not transport any live fish out of the Lake Erie Watershed and introduce those fish into other watersheds. For more information on invasive species, please see “Stop Aquatic Nuisance Species.” For more information on VHS, please contact the Commission’s Northwest Regional Office or visit our VHS information page.
     
    Edit to add... link to page I found this on....
    http://fishinpa.com/lakeerie.html
    post edited by Fisherlady2 - 2012/08/31 12:58:04
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    Porktown
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    Re:Frozen Minnows 2012/08/31 13:11:27 (permalink)
    Do a search online for curing and freezing.  I've tried it and works pretty well to at least keep them pretty solid.  I can't say the success is as good as the live for me, but haven't tried fatheads or emeralds and only tried once.  Basically cover with salt generously and put in fridge for a day, then take out of the salt, and toss in a bag and vacuum seal (I just use the ziplock bag in a bowl of water trick to "vacuum").  Depending what you are freezing, freeze in usable sizes (I've only tried with larger baits - 1/2 doz. in a bag).  Toss in freezer.  When thawing, put in the fridge a day prior to use.  Always helps if you use a garage "beer fridge" rather than the kitchen fridge to keep the Mrs. happy...  They come out pretty solid, with almost a jarred salmon egg smell.  I'm betting the cures that folks use for steelhead eggs would work too.
    FYI - My "basically" comment was just from memory.  Do a search online for specific instructions.  I do remember it being pretty easy though.
    post edited by Porktown - 2012/08/31 13:14:19
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    slabdaddy
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    Re:Frozen Minnows 2012/08/31 13:15:44 (permalink)
    That doesn't sound too difficult. I think I'll give it a try.
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