# Crappie Minnows



## Donut slayer (Jan 16, 2009)

Ok guys, I havent had any luck in my 51 years on this earth at keeping minnows alive for more than 10 minutes after purchase. Tried a styrofoam cooler with a aerator, no dice. Tried using a frabil flow troll bucket, no dice. Even was told to use a minnow net to not stick your hand in their water. No luck. How do yall do it? I'm itching to go crappie fishing, dosent seem like its gonna get cold this year to hunt.


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## Yellow River Cat (May 3, 2008)

I use an umbrella net to catch crappie minnows and keep them in an old styrofoam cooler filled with water from the river where I caught them. I use a minnow net to get them out to bait my hook, never had them die on me. I’ve bought them when I was fishing Point A Lake and left them in the water they came in without issue.
Good luck finding out why they are dying on you


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

I'd make sure I used the same water from the shop I bought them. Also make sure your cooler has been seasoned with some fresh non-city water. I think most plastics leak chemicals for a bit. Also there's some blue stuff our bait shop uses that seems to calm the minners a bit. It may be minnow meth. I don't know.

The bubbler is all I've used. Also if it's a hot day put some ice in a zip lock in the cooler also. Don't just toss ice in there.


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Perhaps put fewer minnows to the bucket. I really never had much trouble keeping them alive. 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

1. Keep cool - you can combat warmer weather with frozen water bottles and daily water changes
2. Aerator - get you a cheap 12v aerator from walmart in the aquarium section. That'll save you batteries for your battery powered aerator. 
3. G-Juice - it's the blue stuff that's a necessary adjuvant to all water with chlorine. It's basically like a cure all. It helps the water retain oxygen, reduce stress, the whole 9 yards.

I keep my minnows in an Engel Minnow cooler. Warmer days will always be your worst.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Just like Skiff said.

I’m a big fan of the Engel cooler.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

I dumped about 30 in my pond out front and they are still kicking...my mud cat hasn't ate em yet! We ain't never had an issue keeping em alive. We just use a minner bucket with and airator. never dump the water and use a minner net!


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

I don't have the Engel Minnow cooler but I set up a 70 gt igloo with a power bubbler . Set up where I can drain and pump in fresh water.


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## CurDog (Nov 14, 2010)

I use a d-cell aerator in a 5-gallon bucket, it's round and the minnows go around in circles, not beating their heads against the walls of square coolers. Use a small hand net to catch them up.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Main thing is water temp and not crowding them. I always ask what the water temp is when i buy them. I get them in a plastic bag and transfer them to my homemade cooler at the cabin. I add the chlorine killer and enough ice to drop the temp to the store temp. I use my thermopen from my grill to measure temp.....(explains why my steaks taste fishy?) I have a 50 gallon aquarium pump. I can keep them a month + in the winter. About 4 days max in the summer. 
Best advice is to learn to use jigs


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## Sublight (Mar 31, 2013)

Don't mix water from the shop with river water quickly.
Fish will go into shock for 2 reasons.
Temperature
PH


That's why when you add minnows to your aquarium in your home, you put the bag from the petshop in the water and wait 15 minutes. (Slow temperature equalization)
Wait 10 minutes, then you add some of your water to their water. This changes the PH slowly.
Wait 10 minutes, add more water.
Wait 10 minutes add them to your water.


If you are pouring the minnows into your live well, or into a cooler with river/pond water then you may be killing them due to temperature changes, or ph changes. 
Change water SLOWLY.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I bought 4 dozen shiners and 5 dozen minnows on Thursday and kept them until today in my Engel cooler with a bubble pump. Changed a gallon of the water each night. Very few died.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

air air and more air plus cool water.


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## Donut slayer (Jan 16, 2009)

Thanks guys for all the help. I'm gonna keep trying and try to make them work.


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