DIY Minnow Trap

[ibr3ak]

Not sure if this is a place for it, but here goes anyways.

We're planning to go fishing this weekend so I figured I'd make a minnow trap with crap I've got laying around the house.

Didn't have any metal rods I was originally planning to use for a frame so I used a 5gal square kitty litter bucket:

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh74/ibr3ak/IMAGE_081.jpg


Cut off the top and bottom to use the middle portion as a frame:

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh74/ibr3ak/IMAGE_085.jpg


Then cut out 4 openings on all 4 sides, 2 bigger ones to just use as a screen and 2 smaller for the traps:

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh74/ibr3ak/IMAGE_087.jpg


Used sharp scissors to poke a bunch of holes along every opening:

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh74/ibr3ak/IMAGE_089.jpg


Then cut out 4 pieces of vinyl screening for the top, bottom and 2 bigger openings. Also made 2 "pockets" out of a screening with 2 small holes on the ends for the smaller openings. Then I used a fishing line and a needle to saw all the vinyl screening to the frame itself, threading it through the holes I've poked out earlier (also applied a coat of black spray paint so it looks more uniform):

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh74/ibr3ak/IMAGE_093.jpg


Then cut out a line on top screening and sawn in a zipper so it's easier to get the fish out, and put on the handle from a bucket so there's something to tie a rope to if needed, and this is how it looks when done:

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh74/ibr3ak/IMAGE_095.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh74/ibr3ak/IMAGE_097.jpg

This is probably useless to most, but I've had nothing better to do :). Will post an update after its been "field tested" :D

[jaysen]

very kool! hitting canarsie pier?

[ibr3ak]

lol nah going to catskills.

[Reddog80p]

BK the Ghetto DIYer...It actually looks pretty cool LMAO

[ibr3ak]

lol thanks Red, the originally title was gonna say diy ghetto minnow trap :D

[247Plants]

Nice!

[duke33]

That is pretty darn cool! Good job.

[pavemike]

nicely done. what are you baiting the minnows with?

[ibr3ak]

Thanks, I'll probably make a small pocket and attach it inside to the top of the trap (like the one on commercial traps) and probably use worms as bait, I've also read that beef or chicken liver is great for trap bait.

[Bk828]

Ha so thats where the zipper from my jeans went..

hope it actually works..

[ibr3ak]

Made a bait pocket/bag to go inside the trap.

Used additional screening to make a small bag and some velcro, 2 large pieces to open and close the bag and 2 small ones to attach (detach) the bag to the top screening inside the trap:

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh74/ibr3ak/IMAGE_101.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh74/ibr3ak/IMAGE_099.jpg

[Bk828]

how about a rope so you can throw it deeper where the minnows are

[ibr3ak]

put on the handle from a bucket so there's something to tie a rope to if needed

and a hot pink rope at that, it's all fabulous and stuff.

[BoredAgain]

and a hot pink rope at that, it's all fabulous and stuff.
:grinyes:

[cam191919]

i always make stuff like that, just made one last week to catch blennys for my saltwater

[ibr3ak]

Cam that's cool, what do you bait them with?

[Notophthalmus]

Nice trap! I might have to try that; I've made snake and turtle funnel traps, but never smaller traps. RE: bait, it depends what you're after. If minnows (cyprinids) are your primary target, you can just put crumbled bread or even white styrofoam in the trap; they are visual rather than chemosensory feeders and will try to get to the floating bits they see. Smelly bait is better for madtoms and other catfish, and can also attract sunfish. Darters and sculpins are hard to bait for; they're as likely to wander into an unbaited trap as a baited one.

[ibr3ak]

Thanks Notophthalmus for the suggestions :), I'll be trying out bread, worms and maybe some chicken meat.

[cam191919]

i baited them with chicken, iv caught mantis shrimp, all sorts of snails and crabs, but no fish yet. im still experimenting with it tho

[jaysen]

i used tuna from a can to catch baby catfish, and sunfish. i usually wrapped it in a towel and left it overnight. baby largemouth bass, pickerel, and perch i caught with a cast net.

[Bk828]

can steal some dry food from the cat..

Jay arnt casting nets illegal on some lakes??

[ibr3ak]

Cool, I've got some cans of tuner around, thanks Jay.

[Dangerdoll]

hahaha, I love the pink string idea, LOL.... this looks like a pretty neat trap though and is simple to make.... good luck with it, I'm very curious to how much you're gonna get.

[FindingBlemo]

UGH! These are so annoying when you're going for Rainbow Trout, they always manage to sink my dry fly, or twitch the strike indicator on a nymph, annoying as hell, these little buggers, but I have to admit, they look pretty cool (when I can actually reel them up).

[Star_Rider]

UGH! These are so annoying when you're going for Rainbow Trout, they always manage to sink my dry fly, or twitch the strike indicator on a nymph, annoying as hell, these little buggers, but I have to admit, they look pretty cool (when I can actually reel them up).
huh???:huh:

[jaysen]

also a bit confused here.

[FasterShrimpo]

Got any pics of the trap in action???

[ibr3ak]

No action shots :), even if I did have any, there's nothing really to look at except water surface :D

We did catch a bunch of juvie sunfish last year, this year we didn't really go fishing at all, except once to the local beach for a few hours, caught a bunch of small crabs.

[Schneider]

huh???:huh:

He's talking about how the traps annoy him since he snags them while he is fishing.