Last night i realized that i have left a few mud minnows in my bait tank. They have been there sense Thanksgiving. While i was reaching for the plug to drain them into the lake, i noticed that all of them were still alive… How is that posible? They have basicly been in a bait tank for 3 months with no aeration. 
1982 MITCHEL CC 18’ FOR SALE http://greenville.craigslist.org/boa/3560767324.html
1971 NEWPORT DAYSAILER 21’
1970 MAKO CC 22’
Breed them and you will have a variety of super minnows. You could make a fortune selling them.
hard to kill mud minnows. ha ha
1982 MITCHEL CC 18’ FOR SALE http://greenville.craigslist.org/boa/3560767324.html
1971 NEWPORT DAYSAILER 21’
1970 MAKO CC 22’
Yeah, I had one cut in half by a bluefish or small shark that lived for at least two hours afterwards. Those things are tough!!
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
I have a buddy who swears you can roll them up in wet newspaper and freeze them and they’ll thaw out a month later and be fine. He says his granddad and dad taught this trick to him. I’ve never tried it myself.
I always put them in my garage refrigerator in a bucket if I have any left over, and they last at least a week in there with no light or aeration.
The cold slows down their metabolism and they don’t need as much food or air.
Three months in a bait tank sounds pretty extreme. Amazing story. I won’t be so quick to toss mine from now on. I always thought keeping them for a week was pushing it!
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19105-zoologger-the-toughest-fish-on-earth-and-in-space.html
Informative write up on the ubiquitous mudminnow.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
They can breathe air, so don’t need aeration, or really even need water. As long as they are cool and damp they will live a long time. You can keep them for days in a cooler with a frozen water bottle and wet newspaper, or even better is wet moss. If you keep them more than a few weeks you have to feed them, but they will eat each other as necessary also.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
Small craft surveying and repair
I have kept them for up to six weeks at this time of year in the live well. Key is a lot of water and do not crowd them. Take out the dead ones and you are good.
big dog
cool write up. I never knew my bait was so tuff.
1982 MITCHEL CC 18’ FOR SALE http://greenville.craigslist.org/boa/3560767324.html
1971 NEWPORT DAYSAILER 21’
1970 MAKO CC 22’