I used to trap mud minnow when I was a kid and family had a house on Murrells Inlet. I’ve tried on occasion these last few years and it’s been hit/miss.
Now I’m living at Little River and it can get tough to even BUY bait on the North end.
Looking for some tips from you pros on catching my own more consistently. What type of bottom, what bait, how long to soak trap, etc. Appreciate any help.
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
I am by far no expert, but considering mud minnows are omnivorous they eat lots of different things. From what I have heard, crushing up ritz crackers or bread sometimes works.
“When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.” - Thomas Paine
If they are there in an enclosed spot, all its takes is some pieces of bread. If they are in a larger open area of water, the smellier the bait the better.
I’ve used open cans of cat food in the past and broken blue crabs. I’ve generally looked for a deeper hole back in a muddy creek on falling tide, dropped the trap and come back an hour later. Seemed to work fine years ago, but maybe my creek just happened to be a good one. The last few times I’ve tried it I’ve mainly caught junk. Thinking I must be missing something???
16’ High Tide Flats (Green) w/Yamaha 90
Wilderness Ride 135
Wilderness Tarpon 120
Your creek may be devoid of minnows. I always use a vienna sausage can or hot dog or something. Bread works but nothing like meat! Ill let mine soak from a tide cycle to 24 hours. Just depends on if itll be dry at low or not. I always fish mine from land, never boat. The best places are saltwater ditches or landlocked creeks, that go under roads. That have dry spots at low tide, so gamefish dont get up there. IF a creek goes under a road its generally a good spot. As long as entrance is under water its good to go. I always try to find some deeper hole, maybe just a few inches for added security. IF you dont catch minnows once, they aint there.
Pro Tip- use camo string from wallyworld as your line. My minnow pots seem to be easy prey to some thief! Now theyre alot harder to find!
14’ Skiff-“Redfish Reaper”
I agree with yakman. I usually put one in a small feeder creek thats just deep enough to hide it from thieves and bait it with a fish flavored cat food can with holes poked in the lid. No need to let them eat all the bait. I do the same thing with crawfish traps as well. Soak for 24 hours or at least a whole tide cycle.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Tiger, PM inbound.
Smash up a blue crab and drop the trap near an oyster bar or bank. If you can find a creek with a culvert in it, a pipe running under a road, put it there. An hour or so should tell you all you need to know about a spot. If you’ve got a dozen or so leave it there a couple more. If you don’t have but a few to none, go find a new spot. The absolute best spot is a tidal pool left behind when the tide runs out. Not a mud hole mind you, but a tidal pool with a good oyster bar that you can walk on…you need to be able to set and retrieve the trap!
Sol Mate
Mako 20B
225 Optimax
I have had a lot of success trapping mud minnows. I look for shallow creeks that have enough water at high and low tide so that the fish in the trap will survive. I usually leave two traps in the water under floating crab buoys. I leave them over night usually. I put two traps out with frozen shrimp in them but blue crab would definitely work too. I have had more success using types of meat rather than bread or crackers. Try to stick to things that would be found in the ocean. (Shrimp, crab, remains of fish after filleting)
~ Tight Lines
Exactly what bossdog1 said, a blue crab with one hole crushed in the top of it, set in a trap near an oyster bank. Just make sure the trap will stay submerged during low tide as well.
Find a gutter running under a road, there will be a deeper hole on the up tide end set your trap at 1/2 falling tide and pull at dead low, bait with old fish out of freezer or head and guts ! I have caught so many at on setting I dont think another one could have fit. I also catch some eels that are a bonus! Be carefull don’t let the DOT cut the grass, I lost my trap to the bushhog that grabed my rope once.
I used to do well with the cheapest raw hamburger, then started using the crushed crab. Both seem to work. However, seems everything I catch is small. I have also heard you should have your trap opening’s facing into the tide flow, like crab traps. Tight lines?
If you do find a good spot where no one goes use it over and over, like feeding deer, they will always come back/ stay in the area. The ditch buy my house has turned into a great spot from me consistently using it. Now when I pull up I can see a huge school every time right where I drop my trap, and it takes about 2 minutes to get 50-200 unless super high tide. I always dump the rest of my bait and fish carcasses there so these minnows are a mix of giants and normal minnows.
17ft Key west
I have pre baited my honey holes with some chum the day before. Purina dog chow is good to use. Those nasty red hot dogs diced raw work very well in the bait box.
Lasagna.
I always dump my fish carcasses in the minow ditch by my house. I’m cultivated Goliath minners
When I was a kid we used smoked herring…
Anything you’re gonna throw away. Or my wife’s cooking.
I use bread.They fill my trap up.
Stonoman
I’ve put a hand full of dog food in the trap and I don’t think one more minnow could have fit in it. Up in the marsh in a little feeder creek.