If you like to fish with minnows or if you're teaching kids to fish, consider buying a minnow seine so you can catch your own bait. Catching minnows adds to the fun of fishing, and it supplies you with a large amount of live bait for a day on the water. Here's a look at buying and using a minnow seine net.
Choose The Right Size
You can buy a net made just for catching minnows. The net lets water drain, but the mesh is small enough that minnows can't escape. You can buy these nets made in different lengths. It's easier to use a net with two people, so buying a large net could be a good idea and could increase your chances of a good catch.
If you plan to catch the minnows by yourself, then choose a small net you can operate all alone. Just be sure to buy a net with floats, sinkers, and poles or pole loops so you can add your own poles or sticks to work the net.
You can buy minnow nets in different colors. Green might blend in and make the net invisible to minnows, but it will also be difficult for you to see. A white net is easier for you to find underwater.
Wade In Shallow Water To Look For Minnows
Minnows are usually easy to find in shallow water. You'll see schools of them darting back and forth as you walk through the water. When you find a suitable spot, throw the net so it sinks to the bottom. The sinkers take the net to the bottom while the floats keep one side of the net floating on top.
Scoop Up Minnows
If your kids are with you, let them chase a school of minnows into the net. If you're alone, wait for a school to swim into the net and then scoop up your catch by pulling the sides of the net out of the water with the poles. Transfer the minnows to a bucket of water to have plenty of fresh, live bait for your morning of fishing.
The good thing about fishing with a minnow seine is that you always have a source of free bait nearby and never have to quit just because you run out of bait. Your kids may enjoy chasing minnows around with a small net, but when you want to catch a lot of bait, buy a seine that's several feet long so you can scoop out dozens of minnows at a time.
To learn more, contact a supplier that has minnow seine nets.