Originally Posted By: snrub
Stickem, you might want to invest in a couple of the minnow traps like in the thread linked below. The metal ones work best for me.

Small GSF will readily go into a minnow trap baited with fish food or dog food (the large dog food pellets work good because they are small enough to drop into the end opening but large enough so they don't fall out the trap mesh).

BG will also go in, but the GSF seem to really be attracted to the feed more than the BG, so if you have small GSF around, you will find them in the minnow traps. They will even eat the smaller minnows while in the trap (have saw minnow tails hanging out the GSF mouth with the minnow being 3/4 the length of the GSF).

Minnow trap thread

Edit: don't put the trap in very deep water. Close to the shore and the top only covered by a few inches of water. I don't catch nearly as many minnows or GSF if I set the trap too deep or too far from shore. Check it anywhere from a half hour to an hour after setting it for the most trapped. But I often just check them the next day and that works too. But some fish may have wondered back out. Throw it out slightly deeper than you want, and pull it back in with a rope so that it ends up parallel with the shore line.


Funny, you mentioned traps. I actually caught these fish in a floating turtle trap that I had built and set out to thin out my turtle population. The trap is tied to one of the feeders legs in the shallow end. The fish managed to get in the trap in pursuit of pellets, but for some reason can't manage their way out.


...when in doubt...set the hook...