Traps for bait ...

[Adam247]

Hi guys been thinking of doing a spot if perch fishing at a few lakes and canal near me that I have found and know they have a large amount of minnows and mini species. If I was to use a home made bottleneck trap for the minnows as bait would it cause any issues with EA officers if they where to do a patrol? As I have seen a few other lads my way doing it with great success for large specimens yet they pack up as soon as a patrol is on the way cheers

[Kappa]

Maybe they don't have rod licences and that's why the leg it?

[Adam247]

Could be u guess but I see then taking their traps out to , could they be using illegal traps of some sort ? As I know for crayfish they need to have a licence for that

[Ken L]

You've seen the EA doing patrols ?

Take photo's. We want to see the evidence.

There are people on here who haven't seen one in ten years (me included) and thought they'd gone extinct.

 

As to catching small fish for bait, a 4m whip, a pole rig awith a size 24 hook ans a handful od squats or pinkies wuill see you right.

[Adam247]

Next time I go I'll take pic with them ! Lol first I have seen any at all. I'll keep you updated - in terms of squats and pinkies can't get hold of any as tackle shop can't get any till next week

[cannibalspinners]

Adam , get the waders on & jump in with a large small mesh landing net & scoop & chase them towards the bank

you are sure to get plenty, It will only take a few seconds , Do it when nobody is looking if your worried

[chesters1]

Isnt a bottle trap a fixed engine thus illegal?

[gozzer]

On the lakes, I'd check if live baiting was allowed before doing it Adam. Chances are that if it isn't allowed, then neither will trapping.

On the canal, it depends on who runs it. It should be ok to live bait and trap, and a minnow trap will catch you plenty, but it's better to check the rules first.

As to not having any squats or pinkies, just hook a maggot on, then cut it in half. You'll get more minnows on that than a whole squat or pinkie.

If you do use minnows as live bait, then use about a size 10, thread a few maggots on the hook first, making sure you burst them, then a couple of minnows. The burst maggot will attract other minnows, which in turn should attract the perch. The free ones will swim off, leaving the hooked ones to be taken by the perch.

 

John.

Edited September 30, 2013 by gozzer

[azrael]

if minnows are present in numbers it should be easy enought to catch enough bait quickly using the tactics gozzer provided

 

avoiding minnows is a huge problem never heard of a problem about not catching them unless they are not there