Ice fishing season for me.

[fatboy8]

WOW, I wish WE had bait stores that had suckers for sale...........



.......I wish our LBS sold more baitfish than Bass/Pike shiners and fathead/rosies


Do you have any IDEA how much time I spend catching baitfish when I go Flathead/Pike/Musky/Striper fishing?

Sport fishin outlet in East Norriton has a ton of live bait even suckers. Sounds like you're looking at the wrong places

 

[MN_Rebel]

Sport fishin outlet in East Norriton has a ton of live bait even suckers. Sounds like you're looking at the wrong places

Local bait store is like local fish store, the best ones are often too far. My best LBS is 20 minutes drive but they have amazing bait selection. Fatheads, golden shiners, suckers, redtail chubs, shiners, rainbows (daces), spottails, mudminnows, sticklebacks, bullheads, willowcats(madtoms), red rosies, grass shrimp and leeches. Some huge leeches too for bass, catfish and musky fishing. You can buy a scoop of sticklebacks or mudminnows for $1 if the perch/pike action is super hot.

 

[spotfin]

Local bait store is like local fish store, the best ones are often too far. My best LBS is 20 minutes drive but they have amazing bait selection. Fatheads, golden shiners, suckers, redtail chubs, shiners, rainbows (daces), spottails, mudminnows, sticklebacks, bullheads, willowcats(madtoms), red rosies, grass shrimp and leeches. Some huge leeches too for bass, catfish and musky fishing. You can buy a scoop of sticklebacks or mudminnows for $1 if the perch/pike action is super hot.

Ever keep any of the madtoms in a tank?
We can't use spiney rayed fish for bait.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Yup, I kept few nice tadpole madtoms for aquarium. Great walleye bait.

 

[divemaster99]

NOTHING works as good as creek chubs and suckers. I'd rather Pike shiners than sunfish. Just my preference, wider variety of targets, less spines on the baitfish.....easy to swallow most importantly

Must just depend on where you're fishing. I know up on Erie, if you're yellow perch fishing off the peninsula and try to use golden shiners, you'll be lucky to get a couple fish. If you're using emerald shiners, you can expect 30 fish per person easily in a few hours in the morning. There's a few exceptions, of course. Flatheads really aren't that picky at all as long as it's big and moving, even LMBs and Walleye for them!