Sunfish tank

[Arthur12]

I have kept grown Bullheads and watched one eat a 10" Bass (I was ticked). Dollar and Orangespots would be a mere snack.

Pros to collecting- More likely to get an interesting species (hybrid sunfish) or color morph.

Cons to collecting- State regs, disease and transporting them home.

I lean towards collecting, Sunnies are thick in my parts with no size or bag limit regulations and I have a portable live well that I put in truck bed.

And don't forget about a minnow trap for collecting.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

I have kept grown Bullheads and watched one eat a 10" Bass (I was ticked). Dollar and Orangespots would be a mere snack.

Pros to collecting- More likely to get an interesting species (hybrid sunfish) or color morph.

Cons to collecting- State regs, disease and transporting them home.

I lean towards collecting, Sunnies are thick in my parts with no size or bag limit regulations and I have a portable live well that I put in truck bed.

And don't forget about a minnow trap for collecting.

Arthur12 do you prefer to buy or make your own minnow traps?

I've had a lot more success with homemade clear soda or water bottle traps than the wire type traps

 

[PYRU]

I have kept grown Bullheads and watched one eat a 10" Bass (I was ticked). Dollar and Orangespots would be a mere snack.

Pros to collecting- More likely to get an interesting species (hybrid sunfish) or color morph.

Cons to collecting- State regs, disease and transporting them home.

I lean towards collecting, Sunnies are thick in my parts with no size or bag limit regulations and I have a portable live well that I put in truck bed.

And don't forget about a minnow trap for collecting.

Well that does it for the bullhead.

Suns are the same here. Anything I catch is going to be quarantined and treated.

I haven't thought about a minnow trap.

 

[PYRU]

Its illegal to catch gamefish in traps here, but you can use it for minnows. I can use it to test the waters though without violating the law.

They're so easy to catch on a rod I'm not sweating it.

 

[Arthur12]

Viper- I have been using a Gee's minnow trap. What brand do you use

Plenty of non game fish out there that might make their way into a trap that turn out to be outstanding fish in an aquarium.

Worth noting, Bass are shaped (elongated) in a way that is easier for them to be swallowed than sunfish.

 

[PYRU]

Yeah I'm just going to test the waters with a minnow trap soon as the weather clears up.

Bread and cheap dry dog food

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Yeah I'm just going to test the waters with a minnow trap soon as the weather clears up.

Bread and cheap dry dog food

I don't even bait mine, just put them in areas I think fish will be, I do sometimes put food in front of the trap.

Viper- I have been using a Gee's minnow trap. What brand do you use

Plenty of non game fish out there that might make their way into a trap that turn out to be outstanding fish in an aquarium.

Worth noting, Bass are shaped (elongated) in a way that is easier for them to be swallowed than sunfish.

Believe I tried a frabill minnow trap, but it wasn't catching as much as the homemade ones, turns out the fish were simply swimming back out.

P PYRU there are many other fish besides sunfish that can go in your tank, for example lake chubsuckers

 

[PYRU]

I don't even bait mine, just put them in areas I think fish will be, I do sometimes put food in front of the trap.

Believe I tried a frabill minnow trap, but it wasn't catching as much as the homemade ones, turns out the fish were simply swimming back out.

P PYRU there are many other fish besides sunfish that can go in your tank, for example lake chubsuckers

Oh I know I just like sunfish and think it'll be a great display. The more I look at the suckers they can be tough. They have small stomachs and constantly graze. I'm just going to through stuff in and see what pans out tbh

 

[Arthur12]

Viper- would you mind sharing the steps for your homemade trap?

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Sure it isn't hard:
Take a empty soda or water bottle and cut off the top, stick a stone or two in the bigger portion of the bottle to weigh it down, now stick the top half (upside down ) in the other half, this creates a funnel that fishcan enter but have trouble getting out of