It is getting harder and harder to get emerald shiners when the perch fishing is hot on Lake Erie. The perch are starting to school up now and more and more bait stores are selling golden shiners or another variety. Unfortunately, thes just don’t seem to have the same success as emerald shiners for attracting the yellow perch. As the weather and waters cool, the emerald shiners start coming into the rivers and marinas which is a great opportunity to net your own and stock up. There are many different techniques for freezing the minnows and I have my own recipe which seems to be popular with Craig Lewis’s customers at Erie Outfitters in Sheffield Lake.
When the minnows come in, you can fill a cooler in a few hours. You better have a bait dealer’s permit if you plan on having more than 500 in your possession, though. You can purchase one for $40 through the Ohio Division of Wildlife. It’s actually quite challenging and fun especially when you aren’t sure the emerald shiners are going to be around when you start looking in your spots. When you hit the mother-load it is awesome! I especially love it when one of the grandkids is with me. This was how early Noah started minnowing. He turned 17 yesterday. Happy birthday, buddy!