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How to Make a Homemade Minnow Trap

How to Make a Homemade Minnow Trap
Minnows make great bait for catching larger fish. If you don't want to spend money on minnows at the bait shop, you can make your own trap out of common household materials. This homemade trap takes just a few minutes to make, and if you let it sit out overnight, you should catch plenty of minnows for bait the next day.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:
  • Two 2-liter plastic soda bottles Sharp scissors or shears Awl Twine
  • Two 2-liter plastic soda bottles
  • Sharp scissors or shears
  • Awl
  • Twine
Step 1
Cut the neck and shoulders off one soda bottle just below where the sides of the bottle straighten out. Remove and discard the cap from this bottle. Also discard the bottom portion of the bottle.
Step 2
Cut off and discard the bottom third of the second bottle. Leave the cap securely in place on this bottle.
Step 3
Insert the remaining neck and shoulders from the first bottle into the bottom of the second bottle so that the necks on both bottles point in the same direction. Line up the cut-off bottoms of each bottle so that they are flush; the first bottle should only protrude about halfway into the second one.
Step 4
Use an awl to pierce 10 or 12 holes through the bottom rims of both bottles.
Step 5
Thread twine through these holes and knot it to secure the edges of the two bottles together, flush.
Step 6
Punch more holes with the awl--two or three dozen--spread evenly around the sides of the larger, second bottle to let water flow in and out.
Step 7
Pour bread or cracker bits into the body of your trap through the open bottom funnel. A heavy sprinkling should be enough.
Step 8
Tie a length of twine tightly around the neck of the trap, beneath the bottle cap. Make sure the bottle cap is securely in place, then use the twine to anchor the trap to a dock, tree or large rock near the banks of a pond or lake.
Step 9
Submerge the trap fully and leave it for a day. Make sure to retrieve it the next day--it should be full of minnows.

Tips & Warnings

 
Don't store your minnows in the trap; instead, unscrew the bottle cap and pour them into your bait bucket. If you're having trouble piercing the awl through the sides of the plastic bottles, try heating it over a candle flame first.
 
Don't store your minnows in the trap; instead, unscrew the bottle cap and pour them into your bait bucket.
 
If you're having trouble piercing the awl through the sides of the plastic bottles, try heating it over a candle flame first.

Article Written By Marie Mulrooney

Marie Mulrooney has written professionally since 2001. Her diverse background includes numerous outdoor pursuits, personal training and linguistics. She studied mathematics and contributes regularly to various online publications. Mulrooney's print publication credits include national magazines, poetry awards and long-lived columns about local outdoor adventures.

Write for Trails.com

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