It is really quite fun and easy to build a minnow trap to use to catch your minnows anytime you wish, rather than having to go to the bait shop and buy minnows each time you want to fish. It is a good exercise to do with your little fishermen and fisherwomen as well. It is also a great rainy day activity and simple enough that you probably have all you will need just lying around your house.
All you will need is:
2 cola bottles (the plastic 3 liter kind work best, but you may use the 2 liter ones if you don't have a 3 liter)
1 large nail (approximately a 6 penny nail, but any large size will work)
Cotton string such as twine
*Adult supervision for your littler fishermen
You will also need some common household tools:
Heavy duty scissors
Vise grip pliers
regular pliers
Utility knife
a stable flame such as a gas burner or candle
Begin by cutting the bottom third of one bottle off, and discard it. Be sure to leave the cap on the part you are keeping. Cut off the neck and shoulders of the second bottle, about half an inch below where the bottle begins to straighten out. Discard the bottom and the bottle cap from that bottle. Get a large bowl of cold water ready, and have it nearby.
Also have your flame going and have all your materials nearby. Fit the uncapped bottle into the capped bottle so that it acts like a funnel.
Hold the two bottles together in one hand, while you hold the nail tip into the flames until it is very hot make holes in the bottle and the funnel in about a dozen places, and then put the nail into the cold water. Use the twine to sew it together, and fasten securely.
It seems to work best if you use a section of twine for each set of holes, and tie each individually rather than stitching the whole thing together. It is important that it be well fastened and secure, so that it does not come apart.
Reheat your nail and poke lots of holes in the bottle.To bait your trap, put pet food (dog or cat food works well) cracker, or bread crumbs through the funnel. Lower your trap into minnow rich waters such as a pond or lake, and leave it over night.
Be sure it is tied to something stable, so that it will not float away. The next morning, the minnows will have found their way into the trap, but will not have been able to find their way out, and you can just open the bottle cap, and pour the minnows into your minnow bucket.
Another way to create a minnow trap is to use screen such as wire window screen. This method is much less kid friendly, and should be reserved for fishermen old enough to complete it safely. For this minnow bucket, you will need:
