I never really use live bait anymore, but at some point in time want to get out and catch my own creek chubs and use them for bait. Any general info is welcome. I think I know of a secret creek where I can catch them, I’m just wondering what the best way to do so is, how tough they are to keep alive, and if they’ll work down at red wing or prescott. Thanks. I’m thinking of trying them this September or October.
I know @JetBoatDave catches a lot of his own chubbs. I have no clue what works for him though.. He must have a secret creek too because I’ve never been invited. 
: 
You’ve reminded me I need to do the same thing this year. I have a trap and I know many place by the cabin to get them. I found one recently where I can catch them on hook and line as fast as I can throw it in. Transport and storage is likely the biggest challenge.
Creek Chubs are interesting. They can live for hours or they can live for weeks. A large bait tank with a quality aerator is almost required to keep them for any significant amount of time. I’ve fed them tiny piece of crawler from time to time. They work great just about anywhere you use them!
Be mindful of the creek, stream or river you will be trapping or catching them in. You cannot harvest bait in designated trout streams, nor can you harvest bait in any infested waters with more than just Eurasian Milfoil. You also cannot import any live minnows from any other state.
If you plan on trapping them, there are also restrictions on trap overall size and also hole size. You must also tag all traps with your name and address. For bait in the traps, I use Velveeta cheese and mashed up crackers. I used to trap them a lot, but I haven’t done it in probably 5-6 years. To catch on a hook and line, use a small hook, splitshot and a tiny piece of crawler.
Productive Creek Chub areas are usually more safely guarded than an anglers first born child… 
Productive Creek Chub areas are usually more safely guarded than an anglers first born child…
I haven’t even told my father about by Chubb spots lol. I just run small chunks of crawlers. If they are there, you will find out quickly. Make sure you read and follow the dnr bait rules carefully! Plus you need to figure out if the water you take them from is designated as infested or a trout stream. You can not take minnows from either of these waters. Remember, you can not take water from a lake, stream, or river and transport it.
AND MAKE SURE YOU SECURE THE COVER ON WHATEVER YOU’RE USING FOR A BAIT TANK!!
AND MAKE SURE YOU SECURE THE COVER ON WHATEVER YOU’RE USING FOR A BAIT TANK!!
Specially if it’s in the living room on the carpet 
I have had good luck using cheap hot dogs as bait. I also have had someone help themselves to my catch. Good luck.
AND MAKE SURE YOU SECURE THE COVER ON WHATEVER YOU’RE USING FOR A BAIT TANK!!
Isn’t this the truth.
I get my bait from a new shop and told them to get me creek chubs last year. They got quite a few in.
I called to ask if they were ready and they told me to get them things out of their tanks! I asked why…. I showed up and 2 big ones decided to try and do the escape by jumping out of the tanks onto the shop floor.
I love using creek chubs but never have trapped or tried to catch my own. That’s happening this year though. I go through enough in the fall that catching my own, only makes sense.
I keep them in cold water in a big Engel cooler. with the aerator going. I can get a week plus out of them. Never kept them longer than that though.
Good advise from everyone. I use a #12 plain fly hook, a split shot, and a piece of crawler with the hook end exposed. I know some use a small jig. I’d also use skinny line. I use 4 lb. mono. Try not to handle them if you need to keep them for awhile. I grab the hook with a forceps and give it a little shake over the minnow bucket. Don’t store them with bullheads if you are a flathead guy. The bullheads will kill them.
I’ve caught them on inline spinners, but that’s for sport. Once you find them, they’re usually is an endless supply. You can catch them in very shallow pool and even shallower riffles if you find a good stream.
I have always got them on waxies and a tiny ice fishing jig.
Chubs used to be thick in our creeks but the last few years they seem to be gone. Most think its because all the chemicals that wash into the creeks from fields and ditches each year. I don’t know but creek chubs seem to be hard to come by.
I won’t respond. Good luck. People from DNR monitor sites like these. VHS laws.
Also I’m not a gun owner. 
How do you guys rig them up when you use them? I can probably fill up a small cooler with chubs from the creek on my land. I just pour some purina in a trap and check it a day or 2 later. The smaller ones I can drop shot them or hook them on a jig like a regular minnow but what about the ones that are 6 to 8 inches? Maybe a big egg sinker and 3 way in current but even then, the fish would really have to inhale it for any chance at a hook up.
Jerry’s bait in Mora sold them as “river bait”. When the water is hot, I found chubs more effective for pike. They stay alive better than suckers when the water is warm.
Guys when you say creek chubs are they the same thing as redtails or are they a totally different minnow?
Guys when you say creek chubs are they the same thing as redtails or are they a totally different minnow?
They are different. Creek chubs are more silver. Redtails have a redish tail and lateral stripe.
The creeks around my cabin have two main kinds of chubbs or whatever they are. One has stripes and one has silver scales. Both have wide heads. I imagine the shiny ones are best.
I’ve found them in drainage ditches in grass and a couple inches of water. That was the spring up around the coons lake area.
The smaller ones I can drop shot them or hook them on a jig like a regular minnow but what about the ones that are 6 to 8 inches?
For the real big ones, use a slightly larger hook through the mouth and a slip sinker. Once you feel anything resembling a fish, let it sit for a couple seconds before laying into them. Chubs are such a feisty minnow that if you feel the fish, he probably didn’t feel you past all the action of the minnow. I’ve torn big ones out of a fish’s mouth before by setting into them too soon.
The creeks around my cabin have two main kinds of chubbs or whatever they are. One has stripes and one has silver scales. Both have wide heads. I imagine the shiny ones are best.
You take the shiny ones, and dump the other ones off with me. Both work, but I prefer redtails on a chub bite.
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