Hi Italo, Merry Christmas to you and yours! I want to catch my own minnows to use as bait and was wondering what the best option is as far as minnow nets go. Are cast nets like the ones they use in Florida legal in Ontario? If so would you recommend those or have you used a style that works better? Thanks
Posted on December 28th, 2015Thank you for your kind wishes. We wish you an excellent 2016! Cast nest are not legal to use on Ontario. You can use a fine mesh dip-net with a diameter of up to 6′. Many angler use the same spreader arms as for a smelt net, but use a finer mesh for the baitfish. If the baitfish are large enough, you can use a smelt net.
Most anglers use a 4’x4′ minnow net. I find that they sink a little slow so I add a 1/2 oz. weight to each corner. Using soft cat food that comes in a can or even small pieces of crumpled up bread works well as a chum to attract them over the net.
