Creek Chubs

[FishReaper]

I told Vollmer Id share my Creek chub set up. Heres what I got to catch and keep these baitfish. Creek chubs grow up to over 8 inches in length and are fairly easy to catch once you know what your looking for. I fish creeks in the Minot area for mine but Im sure creeks leading to most larger bodies of water hold these lil guys. I tend to target pools right after rapids in creeks. I Mostly use ice fishing jigs with the barbs pinched shut. I found out the hard way that this step really helps. I lose a few but its well worth it for getting them off the hook easy. For bait i prefer to use earth worms i find in my yard. Nightcrawlers also work. Ive even had luck on small gulp. they eat just about anything. If you dont catch them within a few minutes move on.I also carry a few small spinners and spoons because you find pike in the oddest spots and i just like catch them. I use a 5 foot ultra light rod with an ice fishing spinning reel loaded with 2 lb suffix superline. My tank is a feed trough i bought at tractor supply. Filter is just a walmart double pumper. A lid is a MUST, Creek chubs love to jump and if you do not have a good lid you will find chubs on your floor, they will find the smallest hole, this step is very importantI choose to feed my chubs but i know others that dont. Little kids love watching them feed with these floating pellets. They just attack it. its fun to watch.

 

[The Mantis]

Interesting post, man! Good info

 

[FishReaper]

Thank you. Now I just gotta get out and catch some

 

[Vollmer]

Thank you. Now I just gotta get out and catch some

This sounds fun. My kids would get a great kick out of it ... their old man would too

 

[Rowdie]

I had a big tank like that, but now I have a fridge in the garage. It seems easier to just keep them in buckets in the fridge (with lid) and a little aeration from a cheap aerator.

 

[FishReaper]

I have 5 gallon bucket and cheap battery powered bubbler for while I'm out fishing. How many do you keep in buckets.

 

[Rowdie]

I use two buckets, and can keep 50 or so in each. I usually just keep one bucket with 30 or so. The other bucket is minnows. I found its easier to just leave them in the creek and get them as needed, but its not too much trouble for me to check traps often.

 

[fullrut]

I've had really good luck using Gulp maggots for bait. Jar is small enough to stuff in your pocket when walking downstream. I've found that the chubs seem to prefer hanging out in the shadier areas, under bridges, along that bank etc...

 

[huffranger]

Thanks for the post !! I really want to get some of these little buggers to rig this summer...

 

[muskelllunge13]

Not sure if they are still there but the upper reaches of the Turtle River north of Larimore when I was a kid was FULL of big Creek Chubs...

 

[Kickemup]

I have never heard of anyone targeting them is the SE part of the state. Are there down in this area?

 

[FishReaper]

I've never fished down there but I have to think they would be down there. Just gotta find the right creeks. Look for creeks that drain into larger bodies of water and look for the deeper pools. I was out last night helping a buddy catch some near Minot. Ended up with over 100 in about 2 hours

 

[FishReaper]

this is a shiner. Not legal baitfish but you may see them as you catch chubs

 

[JoGa]

Thx reaper.

 

[FishReaper]

here we have a creek chub. This is the normal size I catch. We caught a few 8 inch plus today. Those are my favorite for big northens but they are not easy to come by

- - - Updated - - -

today I was the first day I caught a small white sucker in the creek I normally fish. Over a mile from river. MSA do you catch these time to time?

 

[MSA]

I have caught everything that lives in the mouse river in the creeks that feed it as far as 10 miles away, even pike, perch, & walleye.

 

[FishReaper]

I was very surprised how far away from the river we where catching fish. I sure wasn't 10 miles but 4 miles for sure and still nailing chubs. Do all these fish winter in deep holes in creeks or do you think they hit the river

 

[MSA]

some find their way back to the river, some die when they get trapped where the creeks dry up or freeze solid.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I finally found some creek chubs this spring in the bismarck area, but they were hard to catch because I couldnt keep stupid shiners off my line. Me and a friend fished for about 2 hours and got 15 creek chubs and at least 100 shiners....

If you are just using a bucket and bubble stone right now, consider adding a sponge filter. This will allow bacteria to detoxify the water for you, resulting in less water changes and less dead fish. Easy to add, and uses a lot less electricity than a water moving type filter.
Filter Kit 1, for $15 would be great for 5 gallon buckets, I have a larger one in a 60 gallon poly container. Very cheap or free to get 30 to 50 gallon plastic buckets from car washes, they get the detergent in these and often just give them away when they are empty, work great for a minnow tank.

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumPumpKit.html

 

[FishReaper]

I kept the shiners to help get bacteria growth. but I didnt catch near as many. I found a really good spot last time i was out. It was a pool off of the main creek. had a deep hole where a culvert drains in when it rains, that day it was just a slack water deep pool ( 18-24 inches) and it was full of chubs with a few shiners. What areas where you targeting