American Bait Minnows 



In the absence of all better ways good bait minnows, parti- 

 cularly the fallfish, creek chub, river chub, and redfin may be 

 obtained with hook and line, provided the hook used be very small. 



The care of live minnows: More bait minnows die from 

 careless handling and disease than are used in actual fishing, but 

 it should be otherwise. With proper attention there should be 

 but little loss with any of the desirable minnows ; most of them 

 are hardy and will do well in confinement. 



In the first place, a large minnow bucket is better than a 

 small one, and too many fish should not be put in it at one time; 

 crowding should always be avoided. 



The fish must be handled as little as possible and with 

 extreme care; handling or other treatment which results in rubbing 

 off any scales is sure to prove fatal very soon. 



The water should be kept cool and well aerated, either by 

 addition of fresh water by pouring, or by pumping air into the 

 water with a bicycle pump. Before putting minnows in the 

 bucket it should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, so that 

 no germs may be left from fish which may have died in it. 



If you have a live-box in which you keep on hand a larger 

 supply of minnows, it should receive the same attention. It must 

 be set in suitable water, water that is cool and which has a 

 current, if possible, and must be thoroughly cleaned and disin- 

 fected as often as possible. Probably the vast majority of fish 

 which die in live-boxes and aquariums do so from the attacks 

 of different species of a fungus belonging to the genus Saprolegnia. 

 These are plants [closely related in structure to the algae, and 

 may be regarded as degraded forms which, because of their 

 saprophytic or parasitic habits, have lost their chlorophyl or 

 green colouring matter. 



This fungus may develop on any part of the fish, though 

 perhaps most abundantly or more frequently on the tail, fins or 

 head, or where scales have been rubbed off. It may be limited 

 to small definite patches, or may spread all over the fish. In 

 general it forms tufts of white, fluffy threads that radiate out from 

 the body. The mycelium of this fungus develops beneath the 

 scales or skin, and by the time it appears on the surface the fish 

 is past recovery. The only way to do then is to destroy all those 

 evidently affected. The others which may be saved should be 

 removed to another tank or vessel and treated to a saltwater bath. 



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