A co-worker swears he catches more crappie using red minnows and yesterday a marina owner talked me into trying them saying his customers prefer them. I didn't really notice a difference other than the little slick boogers are hard to get on a hook. Do any of you folks catch more fish with red minnows?

Nope, but they ARE the KY Jelly of the Minnerz for sure!!!!

I hear they are sum super slick things
and I heard the YB love them as well
but never heard anyone say they was better .......
interesting question ....

Rosy Reds and I think they are better and this is why. They are a fathead minnow and not a shiner minnow. Fathead minnows are already in the lake so the rosey reds act like a natural bait the fish already feed on. The orange color just helps em be seem mo betta. MHO but I would take roseys any day over shiners if minner fishing.

I've never seen them offered at a marina or bait shop.

I assume they are more expensive than shiners.

I fished with some rosey reds last year. I don't think there is a difference between them and regular minnows. The ones I had were smaller than regular minnows. I don't remember if I paid a premium for them or not.

Reggie

In muddy water, or dark days, rosy red will do better than shiners. Sunny days and clear water, shiners will be better.

I remember as a kid (several decades ago) that my dad use to really be happy when we could get what he called 'red horse' minnows. They look nothing like the 'rosey reds' that this post is pertaining to, but boy, would those minnows catch crappie.

From the TPWD website:

Other Names Red-horse Minnow Description Cyprinella is Greek for "small carp" and lutrensis is derived from the Latin lutra which means "otter", a reference to Otter Creek, Arkansas, where the species was first captured. Coloration is similar to the blacktail shiner, olive green above and silver on the sides. Spawning males become bluish on the sides and the fins redden. There are 7-8 rays in the dorsal fin. The anal fin has 8-10 rays (usually 9). Maximum size is only about 3.5 inches. The species is sometimes confused with the golden shiner and exotic minnows such as the rudd and roach. Life History The red shiner spawns over an extended period of time from spring into fall months, with a peak from early to mid-summer. Spawning may occur on riffles, on or near submerged objects, over vegetation beds, or in association with sunfish nests. Adults typically school in midwater or near the surface. The species is thought to feed primarily on small invertebrates. Distribution The red shiner is native to central North America west of the Mississippi River drainage, ranging as far west as New Mexico. Latitudinally, the species ranges from central Mexico north to South Dakota. Clearly a plains species, red shiners range throughout Texas. One subspecies, Cyprinella lutrensis blairi, formerly found in the Big Bend region, is thought to be extinct. Other Often used as a bait fish

I wonder what they cost from the bait shop as well ...?

fisherman supply on 30 sales them. they are a bit higher but as stated earlier on dark days they work better

They sell them at Petco I hear. DW is the one that told me that.

We have seined for the red horse minnows a lot...and they WILL get eaten very fast...

Bait fish taken from the water you are fishing is usually better than farm raised bait fish.

I used a cast net for bait when I lived here before transferring to the New Orleans area. My favorite bait was threadfin shad. I could not keep them alive for long but crappie loved them, dead or alive. They were great when fished with a jig.

When I lived in the New Orleans area I used a cast net to catch my bait most of the time. I tried to catch mudhead minnows there as flounder, trout and reds loved them.

However the last few years I haven't been able to cast a net so I have had to buy minnows from the marina.

One of the first things I am going to buy after the doctors release me to normal life again is a small cast net to catch my own bait again.

But I don't recall every catching red minnows in the years when I lived here and was catching my own bait with a cast net.

We offer them from November - Feb and we sell them at the same price as regular minnows.