An insulated cooler, combined with an air pump, makes a great container for storing minnows.

Trapping and netting wild minnows is almost as gratifying as fishing with them.

Wild minnows often are a more effective bait than the store-bought variety. Collecting your own also is economical.

Minnows can be both trapped and netted. The first step, though, is finding a proper creek.

Mud-banked, low-gradient creeks tend to harbor various subspecies of creek chubs and suckers, both of which are excellent bait.

Minnows in the 3- to 5-inch range are right for bass and walleyes; smaller minnows work well for stocked trout.

It's common for smaller streams to be carried under backroads by a galvanized steel culvert. The nozzlelike discharge that shoots through the culvert during high flows scours out a plunge hole directly downstream.

Even on streams you can step across, it's common to have culvert holes 15 to 20 feet across and 4 or 5 feet deep.

Such spots are ideal for tossing in a minnow trap. Just be sure to gain the landowner's permission before doing so.

A variety of baits can be used to lure minnows into the trap. I've had great success using a cup of kibble-style dry dog food. The dog food should be of a larger diameter so it doesn't flow through the trap's mesh.

If the spot you are trapping is exposed, it's wise to hide the tether rope to minimize the chance of theft. Using an earth-toned rope like that used for hauling a bow up into a treestand also makes the setup less conspicuous. If you have a good spot, it's not necessary to leave the trap out long. I set mine up in the morning and empty it in the afternoon.

A 4-foot by 4-foot minnow seine is another good option, especially for netting smaller minnows for trout or when you don't have time to wait for a trap to fill up.

Small creeks that flow through pastures are prime candidates. Again, be sure to obtain the farmer's approval before traipsing down to the stream.

Lop the lumber off a couple of old brooms to use as net handles. Spread the seine as wide as possible, working your way upstream. Check the net's contents after trawling through good-looking areas.

When you get around undercut banks, prod the net's closest handle in under the bank. You never know what you're going to come up with, the mystery of which is a great deal of the fun. Carry a lightweight minnow container along to hold your bounty.

Since the air and water are still reasonably cool, storing minnows isn't difficult. An insulated cooler makes a great container. Match the size of the cooler with the quantity of minnows you plan to house. Rig up a cheap aquarium air pump to keep the little rascals well oxygenated.

If you have city water, have a 5-gallon bucket poured at least a day ahead of time. This allows the chlorine to dissipate.

Keep the water out of direct sunlight so it stays cool. Be prepared to change the water in the cooler every day for the first few days, until the minnows have purged themselves. Don't feed them.

Collecting and storing live minnows is a chore. You don't want them to die during your trip to the stream, lake or river.

An aerated, insulated bait container is ideal for keeping your minnows healthy.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.