How to Make a Minnow Trap

Co-authored by Sophia Latorre

Last Updated: August 10, 2021 References Approved

Minnows make for excellent bait for fishing. Instead of buying them, you can catch your own minnows by making a trap out of common household items. The trap only takes a few minutes to put together and is completely reusable for years of budget-friendly fishing.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making the Trap’s Body

1
Cut the top off of a 2-liter soda bottle. Use a knife to carefully puncture the plastic just before the bottle’s neck begins to taper. Then cut all the way around the bottle to split the top portion of it away from the bottom.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Be careful not to cut yourself while cutting the bottle. It may be easier to make the first puncture with a knife, but then finish the cut using scissors.
2
Use a knife to poke 10 small holes around the cut off edge of the bottle. Make the holes about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) from the bottle’s edge and space each hole about 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) apart. The holes only need to be big enough in diameter for you run fishing line through them.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Be extremely careful while poking the knife through the thin plastic. This can be very dangerous.
Advertisement
3
Poke 2 more holes about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) below the first ones. These 2 holes will be for your anchor line. Poke them through opposite sides of the bottle using the knife. Again, be very careful not to cut yourself.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- You’ll use these holes to attach an anchor line to keep your minnow trap from drifting away and will use it to pull the trap out of the stream.
- The holes only need to be big enough in diameter for fishing line to pass through.
4
Cut off a 10 ft (3.0 m) piece of fishing line. This piece of fishing line will serve as your anchor line. If you want, you can make the anchor line longer or shorter for your specific situation, but for general purposes, 10 feet (3.0 m) is usually enough.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- You do not need a particularly strong fishing line for your minnow trap. Any standard fishing line will do.
5
Secure the fishing line to the bottle using the lower 2 holes. Insert 1 end of the fishing line from the outside of the bottle through 1 of the anchor line holes and tie a knot at the end of the line on the inside of the bottle. Then, repeat on the opposite side so the line is attached to the bottle on both sides.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- If necessary, tie a few knots on top of each other to keep the line from slipping through the holes.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Assembling the Trap

1
Insert a piece of bread or other food into the bottle. You can use most starchy foods as minnow bait. Bread, cookie crumbs, or bits of cracker will each do fine. You don’t need much bait to trap minnows; a loose handful will do.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- The food will break down and float as it soaks up water, so don’t worry about positioning it in any particular way.
- Use carbohydrate-heavy foods for minnow bait. Other examples are graham crackers, buns, or bits of muffin.
2
Add a few rocks to the bottle for weight. Grab some small rocks and place them into the bottle with the minnow bait. The added weight provided by the rocks will help the trap sink to the bottom and stay put even if there’s a slight current. For most traps, 2 or 3 rocks that are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand will do.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Minnow traps work best in fairly shallow water, so the rocks are important to keep the trap completely submerged and near the bottom.
3
Poke 10 small holes into the cut-off top of the bottle. Use your knife to make these holes about 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) apart so they match the holes you poked in the bottom portion of the trap. The holes don’t need to align with the first ones you poked perfectly, but the closer they are, the easier it will be to assemble your trap.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Use caution when poking holes through thin plastic with a knife.
- The holes only need to be big enough for fishing line to pass through.
4
Insert the cut-off top into the bottle with the nozzle pointing in. Invert the top of the bottle and insert it into the bottom portion until the holes on both pieces line up.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Try to press the top portion into the bottom portion and then rotate it if necessary to line up the holes you poked through each.
5
Secure the top of the bottle to the bottom of the bottle using fishing line. Run the fishing line through both sets of holes in an over/under pattern. Insert the line into 1 set of holes then pull it back through the next set and continue around the circumference of the bottle. Tie a knot in the end of the line when you're finished.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- Make sure to run fishing line through at least 4 holes on opposing sides of the bottle to hold the edges together.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Using the Trap to Catch Minnows

1
Lower the trap into the bottom of a shallow stream. Hold the trap by the anchor line and lower it into a stream that’s 3 ft (0.91 m) deep or less. Let the trap settle on the bottom with the added weight from the rocks inside the bottle.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Avoid streams with fast moving currents. The current should not be strong enough to move the bottle away from where you lower it down. If the current is too strong, look for a different location to place your trap.
2
Secure the anchor line to a stick on the shore. You can hang the anchor line from a tree branch if there are any nearby. If not, find a sturdy stick and sink it into the dirt near the stream. Place the anchor line over the stick. If the trap begins to float away, the anchor line will catch on the stick and keep it in place.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- Make sure the stick is inserted at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) into the dirt so it has enough leverage to hold the trap back if it begins to drift away.
- You can also loop the anchor line over any other stationary objects within reach.
3
Leave the trap overnight. It will take time for the minnows to locate the trap, enter it, and become stuck. Once you’re sure the trap is secure, leave the area for 24 hours.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- The minnows will stay alive inside the trap when you catch them, so it’s okay to leave them in there overnight.
4
Pull the trap out of the stream by the anchor line. When you return the following day, locate the anchor line and stick you used to secure it. Grab the line with your hand and use it to pull the trap up and out of the water. With a little luck, you’ll have a trap full of minnows!^{[14]
X
Research source}
- The minnows enter through the small hole in the bottle’s nozzle but are unable to find their way back out.
- Be careful pulling the trap out of the water as it will be heavy and slippery.
5
Untie or cut the fishing line to open the trap and remove the minnows. Once you remove the fishing line holding the 2 pieces of the trap together, set the bottle upright and remove the top part of the bottle.^{[15]
X
Research source}
- You can remove the minnows and put them in a cooler until you use them as bait, or keep them alive in water as you fish.
- If you untie the fishing line, you can reuse it to put the trap back together.

Community Q&A

Question

Why do I need two bottles?

Community Answer

I suppose you don't really need two; you could just use the top you cut off from your bottle.
Question

Will a minnow trap catch snakes?

Austin Trent

Community Answer

Minnow traps do often trap water snakes. The head of a snake is about as wide as a minnow, so they can't get out either.
Question

Can this be used for small saltwater fish?

Community Answer

Yes, it can.