What To Look For
Use a mix of grains and meat to draw the largest variety or size and type of baitfish. Foods and bait mixes that don't readily dissolve in water--such as hot dogs, corn meal, stale bread and saltine crackers--will last the longest and provide the most bang for your buck.
Common Pitfalls
Some people advise using styrofoam for minnow bait. Not only is this detrimental to the water and environment, it's rarely effective in traps. Instead, use fragrant but cheap household foods and cut them down to marble- or dime-sized chunks. Too-large chunks will prove uninteresting to small baitfish.
Where To Buy
If using your own homemade minnow bait, pick up the necessary ingredients at a grocery or convenience store. Otherwise, a fishing shop is your best bet. Make sure to keep the bait packed in a cooler before use to prevent spoiling.
Cost
Good minnow bait is fairly inexpensive to buy or make and shouldn't cost more than $5 on any single fishing trip. With some bargain hunting, and if you're willing to make your own, you might be able to pare that down to $3 and still have leftovers for your next trip.
Comparison Shopping
Minnows aren't particularly health-conscious or picky--there's no need to use gourmet ingredients to attract them. Day-old breads from supermarkets will be marked down in price, and hopefully just starting to go stale--meaning they'll last longer in the water. In the summertime, many hot dog brands are marked down for grilling, and also make an excellent minnow bait.
Accessories
You'll need a cooler in which to store your minnow bait and a minnow trap for catching them--preferrably a porous bucket to allow for enough water flow to keep them cool and alive.
Insider Tips
It's useless to catch minnows if you can't keep them alive for your fishing trip. And unfortunately, many minnow traps don't allow for enough oxygen in the trap. While there are portable battery-powered air pumps available to oxygenate minnow traps, a tablespoon of peroxide or splashes of 7-UP or seltzer water every now and then will provide the same result. Also, try to set your trap with the mouth facing downstream, in an area with little to no current. You'll catch the most (and biggest) minnows in these calm areas.
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