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How to Freeze Minnows

Minnows make excellent bait for fishing, and dead minnows are certainly easier to deal with than live ones. In some areas, fishing with live minnows may be against the law. You can capture minnows in local water sources in early summer, but you may need to preserve your minnows until your next fishing trip comes around. If so, you can use sweet oil to freeze the minnows and keep them ready for use.

Things You'll Need

Sweet oil
Bucket
Large pan
Sealable bags

Instructions

- 1
  Place your minnows in a small bucket filled with sweet oil. Three inches of oil should be enough.
- 2
  Bring water to a boil in a large, wide pan on your stove.
- 3
  Place the bucket into the boiling water and wait for the oil to boil. As soon as you see the oil start bubbling, remove the bucket from the pan.
- 4
  Allow the oil to cool, then place your minnows on paper towels and pat them dry.
- 5
  Seal the minnows into trip-sized, sealable plastic bags. Place these bags in the freezer and leave them until it is time to go fishing.

Animals & Science