Live suckers in the bucket turn to dead suckers in the lake-help?!

Got my 15 suckers today. 4 to 6 inch in size. 5 gallon minnow bucket was about half full of water. Suckers were doing great. Put them in the lake on tip ups, and when checking tip ups after an hour, most were pretty much dead. Replaced some, those weren't doing well after a while either. A few survived the afternoon...barely. Had to be one of a couple of things. Was the minnow bucket water too warm? Then the lake water was a shock? I guess it could have been, but I've gotten water from this bait shop many many times. This just simply hasn't happened before. But, maybe today the water temp was different. Or, was the lake deprived of oxygen? It does only get 13 feet deep, and I was fishing 7 to 11 feet,-- in the UP of Michigan, but this lake has produced pike year after year....I wouldn't think that this winter is any worse than most for oxygen levels, especially at this point. I did notice when I put the minnows higher in the column it seemed to help a bit...but not overwhelmingly all the time. Hmmm. Has this happened to you? Thoughts? Are suckers more vulnerable to this than shiners? What might be going on?

Went back to this lake today and I think I found my solution. I put some minnows higher in the water column and they did much better than the ones lower in the water column. Some of the minnows that were dying did better once they were in the bucket. I did mix the lake and bucket water twice, which would give me top column water in the bucket. Also, talked to another guy on the lake who said he has had the minnows die too. He was spearing for pike and said he's seen them near the top of the water when they are around. An oxygen in the lake issue in indeed happening here in this shallow lake. Better oxygen near the top. Must have been the early ice this year and deep snow on it all winter. Hope those pike survive the rest of winter. I didn't catch anything, even with the minnows near the top.

three things everybody that sugested thermal shock (warm water to cold) is tough on the suckers insulation only slows down heat transfer lack of oxygen in the lake is also a problem i have had this happen on a small wi lake near waupaca started fishing closer to the aerator and the minnows lived longer third i use an aerator in my bucket good luck and tight lines

...either be changed or taken out of the regs entirely Been saying this since day one. It's an asinine, knee-jerk regulation that can't stop the spread of VHS. Speaking of VHS, haven't heard about it in the news lately. I thought it was the be-all, end-all for Wisconsin's fish populations!? Kinda like CWD was supposed to wipe out the deer herd...

so basically the law is unenforceable and should either be changed or taken out of the regs entirely.

It's funny, svitreum. I actually had to show the new regs to a warden a few years ago. Not the first time I had to correct a warden, either.

If you add lake water (perfectly legal) you may take the minnows away but they may only be used again on the same body of water. If you add no water (or fish from the lake) you may take them away for use on ANY body of water.

Please look at page 18 of the WI fishing regs. It seems that many people are confused on this issue.

Pimply swede- in Wisconsin, you can take live minnows away from a lake to re-use if you use them on the same body of water. Check the regs, page 18. It was changed a few years ago.

Sorry, I wasn't clear on that. The adding water to the bucket thing, yes. Will hopefully slowly lover the bucket temps Leaving the lake with any minnows still in the bucket. No. The minnows brought on the ice are the minnows used and they don't leave the lake.

"I've was also advised by a friend to take half the bait bucket water and dump it out, then add half lake water when just beginning to fish for the day. " Hope no wardens are watching him do this. He'll have an issue when he leaves the lake with live minnows still in the bucket of lake water.

Truck was at 75 degrees. For an hour trip. Wonder how much the bucket water would have warmed up? Heat was blowing kind of near the bait bucket, but not right on top of it. Top was on. Insulated bucket. Don't think too much, but who knows. I do think there is some support to the low oxygen lake level perhaps. But, I'm going to watch the minnow bucket temps from now on too much closer. Nothing worse than getting to the lake and the minnows die. Horrible feeling. And, it's not like there were any bait shops real close by.

Thanks for your comments guys. A few things to add. I got some minnows at the bait shop today and fished on Little Saint Germain Lake. These minnows did much better today. Still, a few kind of looked not so lively when in there for a bit, but most did better than yesterday when I was at the lake in the U.P. I asked the bait shop people what they keep the temp at. It's 44 to 45 degrees in the tanks. I love the slush or snow idea in the bucket. And I agree, the light penetration may be an issue this year since ice and snow was so early. I've was also advised by a friend to take half the bait bucket water and dump it out, then add half lake water when just beginning to fish for the day. Let it sit for a few minutes, then do it again, just to lower the temp at a good rate and avoid the minnow shock possibility. I agree, 15 is a lot of minnows in the bucket, usually don't go that high, but it was for a little over an hour on the trip and set up and we fished right after, so they were good in the bucket, but not in the lake yesterday.

I would say thermal shock. I always add slush from the first hole to acclimate them. Same as adding fish to an aquarium. If the bait has been acclimated and still die, then it's oxygen depletion and I would move. The native fish already have. Dying weeds will eat up oxygen.

I've had this happen when pulling them out of water that is too warm. Add a little snow to bucket to cool down your water prior to putting them in the lake. Has always seemed to help me anyways. Also seems like a lot of suckers with not much water. Split them up and add water. Good luck!