Minnow Net From A Freezer Pop Net Bag (Crawdad/Crawfish too!)

How to make a minnow net from a Freezer Pop net bag.

This can also be used for catching crawdads (crayfish) or frogs.

Materials:

1 Plastic Freezer Pop net bag, or a produce net bag would work as well.
2 Wire coat hangers
1 foot of 3/16 inch diameter heat shrink tubing
4 inches of 3/8 inch diameter heat shrink tubing
2 1/2 foot section of 1/2 inch PVC pipe
1 large curved or straight needle
5 feet (or so) of high strength fishing line, I prefer the braided kind.
4-5 clothes pins
a Drill with a small diameter bit

The wife and I were night fishing a few weeks ago. We put a propane lantern and hung it out over the water, which attracts the phytoplankton, which attracts the bait fish, which attracts the big fish. Well the water was just boiling with minnows and I was thinking if I just had a net I could scoop some up and use them for bait. Nothing better than free bait. Sure you can buy a big net at the store, but wheres the fun in that? I made this one for free, just using things I had laying around the house. Plus eating all the freezer-pops was a bonus!

Step 1 Make your wire hoop.

First we need to make a wire hoop to fasten the freezer pop net bag to. Take two wire coat hangers and straighten them the best you can. Then twist them together. I used two, three might have produced a more solid hoop but would have been more difficult to work with.

Then slide a piece of 3/16" heat shrink tubing onto the middle and the two ends. Use a soldering iron to shrink it up. This was so I knew where the middle was and to keep the coat hangers twisted together. I used some 5-6 inch sections of heat shrink tubing on both ends of the twisted wire clothes hangers.

Now with this piece, you want to make a hoop that will hold the bag open but not be too big or two small for the bag. I made a rough circle with the coat hangers, put it in the bag, then opened it up as best I could without the bag slipping off. It's best to have a second set of hands help you with this part. Mark the spot where the wires meet up, then bend them straight out. This is the part you will insert into the handle.

Take some 3/8" heat shrink tubing and shrink it around the two ends of the hoop to keep the two halves together.

I love heat shrink tubing as you can probably tell.

Comments

[Judith756]

GREAT idea. I live one mile from a very populated crawfish area. This is a great use for all those empty onion bags.
Thanks

[DrPeper]

Oh you meant to put the net-bag IN the survival kit!! Now that is a CAPITAL idea! They do have lots of uses, and would be particularly handy in a survival kit. Now I have to get out all the survival kits I've made and put one in them. It's funny that you mentioned it because I have a little thing for making survival kits too! Thank you!

[DrPeper]

Thanks! I always keep those darn net bags, so far the only uses that I've come up for them is this minnow net and a shower loofa. But your sprouting idea actually gives me fodder for contemplation. I've been thinking of a hydroponic, self watering planter for a while now. For survival kits I usually use something hard cased, like an altoids tin. I've used an altoids smalls tin for sewing kits and survival kits in the past.

[bruc33ef]

This is great. I always save those net bags because they are useful for all kinds of things -- like growing sprouts, for instance, or holding soap in the shower. You've just come up with another great use. It would be terrific for a survival kit, too, since it's lightweight and folds up into nothing. Way to go!