Alright I'm out now traveling to some ponds. My questions are

How far should I throw the trap out

And

How long should I leave it out there?

What I did before was throw dry cat food and bread in the trap and 20 feet off shore and left it overnight. I didn't catch anything. Right now I got bread and raw shrimp. What am I doing wrongggg. I messaged a guy about golden shiners aroun me and he wouldn't tell me what pond he goes to. He said any pond. So thanks for you non help. Thanks guys

Ideally you should put the trap in or near any emergent vegetation (making certain the trap is completely submersed). And there's always an element of chance, like any fishing.

I messaged a guy about golden shiners aroun me and he wouldn't tell me what pond he goes to. He said any pond. So thanks for you non help. Thanks guys

I encountered golden shiners a couple times when fishing using small hooks (panfish jigs, salmon egg hooks, etc.) both places i found them (the boat landing area of Swanzey Lake and setbacks on the connecticut river) were small weedy pond-like areas connected to a larger water body. I am not sure if this is their habitat or merely reflects my fishing preferences tthough.

I find researching what water body has the fish you want, and knowing the right habitat are key to finding fish. My issue now is dealing with the majority of fish who are too fast, wary, and agile to net. seems only a handful are dip/kick nettable.

I'm sorry. I'm convinced there are no baitfish in mass