Just A Little Live Bait Info

Just A Little Live Bait Information

There are times on Tim's Ford and other lakes and rivers, when fishing "Live Bait" can turn a so-so trip into a good one. To keep from running back and forth to the local bait shop you can make yourself a fairly simple inexpensive system to keep minnows of all varieties and sizes based on your particular need. I have used the system above for several years and have found it to be very efficient. Let me explain what you are looking at.

The top left picture: This is a 30 gallon round heavy duty plastic container with a lid that my father in law gave me. It sits on an old charcoal grill stand that has a hole in the middle of it where the grill tub set. This let's me sit the 30 gallon tank on top of the hole and allow room for a PVC water line shut off valve and pipe that I have inserted in the bottom of the tank to easily drain water into the green 5 gallon bucket you see sitting below. ***Important*** All minnows emit Ammonia from their bodies-this is what will kill your bait if not handled correctly. Ammonia will settle to the bottom of the tank-that's why I have the drain in the bottom of the container. It's very easy to remove 5 gallons of water then replace it with fresh water treated with a Shad Keeper-Better Bait type product (Bottom Center Picture) These product remove chlorine from the water and helps with the ammonia problem as well. I plumbed a inside water line down to a faucet sitting behind the tank where I attached a hose. This way I don't have to keep a outside faucet on during the winter and take a chance on it freezing. **Note** I like a round container better than a square one if you are going to keep bait for any length of time. The round container doesn't seem to stress the minnows as much (more ammonia) as a square one.

Bottom right picture: These are 2 "Dual Line" aquarium aerators. I cut out a hole where I insert the 4 air lines down into the tank...they plug into a electrical outlet that sits behind the tank. I also have the larger aerator (bottom picture left) that I use at times if I am keeping shiners, which for me are touchy to keep at best.

Top right picture: I transport all my minnows to the lake in 2 minnow buckets like the one that you see above. The bucket is equipped with a external aerator that helps keep the oxygen levels up while you are on the lake. This aerator runs' off of 2 D cell batteries. The warmer it is the more crucial your aerator becomes. Just a heads up----spend a little $$$$ and buy a square plastic milk crate to sit your round minnow bucket in. It will save you from dumping your bait over when running down the lake in heavy waves. I learned this from experience the hard way. Also make sure you have a small container with you that you can use to dip some of the water out of your bucket and add lake water to help them adjust to the (warmer) or (colder) lake water. I use a 20 gallon tank in my boat when fishing larger bait.

Water Buckets: You can buy new 5 gallon buckets from almost any home improvement or discount store. I keep 3 buckets that I have marked "MINNOWS ONLY" on them. This keeps me from accidentally killing my bait with detergents and other chemicals that I use in washing my truck and boat. That's it....then all you have to do is find the fish when you get to the lake......Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

[Alphahawk]

Nice setup and great idea.


Regards

Just a simple-easy and inexpensive method that anyone can use...Rick

[Mike Anderson]

I have a refrigerated 90 gal setup with bio filter I'd let someone have for $100.

[Jim]

Hi Rick,

Nice set up. I see the shad keeper in the photo. Does it help much? I have never used it, but is it mostly for chlorine? So is it not needed if I use lake water?

Jim

[bd-]

Ha ha, you should have seen the setup I used to have! Three hundred gallons with biofilter, chiller, and a pump to keep constant current in the water. At different times I kept creek minnows, shad, shiners, tuffies, and even a few bluegill and trout. I have to say, it was pretty neat.

Alas, just as I got the system perfected, I started fly fishing and gave up bait fishing almost entirely, so I didn't need it anymore!

The only thing I had trouble with was buildup of nitrates - and doing frequent water changes on a 300 gallon tank is not a task for a lazy person!

I think I could have conquered that problem easily if I'd been able to put the tank in a place with some sunlight, and then circulated the water through a second tank filled with live plants to absorb the nitrates. That would have been the most amazing live bait storage system ever! Unfortunately, my wife might have had them come and take me away to a room with padded walls if I'd tried to build something like that.

bd