Need a cheap and easy way to make a bubbler for a live well for bait

[csklaus44]

So as the subject says I am looking to find a way to make a bubbler to keep bait alive without spending to much.  I have a large holding tank just need a good way to keep air in the water.

[A-TOM-MIK]

Wal Mart

14 Bucks for a dual head bubbler
2 bucks for tubing
2 bucks for elongated filters

I can keep 15 lbs of fatheads alive in a 40 gallon rubber horse trough, 10" deep, I have 2 complete set-ups and can hold 30 lbs of minnows at all times if water is below 50 degrees

HIH
Tom

[csklaus44]

so the filters hook into tubing and tubing into bubbler.  That's excellent thanks.  Do you ever put anything in the water?

[A-TOM-MIK]

At my wholesale bait dealer he often gives me a free scoop of the blue stuff (Bait mate) keeps the chlorine down when you need to change or add water

I do several things when I have an expensive amount of bait in holding

I will usually drag a few buckets of river or lake water home, I don't feed them as it only causes extra waste

I also have spare 148 Qt coolers that I keep my Kings in, I will fill these up as the chlorine content tends to dissipate as it sits. I use that for replacement of water, take out 5 and add 5 gallons a day

When I did this many years ago at my old home I used the same cheap bubbler etc, but I tapped a spicket into my plumbing over the top of a 75 gal. bait tank that I let drip into the tank at a very slow rate. Also a drain at the top of the tank, I never needed to do anything and I kept Buckeyes, Bluenose and Toughies (Fat Heads) alive for weeks or even a month

With the first mentioned method I had about 15 lbs. left from my fall season 2010' after my last day on open water (Nov. 30th) they kept until Christmas until they started dying.

Watch out for bait laws, I do not net any of my own minnows anymore, I buy from my local wholesaler/supplier

Tom

[stevek]

I used the same type of set up for aeration in an old 150qt cooler. Works very well, I used a few 5 gallon pals of tap water to change the water out, just let them sit for 24+ hours uncovered before using the water. You can only keep bait for 10 days, so buying in bulk isn't much of an option. Page 21 http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/

[Hammer614]

Cheap and easy......well you can get an air tank ( I found a 3gallon tank--one of my friends work for a refrigeration company and it was an old freon tank) fill it at gas station with air........ attach a tube and weigh the end down with a nut or a sinker to keep it on the bottom.....then with the valve on top you can adjust the air flow.   Also a tip for all you guys......add a few Dried Brown Onion Skins to the water of your bait.......it will neutralize a good amount of the amonia caused from excrement from the fish in the water.  And yes I am very serious.  Tight Lines

[Hardwaternubie53]

Cheaper and easier: 5 gallon pail from Home Depot (about $2.50), aquarium bubbler from Dick's Sporting Goods (about $8.00). Drill a hole in the lid, slip the hose in, plug in the bubbler, you're in business. Keeps my bait in good condition for the 10 days. If it isn't too cold, I leave it in the garage. If it gets really cold for a few days, I put her in the cellar to prevent a total freeze up. Works great! 

[PlumberFishin5]

found an old aquarium on craigslist for 20 bucks put it in our well house.