IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Equipment => Topic started by: cleveland on Sep 30, 2019, 10:11 PM
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As I am replacing and updating my equiptment I have come to the minnow bucket. I'd like to get something that has a similar footprint or smaller, this one fits nicely into a milk crate. Of course, I could go with another foam-lined 5-gallon bucket but I am betting some of you have a much more user-friendly minnow bucket. What are you using?
(https://i.postimg.cc/w1J4X7hY/Minnow-Bucket.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w1J4X7hY)
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Job site Water jug with a screw top lid ?
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I am useing a areo bait bucket and a foam liner for a 5 gallon bucket when I fish but I hear those job site water jugs don't spill?
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I use these when I fish with minnows. I have one of each size.
https://shop.clamoutdoors.com/bait-bucket.html#
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I use a small igloo cooler. It's big enough for around 3 dozen medium minnows and with a bubbler they will stay alive for the weekend. Unless the pickerel eat them all!
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I just use a gallon sized water jug with the screw on top. Has a decent handle, insulated, and won't leak. Under $10.
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Kinda depends on what you usually tote for minnows. Just crappie sized/jig tipping stuff or larger tipup sized bait. Walleyes/bass or pike. You ain't gonna keep a half dozen 6" suckers in a tea cup.
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I use the Engel with the bubble box for live bait.
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I use an Engel with the clam lithium aerator. Fantastic combo.
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Engel 19qt bait cooler for me.
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I just use a gallon sized water jug with the screw on top. Has a decent handle, insulated, and won't leak. Under $10.
That's my favorite for most live bait while ice fishing too, a simple 4qt coleman insulated jug. Cheap, durable and it works.
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5 gal bucket. I use big bait.
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Went with an Igloo 18 Pack cooler modded to hold a Marine Metal Products Hush Bubbles aerator. Perfect size for my purpose and the aqua blue interior is a color that is supposedly calming to minnows - seems to work, and I know my minnow supplier uses aqua blue on their tanks. Fits perfect inside a milk crate, too.
(https://i.postimg.cc/4nfGr7ZM/52-AFC51-E-57-B0-4193-A198-ED69-ADF00-A40.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4nfGr7ZM)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7CSDyS5v/7-B353111-DA7-A-4833-B1-C6-78-FDF42032-F4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7CSDyS5v)
(https://i.postimg.cc/vxZd9j3M/D8-F16563-17-AA-44-D4-B5-C7-FA40304-FD6-D3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vxZd9j3M)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FdmvF1SY/EAAA7-B31-6-C4-B-4-F85-8-AC0-1-A184-E069204.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FdmvF1SY)
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I just use a gallon sized water jug with the screw on top. Has a decent handle, insulated, and won't leak. Under $10.
Same here! I have two, picked them up at garage sales, one for .50 cents, the other .25 cents.
(https://i.imgur.com/BeIdOk7l.png)
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Same here! I have two, picked them up at garage sales, one for .50 cents, the other .25 cents.
(https://i.imgur.com/BeIdOk7l.png)
That's the one I was talking about!
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Same here! I have two, picked them up at garage sales, one for .50 cents, the other .25 cents.
(https://i.imgur.com/BeIdOk7l.png)
Yep, same color I have too. Just make sure you mark it somehow so someone does not try and use it later for water, and then you are put into a position trying to decide to tell them or not after they drank from it. Not that I would know anything about that.
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Do any of you use the Frabill Magnum Bait Station? (https://i.postimg.cc/fVVCCFRp/frbbba213magnumbaitstation13-22-quarter.png) (https://postimg.cc/fVVCCFRp)
https://www.frabill.com/catalog/product/view/id/1864/s/magnum-bait-stationr-13/category/407/?fbclid=IwAR3gNltkTfq5EKkk8zHUZvBMAw00Lv5MGW77EUahVZ-D_FlIIhl3pB1o15I
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Do any of you use the Frabill Magnum Bait Station? (https://i.postimg.cc/fVVCCFRp/frbbba213magnumbaitstation13-22-quarter.png) (https://postimg.cc/fVVCCFRp)
https://www.frabill.com/catalog/product/view/id/1864/s/magnum-bait-stationr-13/category/407/?fbclid=IwAR3gNltkTfq5EKkk8zHUZvBMAw00Lv5MGW77EUahVZ-D_FlIIhl3pB1o15I
First question would be, do other aerators fit in that cut out? If not you might be forced to buy the frabill specific one if it burns out, or mount one else where.
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I use the same one that I do for soft water...those plastic ones with the trap door on top. I repositioned the handle to the inside of the top so that it fits nicely inside a 5 gallon bucket. An aerator and an oxygen tab now and then. Have never had an issue with the water freezing either.
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Yep, same color I have too. Just make sure you mark it somehow so someone does not try and use it later for water, and then you are put into a position trying to decide to tell them or not after they drank from it. Not that I would know anything about that.
Maybe I'll put a sticker on them to dress them up?
While at home I also open the drink spout and send an aerator hose through it and replace the stone to keep the minnows lively and longer.
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That's my favorite for most live bait while ice fishing too, a simple 4qt coleman insulated jug. Cheap, durable and it works.
Same here, works great, no spills
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Engel 13 qt.
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those of you who use Coleman's with the screw top. Do you keep an Aerator in it while you're out on the ice? Here in NH we use Smelt that are pretty sensitive. Just wondering exactly how you're set up with it out on the ice.
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those of you who use Coleman's with the screw top. Do you keep an Aerator in it while you're out on the ice? Here in NH we use Smelt that are pretty sensitive. Just wondering exactly how you're set up with it out on the ice.
I use the small 4qt often, but that's primarily for Pimephales minnows for walleye and crappie. I'll use a second for emerald shiners at times, but anything larger in any #'s would go into a bigger cooler like an Engel.
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Most of the time it's an Engel 19 qt. for me. I ditched the stock aerator and replaced with a Frabill Whisper Quiet. Cheap buzzing aerators make me absolutely crazy and the longer they buzz the crazier I get. Wired the Frabill with a jack so I can run off a 12v lighter/source in the truck or a 110v wall wart inside as well as the D cells.
I've used a gallon water jug for crappie or tipping minnows at times. If it's just tipping minnows I've got a bag of brined bait I've used with good success. Not commercial, leftovers I've processed myself.
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I use an engel. From experience dont get it too close to the big buddy heater. My engel still works fine but doesnt look as good as it once did lol.
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I use an engel. From experience dont get it too close to the big buddy heater. My engel still works fine but doesnt look as good as it once did lol.
Or anything else. I once melted the soles offa pair of Rocky hunting boots trying to warm my frozen feet. ::)
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Or anything else. I once melted the soles offa pair of Rocky hunting boots trying to warm my frozen feet. ::)
Same thing happened to an old buddy of mine many years ago. Claimed to be an ice fishing aficionado. Came dressed in a wool Mexican poncho and a pair of work boots in -20* weather.Set fire to the bottoms of his boots. Never asked to go ice fishing again. ::)
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how many shiners you planning to carry?
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Maybe I'll put a sticker on them to dress them up?
While at home I also open the drink spout and send an aerator hose through it and replace the stone to keep the minnows lively and longer.
So what if you drink a little minnow water? Builds character.
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those of you who use Coleman's with the screw top. Do you keep an Aerator in it while you're out on the ice? Here in NH we use Smelt that are pretty sensitive. Just wondering exactly how you're set up with it out on the ice.
no reason to use aerator on the ice-------dip fresh water from the lake or dunk them in a hole in a mesh bag.
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Never liked anything with a screw on lid. Due to fact most of my ice fishing is done on the outside. Hate shelters but have to use occasionally . So the screw on lid seems to freeze for me. The hotter the fishing the more likely it happens to me. Water gets on threads and it is stuck fast.
The best one I ever had I made myself. It was a cooler with a flip over lid. The two side buttons released the lid. Had bubbler mounted on one side and two holes on lid for the airlines. Somehow it has disappeared. So have to build another for this season.
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hays47 put some Vaseline on the threads before you leave the house, that will keep the top from freezing.
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Engel 13 quart.
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I use a homer bucket with a screw on lid. I thought that was the status quo ??? ??? ???
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I use a old frabill bait bucket.it had styrofoam inside but that cracked and fell out so i sprayed the outside with spray foam and sanded it down and that works great.
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I use 2 minnow buckets. One is for fishing and one is for storage.
1. The small 1/2 gallon Igloo is what I put in the sled to haul out on the ice.
(https://i.postimg.cc/DJtRJ1c4/7cce7a13-ad9c-44ee-8964-22b941eab972-1-a763e1a23857a8d110008b4a6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/DJtRJ1c4)
2. The larger Engel with aerator (battery or 120VAC) is what I store the minnows in back at the cabin. Will keep them alive for at least a week.
(https://i.postimg.cc/8Fy7Szm0/Engel.png) (https://postimg.cc/8Fy7Szm0)
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So what if you drink a little minnow water? Builds character.
LOL I had to get a face shield at work cause washing out certain trailers after delivery I had pork blood splashing up into my face. So a little minnow water? Forget about it! :)
Keep it safe! JDL
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I use a couple 6pack coolers. Never an aerator. I just change the water out slowly throughout the day until I figure it’s 100% lake water. I keep the cooler on my porch like that and it seems I can keep a couple dozen minnows alive at least a week like that. Shiners and suckers are a little touchy at times but still not too bad.
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Yup---really easy to do.
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had my engals for 4 years now and I love em