how do keep left over bait?

[jibbs]

i'm just curious how you guys keep extra bait........i usually  have to keep extra bait for a week, because i can never get on during the week unless i take a day off. however, i have a good system,but i am always looking for good tips. i like to keep them in there orginal water until tuesday or wednesday.......of course i keep them with air throughout the week and i like to leave them in the garage so the water stays cold........when i do change the water i go down to a local pond and fill a bucket and change their water.....they death rate is low, but i do find that they are not as active when game times begin......i will change their water at the site, but i usually only do half and half.........half the water they sat in since wednesday and half the water from the lake itself........what do you guys think.......is it worth going out and buy a fish tank, which would give them a bit more water to swim in or do you think this is a successful way.

[BrianF]

I pretty much do the same as you with a 5 gallon bucket. Works good IMO. If I have to have bait for 2 weeks I will change out the water a couple of times from a local river. But usually if I have leftover bait that means I HAVE TO go fishing the next weekend.  so it is not a bad thing to have.

Regarding setting up a fish tank... if you do it should be like a 30+ gallon or so. Otherwise you will find yourself changing the water a lot which is way more easier in a bucket. I did it one year and since the wife forbids it (smelled bad).

-Brian

[duck doctor]

I use a 55gal drum on it's side. I fill it with tap water and run a 100gal aquarium pump/filter.  I can keep bait in it all winter without a problem. I change the water once a month. The water temp is around 60 degrees also.  One trick I have found is that I do not feed them.

[pirkaus]

I have a 55 gallon fish tank in the basement,with a filter, and an air stone at one end to circulate the water
I change out 1/4 of the water once a week
Pirk

[beeverfishing]

just about anything that holds water will work.  The larger the better as then you won't have to change the water as often.  If you keep the water cold it helps tremendously.  I have a few "extra" fish aquariums that I use.  I have them set up in the basement with filter and air pump.  Not as cold as I would like it to be, but seems to work good for me. 

[cSpike]

You can also put shiner life in your water. Many bait dealers use it (water will be tinted if they do). It cuts down on some of the harsh chemicals in well water and keeps the fish active with electrolites in the mix. I had good luck with that when I dealt bait. Biggest issue is temperature. the reason I started dealing bait was I got sick of buying bait from a heated enviorment and having them die from the temperature change when I arrived at the pond to fish.
I kept my 100 gallon horse trough tank outside in a insulated box I built around it. Two circulating pumps, one that shot down into the water to give it o2 and a couple trouble light to prevent it from freezing up. Worked great and the bait was the best I'd ever used. Next best set up is something like Martels had where they took water directly from a source which kept them nice and cool.

The gun shop in Kingston at least caught on as he keeps his out in a colder section of the store now. used to be he had them inside and they were not that great. His hours suc and he counts them out EXACTLY!
Come on man a bakers dozen at least!

Spike

[duck doctor]

Another thing I have started doing is running an aerator that runs on batteries while out on the ice.  I noticed a big difference in the livelyhood of my bait when in cold oxygenated water.

[beeverfishing]

Next best set up is something like Martels had where they took water directly from a source which kept them nice and cool.

Spike

Yeah,  a small spring works great.  I have used an old washer drum, sunk into the spring flow to keep minnows alive for months.  Actually got the idea from a small bait shop here.  you could also use old bathtubs close to the creek and pipe the water to it.  Unfortunately, I have moved and the closest small creek has native bookies in it and I wouldn't want to disturb it..  and there might be a chance of high water.. wouldn't want to have natives in with my bait.

[jibbs]

i tried using an additive last week.........the same mix at bought at northern bass supply to keep my bass alive in the livewell.........i usually put in a cap and its suppose to give them a little life.........as for that guy in kingston.........i give up.........the guy is never open.........the bait is small........and sucks........i think i am going to go out and by a fish tank......right now i am sitting on 40 dollars of bait, because saturday was slow and i wasn't able to get out today........it sucks, because many times i am the one buying the bait and people pay me when i get there.......well, it doesn't always work out and sometimes it can be a crap shoot on how much bait you should buy.......you never want to run out if the fish are biting........i like to get 4 dozen and dozen of pike shiners to maintain usually 18 traps.........when you are a junk fisherman like me.....that bait doesn't last long.........anyways, thanks for the tips and i can't wait to go out next weekend

[duck doctor]

when you are a junk fisherman like me.....that bait doesn't last long.........

Just another reason to fish Lt!  12 of anything and you should be good for the day....also costs a lot less money!

[jibbs]

don't  get me wrong......i love junk fishing and i will be a junk fisherman my whole life........i am on the hunt for an 8 pound bass or a big 5 pound pickeral.....i know it cost a lot, but thats what i like to spend my money on.......not bar beer, high phone bills, take  out food............but fishing

[Salmon Seeker]

i'm just curious how you guys keep extra bait........i usually  have to keep extra bait for a week, because i can never get on during the week unless i take a day off. however, i have a good system,but i am always looking for good tips. i like to keep them in there orginal water until tuesday or wednesday.......of course i keep them with air throughout the week and i like to leave them in the garage so the water stays cold........when i do change the water i go down to a local pond and fill a bucket and change their water.....they death rate is low, but i do find that they are not as active when game times begin......i will change their water at the site, but i usually only do half and half.........half the water they sat in since wednesday and half the water from the lake itself........what do you guys think.......is it worth going out and buy a fish tank, which would give them a bit more water to swim in or do you think this is a successful way.

  I use a fiberglass tank.Its about a 30 gallon job just cause it was something I got for free.I just make sure to keep the air stone going in there with a small aqurium pump.I don't change the water for a week and it works fine.I keep it where it is cold but try not to let it freeze just for convenice of getting them out of the tank.

[Chiefbush]

I have a small cheapo aerator that works perfect in a five gallon bucket.  Its very portable for those long weekend trips to Lake Champlain.  I just keep it in my motel room at nite.  Works great!!

[donmac]

I have a small cheapo aerator that works perfect in a five gallon bucket.  Its very portable for those long weekend trips to Lake Champlain.  I just keep it in my motel room at nite.  Works great!!

ditto on the cheap aerator part...

I just add some fresh water to the bait bucket, drop in the aerator, put it in the unheated utility room in the basement of my place up north and they keep for a week easy...   

years ago I kept them in a filtered 10 gallon aquarium but it was more trouble than it was worth - and it got to stink after awhile...