water temp for keeping shinners

[drfhaha123]

Would like to keep shinners in my basement it stays 56 deg.,what is good water temp?

[pimplejigger84]

I work at Gander Mountain and in the summer we have them at about 60 degrees, but in the winter we keep them right around 42. In lower temperatures Oxygen doesn't deplete as fast, their metabolism also slows down, and another factor is if you're using them for ice fishing and if you drop them into frigid 33 degree water, after coming out of water that is high 50's, they may die from shock.  I guess if they are in your bucket and in the cold for awhile the water will gradually get cold and it wouldn't be as harsh because the change is gradual.  Just some of my thoughts...

Also, I'm not sure what the regs are in Mass, but here in New York we can only keep them for 10 days.  Good luck! 

[drfhaha123]

Thanks

[Curley]

I'll second pimplejigger. You want them cold. When I get to a lake I'll take an old coffee cup and add some pond water to the bucket to help acclimate the bait. I like to keep my bait bucket in the garage with an air stone over night. You may want to do a search for bait tanks. I know a few guys here in Ct. like to catch and keep there own pike bait. Some of their bait tanks are pretty ingenious.

[Nor Easter]

In summer I just try to keep bait as cool as possible. I keep a freezer semi-packed with water filled plastic milk jugs and keep my bait in large foam filled plastic coolers out of the sun in a cool shady area. /whatever it takes. In the back of your garage on a slab, or behind it... w-h-a-t-e-v-a-!   Toss a couple iced jugs in each cooler and it'll chill 'em good maybe in the mid 50's - low 60's after a couple changes over a couple days. Rotate the jugs each or every other day and they stay cool quite well. Winter time I keep them right on the brink of freezing tho 38 degrees is best IMO. Most times tho, my bait is swimming in between ice crystals forming in the bucket, cooler etc...  

Regular need for the use of a mini spud bar IN your bait bucket deserves a whole new thread topic..   You can even pour boiling water directly into your bait bucket if you know how and not kill one bait too.

News at 5!!  

[flatlandy]

i actually started trapping my own bait too this yeah and was wondering the same thing. Also, do you need to feed them at all?

[iluvcrappie]

the colder the water the better I find for keepin shiners alive alot longer.....and I dont like to mix my shiners with my crappie minnows or fatheads......it seems like the shiners die rite away if I do that......if I keep them seperate they last alot longer as well