|
Post by quackquackboom on Jun 1, 2014 17:52:53 GMT -5
My bait does well in my holding tank. And then when I transfer it to my boat livewell it does pretty well for short periods (2-3) hours as long as I pump fresh water in every so often. For some reason though I am killing a lot of baits (I have mostly fished with alewives to this point) while trolling. I hook them through the bottom lip and out one nostril. If i have 4 baits out it seems like usually there is a good chance that at least two are dead or close to it.
Is this normal?
How often do yall check baits when trolling?
|
|
|
Post by 2 oars & a trash can on Jun 1, 2014 18:45:37 GMT -5
If I understand, then maybe the hooking method is an issue. Most go in through the mouth, up and out through one nostril, leaving the bottom lip untouched.
|
|
|
Post by 2013skiff on Jun 1, 2014 19:08:42 GMT -5
like 2 oars was saying go in the mouth out the nostril...are you pumping surface water tempature in your livewell?...how deep are you trolling the bait?...could be a big tempature change for the bait that will kill them too....maybe hook size is to big and there struggling to swim and killing them...good luck lee
|
|
|
Post by striperjohn on Jun 1, 2014 19:32:02 GMT -5
One other thing, no matter how you hook them if you troll alewives too fast they will die pretty quick as well.
Sent from my SCH-R760 using proboards
|
|
piper
New Member
Posts: 727
|
Post by piper on Jun 1, 2014 20:37:41 GMT -5
Ive found a small split shot helps when trolling as well. I think it provides a little resitance in the water given the ales some slack.
Ill 3rd the poor hooking method. 2/0 octapus and top lip/nostril for me on ales
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2014 21:04:44 GMT -5
Can you hook them via dorsal? I ripped up many ale faces last time trying to hook them like a shad.
|
|
|
Post by Pete D. on Jun 2, 2014 8:56:13 GMT -5
All good input here. I like a 2/0 octopus as well. With some of the smaller baits (4-5") I will actually hook through one nostril and out the other. With the larger ones I go in the mouth and out one nostril. Hooking through both lips is forcing their mouths shut with no way for water and o2 to pass through the gills.
I try and keep the temp in the tank as close to the depth I am fishing at as possible. Last time I went out, I had the tank temp too cold and it was shocking the bait transferring them to the water(58). I shifted the water temp with lake water (slowly) to about 67 degrees, and the bait transferred much better. I would pull bait up to check it after 20 minutes and it would still be frisky. Funny thing is surface temp was 78 and the fish felt warm to the touch, but they were still kicking it!
|
|
|
Post by quackquackboom on Jun 2, 2014 18:52:13 GMT -5
Thanks for the help from all. Sounds like I need to quit hooking the bottom lip. Temperature shouldn't be the problem since my livewell pumps from the surface and I have only fished freelines to this point. I also have only use 2/0 and 3/0 hooks.
|
|
|
Post by striperjohn on Jun 3, 2014 7:09:20 GMT -5
Hey if you're pumping all water from the surface with the temps above 80 degrees and going higher your bait won't last long at all. First if the water in the tank is say 80 degrees and you drop your bait down into 65 degree water they will die quickly. I've notice that a rapid temp change of 10 degrees or more will kill them.
|
|
|
Post by Pete D. on Jun 3, 2014 8:09:23 GMT -5
Hey if you're pumping all water from the surface with the temps above 80 degrees and going higher your bait won't last long at all. First if the water in the tank is say 80 degrees and you drop your bait down into 65 degree water they will die quickly. I've notice that a rapid temp change of 10 degrees or more will kill them. Yup this seems to be true. But all hope is not lost. When I used my Proflow tank in the heat of the summer, I made an attachment for a 15ft. garden hose with weights on one end that screwed on the end of my recirc. aerator pump. Then when I was running, I would pull the hose up and turn the pump off until I got to my next spot. Eventually I got tired of messing with it at all, and got a self contained tank. I just like being able to add salt to hardy the baits up. That is the only thing I really didn't like about my fresh water circ setup. Also I find that slower trolling speeds are best for the health of your live bait. Maybe .5-1.0 MPH tops.
|
|
|
Post by hobart on Jul 7, 2014 5:51:26 GMT -5
My bait does well in my holding tank. And then when I transfer it to my boat livewell it does pretty well for short periods (2-3) hours as long as I pump fresh water in every so often. For some reason though I am killing a lot of baits (I have mostly fished with alewives to this point) while trolling. I hook them through the bottom lip and out one nostril. If i have 4 baits out it seems like usually there is a good chance that at least two are dead or close to it. Is this normal? How often do yall check baits when trolling?
You definitely have a problem that is unique to summer time live bait fishing.
Your problem is experienced by most live baiters every summer, but this problem is seldom occurs in the fall, winter or spring, it’s a unique summer time problem that is not only aggravating, but expensive replacing bait whether you catch it or you buy it.
Consider this… Chilling your livewell water with ice in the summer induces hypothermia, your fresh caught bait lives better in 65 F livewell water than 85 F livewell water that seem like a good thing initially – but what do you think happens to those nice cool 65 F baits in your livewell when you hook them up and toss them back into that 85 F - 90 F environmental water in July/August? Well, you know what happens and it happens quickly. This is the essence of your post. That is other side of temperature shock when you really need your live bait to perform and have staying power and it just fizzles out and dies in seconds on your hook. This will get a lot worse as summer progresses the next few months.
Do you know that temperature shock (stress) is much more deadly and dangerous when you chill your livewell water with ice in the summer and then hook up and toss that cool bait back into hot environmental water?
Moving live bait fish from cool water livewells and bait tanks back into hot environmental is far more stressful than catching and moving them from hot environmental water to cool ice chilled livewell water. One solution to this problem is to keep you livewell temperature the same temperature as the environmental water temp from where the bait fish came from a few hours ago and not cause any temperature shock and stress at all with these acute water temperatures changes you have cause. There are several other very positive things you can do in the summer that will dramatically improve your live bait quality and durability on the hook like “Supercharge” your baits. Make them abnormal super-baits.
One solution to this problem is to keep you livewell temperature the same temperature as the environmental water temp from where the bait fish came from a few hours ago and not cause any temperature shock and stress at all with these acute water temperatures changes you have cause. There are several other very positive things you can do in the summer that will dramatically improve your live bait quality and durability on the hook like “Supercharge” your baits. Make them abnormal super-baits.
|
|
|
Post by mwardncsu on Jul 7, 2014 11:47:21 GMT -5
Can you hook them via dorsal? I ripped up many ale faces last time trying to hook them like a shad. You may be using too big a hook for the size of the alewife then. 2/0 is the biggest I'll use for ales. 1/0 usually now - if the bait is too small for a 1/0 in don't want it . Serious - sometimes a Sz 1 is needed but I just don't trust them that small (for fear of bending).
|
|
|
Post by hobart on Oct 27, 2014 5:04:50 GMT -5
My bait does well in my holding tank. And then when I transfer it to my boat livewell it does pretty well for short periods (2-3) hours as long as I pump fresh water in every so often. For some reason though I am killing a lot of baits (I have mostly fished with alewives to this point) while trolling. I hook them through the bottom lip and out one nostril. If i have 4 baits out it seems like usually there is a good chance that at least two are dead or close to it. Is this normal? How often do yall check baits when trolling? Hay Quack,
You can bet that all that dead and dying bait is not only expensive to catch and buy, but it’s really aggravating every summer in June, July and August when the water warms.
Don’t feel bad, you can bet a lot of fishermen have the same problem you’re having every summer, it normal and predictable every summer when you’re trying to keep minimal safe oxygenation in your livewell with water pumps, air pumps and bubble stones. It won’t matter how much water you flush through your bait tank the result will be the same when you overstock your tank. That is just a fact. You have 2 choices to fix your low oxygen problem, carry much less bait in your livewell or give your bait more oxygen, but be clear… air pumps and water pumps do not and will not provide enough oxygen for your job… know that air is not oxygen contrary to popular belief.
The best information and customer service I have found on the internet is here: www.oxyedge-chum.com
When you are really fed up with your bait problem, call them and learn how to fix your summer bait problems or actually fix your livewell water quality problems.
Fishery Science - Pure oxygen always trumps more aeration and bigger water pumps when low oxygenation is your livewell water problem in your overstocked livewell and bait tank in the summer.
|
|
|
Post by striperjohn on Oct 27, 2014 5:45:34 GMT -5
Is this a paid advertisement? For a mere 600.00 plus you can add a pure oxygen system to your boat (never mind the fire hazards involved)? Kind of like a guy hooking a fish on a line, then turning on the camera to record a phony fish catching video-e.g. like Roland Martin used to make routinely on his show. Sad really.
|
|
|
Post by mwardncsu on Oct 27, 2014 7:55:31 GMT -5
Is this a paid advertisement? Definitely not paid.... But given it is mostly a repeat of the previous post that had been made just 2 above, it is feeling a bit like "internet marketing". I am all of members sharing information on products that they have found that work well for striper (or other) fishing - that's certainly a key goal of this forum - for members to share things they have found that work well - and we can be a bit evangelical about them - certainly the SuperBait Tank & Danco venturi get their share of "air time" here. However, we will keep our eye out for those posts outside of the "Market" section that are blatantly product advertisements from non-contributing members....
|
|