|
|
Post by OnTheRocks on Jun 1, 2015 11:07:09 GMT -5
How would I be able to keep shad alive that I can catch on a Friday night, and use them and still have them fairly healthy on Saturday morning? I plan on getting a small bait tank to put on my fish and ski boat that's set up for fishing, but live about 45 mins from the lake. I do have a creek at the house but not sure if it would be sufficient or not. Would adding ice and rock salt to a bait tank or barrel keep them alive overnight for a few hours enough to fish with?
|
|
|
|
Post by mwardncsu on Jun 1, 2015 11:49:51 GMT -5
A few keys to keeping shad & alewifes happy & frisky. - good aeration - good filtration - proper water temperature - salt (about a cup per 10 gal of rock salt) A quality bait tank - like a Super Bait Tank II, incorporates the 1st two, and you provide the third (and the tank helps by being well insulated). You don't HAVE to purchase a tank, but it sure helps..... many here have made their own tanks that work well - incorporating the aeration & filtration techniques from production tanks. On water temp - you want to be close to the temp the bait came out of and will be going back into - this does NOT mean the surface temp - but where the bait will be holding & where you will be fishing it. For alewifes in the summer I like to keep my tank around 65. Lower temp means the water can hold more oxygen and I can put more bait in the tank. Lots of good discussion in the old posts in this section of the forum.... smlfishingforums.proboards.com/board/17/live-bait-equipment |
|
|
|
Post by OnTheRocks on Jun 1, 2015 12:02:57 GMT -5
Thank you for the information! Should help me get going in the right direction.
|
|
BentRod
Global Moderator
Posts: 2,252
|
Post by BentRod on Jun 1, 2015 12:10:43 GMT -5
You don't have to live at the lake to keep bait alive - that's a crock excuse some people like to use on here. It takes the same amount of effort regardless of where you live - living near the lake only gains you potentially more sleeping time.
Mwards advice is really good. Just buy a super bait tank or similar and forget it.
|
|
|
|
Post by mwardncsu on Jun 1, 2015 12:27:18 GMT -5
BentRod is right on that. I know a number of guys that live a long ways from the waters they fish that have SERIOUS home bait tank setups - they go and catch bait in fairly large quantity and rush it home in the boat tank and transfer to the house tank (usually several hundred gallons) - then they have cured out bait ready to go fish when they want for a quick trip. Living on the lake (full time) means you just don't have to drive the truck as far - but it also means you're less likely to load the boat and go to richer bait waters for the right bait and bring back - or you spend even more gas running the boat all over the lake trying to catch it on SML. Striperbingemichael posted his set up - catch bait where it's easy and then go fish it...... smlfishingforums.proboards.com/thread/3267/extra-effort-best-quaity-bait |
|
|
|
Post by kzigmond2 on Jun 13, 2015 19:20:14 GMT -5
Hey I've been looking at these bait tanks. Anyone have experience with the Greyline tanks? They look very similar to the Super Bait Tank. Just wondering what you guys thought.
|
|
|
|
Post by mwardncsu on Jun 13, 2015 19:39:52 GMT -5
I personally do not like the filtration system in the Greylines - multiple pumps with one in the bait area to for the bait to bang into, etc.
|
|
|
|
Post by hotdog on Jun 13, 2015 21:51:11 GMT -5
I have an older Grayline 20 that has only one pump but I usually use my home made tank just because it's better insulated. My home made tank has a creekbank bait spa in it and 1" foam insulation all the way around plus top and bottom. I put about 30 5" alewife in it Wednesday night and still have a few left in it Saturday night. I've never had any trouble with the Grayline until hot weather hits. I used to wrap it in an old sleeping bag to keep the sun off of it. I've never used the newer models. I'd love to own a Super bait tank but no more than I get to fish lately it just doesn't make since to me.
Good luck.
|
|
|
|
Post by kzigmond2 on Jun 13, 2015 21:59:49 GMT -5
Thanks guys!
|
|
|
|
Post by striperskinner on Jun 14, 2015 15:42:50 GMT -5
one more thing that helps a lot use well water when filling your tank city water has clorine and will greatly affect your bait also store bought ice to cool the water has clorine in it use rock salt in your tank to keep the scales on the bait and use shad keeper to keep the amonia at a manageable level. Been doing this for years make my own tanks able to keep bait for 3 or 4 dayes without any problems just takes a lot of attenion to detail well water is around 58 degrees and you dont wont the water to get over about 62 to 65 degrees if it gets any hotter than that you will start to seeyour tank start to foam just use pam cooking spray to get rid of the foam and cool your water
good luck
|
|
