School me on purging

[ncsportfisher]

Can someone explain to me the best way to purge shad? I am sure it has been covered before.. Is it best just to put them in the livewell and let water run constantly for 10 or so minutes? Trying to learn how to take care of those things!

[mwardncsu]

Some just put in a bucket with heavy salt and let them sit, others with a bubbler or aerator pump. If water is cool enough then a recirc on livewel will flush that slime coat.

I probably should but I never purge mine

[Yam]

If you were going about your day and suddenly found yourself being dragged into the water by a net, you might crap your pants and lose some skin. I don't really want your excrement floating in my tank. Thus, I might put you in my livewell for a few minutes. When I do this, it keeps my bait tank clear. However, the shad would probably be better off if they were just dumped into my bait tank because the salt is there and will definitely help them to keep their scales. Using a container with salt in it offers the best of both worlds. Sometimes I will fill up my fish box with water and salt and use it to purge the shad.

Frankly, the differences in using the livewell, a container with salt, or just dumping the shad into your bait tank are rather minimal in terms of shad health. Thus, I choose the option that I feel like implementing at any given time but will concede that the container of water and salt is the best option.

[drag4striper]

Good to know, because I haven't been using salt while purging shad. Should I put ale's in a salt purge as well or directly in the tank?

[Cool hand Fluke]

What's helped me is one of the round totes with the rope handles on both sides, I picked one up at Lowe's for like 7.50. I fill it up and add salt, and unload net straight into it, and let them stay in that to purge them, definitely helped me with my Ales, and keeping my bait tank clear after I transfer them

[johnr]

I do pretty much the same as CHF. I over salt my purge water. Dump the net in there and wait as long as possible. When they quit twitching, I put them in the tank. They come right back to life and the tank stays clean.

I used to dump them right into the tank. With that method, there was a lot of net casualties in my tank, tons of scales and tons of slime. I'd spend more time messing with filters than anything. Well purged bait is nice and clean.

[ncsportfisher]

Great. Thanks for the input!
Do you have a pump or filter on your tote?

[Cool hand Fluke]

I've got a frabill bubble maker I clip to it, supposedly it aerates 20 gallons but idk, and no filter. Like John r said I just leave them in there for awhile and even with the shad, it gets the slime off and they clean their selves out, I usually still keep an out on the filter once their in the bait tank, but it all stays relatively clean, and the water stays clear as glass! I also run a cap of bait saver in my bait tank as well!

[johnr]

I don't use extra pumps on the purge bucket. It makes no difference for the short time they are purging. The extra rich water in my tank fixes them right up after the purge.

[ncsportfisher]

Thanks for the advice. Looks like I'm going to start using my livewell to purge them. Worth a try. It's a decent size, I'm guessing 20 gallons at least.

[rme25v]

Do you mean you like make them poop a lot so they don't dirty the bait tank?

[Shadslinger]

Yes when shad are first caught or under stress the poop and puke and release a slime. Some/not all will first put shad in a separate tank to let them do all that. After they have purged most of their junk out then they will transfer them into the bait tank. This keeps your tank and filters cleaner.