how hardy are they? i've never used them before as bait but have easy access to them next week. i'm determined to catch some fluke from shore. will they stay alive long in a 5g bucket w/ an aerator?

A few weeks ago i was out and we using them and scup for striper bait. We threw them in the live well and they appeared to not do well. They were swimming sideways and then went belly up while the scup did fine. But when you hooked them up and put em in the water they came back to life and the bass and blues loved em. I would thin they would do ok in the bucket for a while. Are you going to be netting them or catching them? The little bastards have a tough mouth and getting the hook out without too much damage can be tough.

Thems tough lil fellers.

Bucket with an air stone shpuld do it.

Refresh their h2o every now and then when on the water to keep them cool.
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Just get chubs theyll live forever and the fluke love em...PM me if you cant find any....but there everywhere..:hihi:

Have not thought about them for years but remember getting them and putting them in a chinese food container layered with damp burlap and sawdust. Does anyone else remember doing that?

Also kept them alive for hours on end in a bait bucket with water and an aerator tab.

Also remember them dying overnight in the basement shaower in the bucket of water. I was pretty frugal back then and did not want to waste any bait. Did not smell too good if I forgot about them but they were great plant food when buried in my dad's garden.

They are tough creatures.