Ok I have had a few people say this is a great invention?? And said I should put it in the how to section. So here it goes:

You will need 3 buckets. I like the short 3 gal type but you can use any size that you have. I like the short buckets because they are not so top heavy when complete.

First bucket, You want to drill a hole in the side near the bottom as a drain. You will also need a plug for the hole so you can keep it from dripping water when traveling

Second bucket : You want to drill a hole bunch of 1/8 inch holes in the bottom.

Third bucket: you want to cut the bottom 2 to 4 inches off. Then you will drill a bunch of 1/8 holes in the bottom you cut off. Then you want to cut a 1" band off the top section. When you have the 1 " band cut you wan to cut it in half and rivt it to the bottom full of holes. Now you have a basket.

Now you want to put bucket #2 into bucket #1 I like to lift #2 up a little to give it more space at the bottom so it can hold alot of water if it has to. I like to have a 4 inch space there.
Mark bucket #1 were the #2 bucket will reat and drill about 5 holes around the bucket.
Now take 1" long stainless bolts and attach #2 bucket to #1 bucket using wing nuts. Buy using wing nuts you will be able to take it apart easy for cleaning when needed.
Now take the basket you made with bucket #3 and rest on top of bolts with wing nuts.
You will need a cover of some kind. I like to use Gamma seal screw covers http://www.breadbeckers.com/gammalids.htm
They screw nice and tight. They are also great to put on a good bucket and use for dry storage in your boat !!

Now add ells sea weed top with basket add ice and cover. Put in cool place away from the sun and re ice daily. I have kept 2 dozen eels alive for a week and 1 dozen for 2 weeks before!!

Well there you have it. Good Luck!!

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All set!

Cool idea;
I skip bucket three... take bucket two, fill the bottom with holes and put it inside bucket 1, no holes... put the eels in buckt two, inside bucket 1... put ice on the eels... water drains down into bucket 1.. kept em alive for up to 5 days w/ no death's doing it this way...
Bryan

I can keep just as long also!! I just like to give them a rain of cold water with some sea weed instead of freezing them.
But as long as it works!!

Yeah I find the ice puts them into sleepy mode... I shower them when I change ice if it is extended... but the ice is like hibernation, and easier to hook as well :D
If it aint broke don't fix it right!

But you are right when I fish them I will put ice in with them!! Easy hookin that way!!:D

Thanks men - I appreciate it :btu: I've tried and used every other method I can think of with eel keeping but never the double bucket.

It's a 2 AM high tide so it looks like I'm gonna take 'em for a little ride in a coupla minutes to see if they still swim all right :tooth:.......

I'll let ya know how the squirmy buggers did later ;)

I've got mine, learned it from this site (Mako Joe). It works great!

Glad its working out for you, Fish On!!

Gonna make one up tonight..I take it the little (short/handled) bucket #3 is just a tray you lift up to make it easier to grap one of thosse nasty suckas, if there is an easy way...I think I might throw you initials on it as a trade mark..;)

The small bucket sits up on the screws holding the 2 bottom buckets togter. You fill with ice and then put the cover on. This allows the ice to melt and give the ells a cold shower all day. This is what keeps them alive!! they need to stay damp and cold with out the water building up or they will drown

ahhhhhhhhhh, I really need to pay more attention:smash:

That is a great idea, ice cold rain showers..great invention....

]http://www.breadbeckers.com/gammalids.htm[/url]


Is there any place local you have seen these lids, shipping $8 is a little steep, for a couple of plastic lide, no?

There are alot of places that sell them on the net. Just type in Gamma Seal lids and see what you can find?? They are always changing from time to time.

MacoJoe, where did you get the grey bucket with the screw top? That looks like the way to go.... Also, do you guys find that the eels will suffocate more if they stay in the melted water? Thanks for the help here, I'm definitely making one of these this winter.

Eels that are left in a bucket of water will die!!! They need to be in a airatored live well or left dry.

This bucket if left in a cool dry place with ice every 24 hours will keep 24 eels moist and alive for 1 week or longer!!

I have had as many as 3 dozen for a week with only losing one eel!!

The covers are called Gamma Seal, they can be found on the net easy by doing a search on Yahoo, or clicking this link http://www.nitro-pak.com/product_info.php/cPath/38_157/products_id/894?osCsid=ae02de96c6cd26831a41d53dd91cd521

There are a bunch of sites that have these covers from as little as $6 each up to $10 each, so search them out to find the best price!!

Good Luck!!

If the covers are air tight then how do the eels get their oxygen?

The ice will provide only a small part of the oxygen that is needed.
The reason the eels are staying alive with this sealed cover is because it is always being twisted off to replinish the bucket with ice.
At that time air gets in the bucket. The eels are suffocating but not enough to die until the next untwisteting of the cover.

Small vent holes at the bucket lip will work.

has those black bucket seat lids for sitting on your work bucket with all the pockets ....and they are fairly snug.

great method Maco Joe :btu:

Yes my frind used one of them tool bags things on his bucket!! Keep plier's knifes and what ever in it! Works great!!

I should come out with a coustom line of add on's now?

Look I am giving my fortune away for free! :smash:

Thank Raven

Its time to start making buckets again!!

you could have a great little cottage industry here ;) you should try marketing them.... :kewl:

I was thinking about it.....instead of using three separate buckets for the different layers, why not just use 1 bucket with one set of wing nuts to hold the "floor" that the eels rest on and another to hold the "floor" for the ice to rest on? The "floors" could be made out of old bucket tops or something cut to fit.

This could also be done! And is a good idea. I just have so many buckets that I could careless how many I use.
Thanks for the input!!

I was wondering if we could get these pictures back so I can make a "Keep Cool Eel Bucket"

I have made 5 so far :kewl:

Care to share some pics.

pm sent

Pictures all fixed!

no need for 3 buckets//just use two 1 w/holes & 1/w/out and a cover/no need to screw them together & much easier to keep clean

no drain needed have using this for 20 years and never had a problem/short buckets work best -under 5 gal.:bl: :bl:

Pictures all fixed!
Thanks Mac :kewl:

I have the same set up. The eels wont die if I put ice on them correct?
They look a little frozen even though I only put a small amount of ice on them.
Keeping them drained and some moist burlap on them.

I have the same set up. The eels wont die if I put ice on them correct?
They look a little frozen even though I only put a small amount of ice on them.
Keeping them drained and some moist burlap on them.

I run my ice under water before putting it on the eels so they don't get stuck to the ice. I learned that the hard way.:uhuh:

I use 2 buckets. 1 with the eels and ice with holes to drain the water/slime and the other to catch the water/slime.

Put some nuts and bolts in from the first level (not the bottom) that will support a regular shiner bucket with small holes on the bottom. Put the ice in the shiner bucket and let it melt over the eels.

Not only will they stay cool and moist, and not freeze - they will darken up good too

I've kept eels alive 3+ weeks in one of these :kewl: