Livewell in your vehicle

[tlapinski]

another of my winter projects is to make some sort of livewell for transporting eels/scup/whatever next season in my truck. here is a pretty simple set up i found online. i may try something like this.

http://jettyfishing.com/articles/tech/bait_bucket.html

[MAC]

Toby, How about a keep Alive system from Mike? Could pull double duty for herring too.

[NIB]

www.aquaticeco.com they have everthing u need an then some a round 50 gallon tank from cabellas is a good buy.I've found that larger diameter's are better than hieght when lookin for max water capacity

[fishweewee]

Originally posted by MAC
Toby, How about a keep Alive system from Mike? Could pull double duty for herring too.

Yup, now if I could only get a pickup truck to put it in.

[tlapinski]

i thought about the keepalive system, but it is more $$ than i really need to spend. we can't use herring anywhere in CT, and i think it it more of a hassle than it is worth to try to get livies in RI or MA for what i do. i will probably try something like what is in the article, but with a cooler so that i can secure it in the back of my truck. it will mostly be used for scup. i have a few places that i think a live scup will be dynamite!

[RIROCKHOUND]

"i have a few places that i think a live scup will be dynamite!"
Me too....
Toby; let me know how you make out, designing one for my skiff this winter for the same purpose....
Herring = Heathen fishing

[Bernzy]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...ainCatcat20166

I've got the 20 gal system. It works very well.

Bernzy

[cheferson]

I dont think you could keep more then a couple fish at most in that bucket. Maybe 1 legal sized scup?

[tlapinski]

i have kept 1/2 dozen scup alive in a bucket on the beach before without the use of an aerator or filter. they are pretty hardy. i just want to be able to transport them a few miles or keep them from daylight into the night.

[Saltheart]

They sell the Keep alive airator pump separately so you could use it to airate and make your own tank. Its far supoerior to airate with that pump than to have to pump the water up to spray it around. battery lasts a lot longer s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g air than pumping water up hill.

[cheferson]

1/2 dozen 10.5 inchers? How long did they last? I used scup on my friends boat, they worked great, got bass in the high 20's and some aligator blues.

[*LB]

I've seen a lot of guys in Florida use a 5-gal. bucket with a cheap, battery operated aerator to keep shrimp and small baitfish alive. I would imagine the same set up would work for herring, they're a lot hardier than shrimp.

[tlapinski]

Originally posted by *LB
I would imagine the same set up would work for herring, they're a lot hardier than shrimp.

although i have never tried to keep shrimp alive, i would have a tough time believing that herring are easier to keep alive. even some of the more professional looking set ups have a pretty high mortality rate with herring.

[Mr. Sandman]

I use a keep-a-live in my YukonXL. They are not that expensive and they work well. There is a cig. outlet right near the rear doors and you simply plug and play. I have put herring, eels and scup in there as well as a load of bait sceined for the kids fish tank at home.

I have one of those catch-all mats back there just in case but so far nothing as leaked.

works fine.

I find eels really don't need it, use ice in a cooler that drains onto the street and and you should be good for a couple days.

[tlapinski]

the keepalives have a cigarette lighter attatchment? that is a pretty good idea. i may have to look into that now. what size keepalive do you use?

[NIB]

I don't care for the Keep alive system they make too much foam.surface foam robs oxygen from the water.u can use foam off but ur addin another chem to the n=mix.The site i put up has lots of inexpensive Air pumps in 12v.The Dayton we call the coffe can draws .08 amps which is practically nothin.get thier cat.its very big has any thing an everthing for keepen fish alive.U can make a inexpensive livewell by taken ur cooler an addin plastic to make the corners round use 1/2" stainless pan head screws.make a hole in the top for the air hose.u can wire a switch to the back of ur truckor just use a marine battery.In the spring live baits are the way to go.Take some herring an pitch em off some of that great structure in RI an hold on.places like beavertail where u can park near the water make me drool.u could plug em to death an think there was nothing there an picth a live in there an get ur head blown off.Herring are much more fickle (not as hardy)blue backs are junk.we get live bunker later in spring here they are the best.tough to kill sometimes u gotta slow em down a bit to get eaten.A good rule of thumg is at least 2 gallons of water per 1/2 lb of baitfish.

[Mr. Sandman]

Originally posted by tlapinski
the keepalives have a cigarette lighter attatchment? that is a pretty good idea. i may have to look into that now. what size keepalive do you use?

Oh, I cut off the aligator clips and attached a cig attachement I had lying around my work bench but I am sure they sell these at auto stores or someplace like Benny's.

I have the 30 gal uninsulated model. It has a nice top on it so even driving down dirt roads doesn't cause splashing.

Also you can adjust the amount of air that you inject in to the tank. While some fish like herring can cause foaming after a while they make stuff you can put in the water to minimize this. Although I have never really needed it. Some foam doesn;t bother me...the fish don't seem to mind.

That said I don't go really long distances ( a few miles) and don't use it every day. There are better systems out there for sure. For my limited use, this is fine.
Also keep in mind I don't KEEP my bait in the keep alive all the time. I transport my bait in a keepalive. I Keep my bait in one of those coated wire cages I keep at the dock or on a mooring.

The latest thing is Oxygen injection. Some of these live wells on these bass boats are rigged with them and the fish are actually better off in the well then in the lake.

[NIB]

I always recomend doin somethin the right way get the 50 gallon tank more water is better.get a thru hull fitting an install it in the bottom for water changes.get a piece of hose an clamp it on with a fitting an cap on the end tie off a piece of string with a hook on it an attach above the water line in u truck.U'll need this also to fill a pail to take bait from truck to fishing spot.Some guys fill em up with sump pumps but i use pails.the colder the water the better holds more oxy. Incomin in the spring.add baits slowley as they will shock if too cold.lots of guys will wrap thier tanks with inulation to help.

[Krispy]

[t.orlando]

T. got my old 55gal set up for herring sitting around doing nothing. Let me know if you wanna use it.Plugs in to lighter.Cradle for it too, used to keep in the back of my jeep.

[tlapinski]

krispy, how the hell am i going to fit that in my truck? how about a steady supply of live scup in the blue barrel at the camper?

tony, sounds good! bring it next time we meet up, and let me know what you want for it.

[t.orlando]

Will do. Also got one of those hanging areators the bait stores use. Should be good for the scup at the camper.

[PNG]

I have a pickle barrel u can have or go to So. Deerfield & follow your nose to the pickle place.

U can cut the barrel in half & put your own cover on if height is an issue.

I have made my own and used the Keep Alive system.

Use the Keep Alive airator.

[libassboy]

I use a large cooler in the bed of the truck. Ive kept saltatwer fish for years and have a reef tank with all live corals, so i just adapted my knowledge from that. I use a two maxijet pumps with the "venturi" injections attached. TONS of air is injected, we use these pumps on protein skimmers for reef aquariums. just adjust the air intake, fill with fresh sea water, turn on the pumps, and go. Marinedepot has good prices on stuff.

[partsjay]

I bought a cheap plastic 30 Gallon container at Walmart, comes with a snap on lid, bought one of those air pump kits from the fishing dept. , the one that comes with the hose and pcv end on it, and re-wired it to plug into a cig. lighter. Works perfect and I think I spent $30 bucks tops for everything. I don't use it alot , but when I do it works great, I put it right in the back of my Explorer, never gets anything wet. I'll post a pic later.

[bassmaster]

lay a 50 gal drum on its sidecut a round hole and shove a 5 gallon pail in it
plum it up
if you want to know how to keep herring alive it will cost you plugs
p.S. that jetty bucket is a hunk of #^&#^&#^&#^&.
there is more to herring that meets the eye.
got to know how to dip, and handle herring plus a few other things..............
live herring seemed to have taken off in the early 90's with that lame ass canal tourny.

[MAC]

Herring

[bassmaster]

friggen things

[ThrowingTimber]

For the foam you could use a protein skimmer $$$$$$$

or just get a cheap powerhead and put it in upside down so the filter is just about poking above the surface and you can use pantyhose or something similar to prevent blockage, you can get a cheap power head that'll do the job for about 15 - 20 bux. They're sold to make current on a tank but if you use them upside down they work as a protein skimmer in a pinch. I kept fish for a very long time My barber took his kids old kiddie pool and uses that in the back yard with a sprinker in the center feeds em krill too

[partsjay]

OK..here's my set-up...