How to.....Live Bait Pen

[Hooper]

Hi Guys



I am wondering if anyone out there uses a bait pen that they keep live baits in between trips.... Locally, the tuna fleet have large pens they keep beside their boats at the slip. They keep live bluefish in them while the bite is on.

I am thinking of building something on a bit smaller scale to hold herring in. The herring push through Cape Cod in great numbers in April, but by the time the good sized bass arrive, the herring are becoming harder to find. I am thinking of stocking up early in the run, putting a stash in the pen and the reaping the rewards come mid-May!

If anyone has built something like this, what material did you use for the framework? For floatation? I have looked at rubber coated chicken wire screening which would be easily cut and formed into shape, but I don't think it will hold up against corrosion.

Any ideas????

Thanks guys, Hooper

[mikecc]

I use 1/2"x 1" rubber coated wire 30" hight . I hold the cage together with Hog Rings(SS wire clips) and for floatation I use the Noodles that kids play with in the pool 4' long and use zip ties to hold them on
my pens are round this will help the fish from rubbing their nose raw.