Live Well Opinion? - FryingPanTower.Com

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:05 pm Post subject: Live Well Opinion?

Gents,
I'll be the first to admit live baiting is the way to catch fish, at least some of them. However, catching the bait is no easy task. I've done a lot of jigging with Sabicki (SP?) rigs years ago in FL but have no expertise with cast nets. Is a live well really a good idea for these parts, inside or off shore? I've dragged a lot of plastic and Ballyhoos but I'm unsure a live well is really necessary. Any opinions welcome.
Thanks much.

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:54 pm Post subject:

Short reply...YES.

Best I have found outside of a built in livewell is a 39 gal Kodiak livewell.

It is well made and will last a lifetime and will keep a butt load of live baits kicking for several days.

Dave
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Continental Shelf
Morehead City, NC
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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:12 pm Post subject:

Once we started with sabikis, our cast nets started getting cob webs. Smile

A lot of people believe in artificials & frozen bait, well because they work! But IMO I vote YES to a livewell. Live bait trolling, having a pitch bait, & even live bait for bottom fish can be advantageous some days as you know.

Inshore - you can buy bait buckets, like buckets with an aerator that attaches to the side of the bucket (very easy cheap portable setup)... we've kept pinfish alive overnight before. Bull minnows, pinfish, pigfish, and shrimp etc will live hours in one of those, finger mullet, done it many times. You can buy your bait and put them in the buckets & then take to your boat or catch your own with ur cast net or sabiki and throw them in there. .
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2nd Mate Joined: Feb 06, 2010 Posts: 42

i agree with blue.i dont have a boat but i use a bucket and aerator for pier and surf fishing. i catch shrimp and keep em in there overnight.during hte night it always seemed my batteries would die killing everything and i would have to try and catch more bait with net before i went fishing again so i went to wally world and bought an aquarium pump. take bucket inside to laundry room, plug it up and no problems since then. being inside during summer keeps bait relatively cool and pump keeps them lively. very cheap and portable. just my 2c.

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:23 am Post subject:

Gents,
Thanks much. What would you say would be the minimal size, gallon wise, one would need to keep the critters alive? I'd wager the bigger the better but all I've got is a 17 footer.

2nd Mate Joined: Feb 06, 2010 Posts: 42

on my freshwater boat at home i use a gatorade cooler, one of those that you see in football. its insulated and alot bigger than a 5 gallon bucket and doesnt take up much room but i costs a little more. 35 or 40 $ i think maybe cheaper depending on where you get it. maybe get one really cheap at yardsale or flea market.

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:02 pm Post subject:

All,
Thanks again. I'm eyeballing a 14 gallon unit, small size important, but wonder if any more than 10 baits of any size would survive long even with a through hull live well pump going.

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