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Thread: Bait well question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
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    I am wanting to put a (removable) bait well on my pontoon boat, for striper and crappy fishing.

    I have a 500 gph bilge pump installed on the back to supply water.

    How big of a tank do you folks suggest? I intend to have it fill from the pump then overflow over the side. I may put a 12v outlet up front to supply power to an aerator.
    "Only accurate rifles are interesting " - Col. Townsend Whelen

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    yonder
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    SR, I use a plastic 55 gallon drum cut in half.
    I cut my top out of 3/4" plywood and fastened it to the inside of the drum. Then I cut out a door on the top. My best reccomendations for the door is to cut it at a 45deg. angle so you can sit on it and the door won't fall through.
    My air is an $80 pump with hose and stones run into the tank.
    It works great.. I can keep about 4 dozen big herring live all day..
    ----------------------------------<br />I\'m getting worser!!!

  3. #3
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    The bilge pump is a good idea. I do have to replace water on hot days.
    When you are talking about an overflow, are you planning on having a top?? Them herrings are good jumpers.
    ----------------------------------<br />I\'m getting worser!!!

  4. #4
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    Mar 2002
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    I found a Rubbermaid container that fit perfectly on the swim platform of my boat. It's rectangular, which isn't great for keeping menhaden, but the corners are rounded enough that they don't pile up in the corners too badly. I tapped off of the built-in bait tank plumbing and had a hole in the side for overflow. For the lid, I found kitchen trash can that has a flip up, spring loaded lid that latches down. I cut the top off of it and cut a hole to fit it in the bait tank lid and glued it together with hot glue. If that description lost you, the bait tank had a removable lid with a springloaded trap door in the middle of it. It was nice having it out of the way on the platform.

    Tommy

  5. #5
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    Thankee, guys! Yes, it will have a lid - the overflow will be through a hole in the side that drains overboard through a large hose...
    "Only accurate rifles are interesting " - Col. Townsend Whelen

  6. #6
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    Oct 2003
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    Charleston
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    The rule for menhadden is about 1.5 gals per bait. Menhadden are hand sized, baits for stripers will be about one third that size or less. The idea is to not overload the tank with baits. Sometimes more is less...definately in this case.

    If you can, go with something circular. Intake at the bottom entering at an angle, the moreso the better and discharging at the top. The angular intake creates a swirl in the tank which gives the baits a direction in which to swim as opposed to banging their noses into the sides of the tank. You've probably seen baits with red nose before...that is bad and preventable to some degree. They make 40 gal circular tanks that when drained only weigh about 10 lbs. Perfect for your application.

    I would recommend a little more pump volume than 500gph.

  7. #7
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    Make sure its gonna be a rounded tank! If you use a square tank your bait will swin into the sides and end up killin themselves.
    Good to talk, see you out there!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Wilmington, NC
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    One thing that will work well with a rectangular tank such as a cooler is to cut a 5-gallon bucket into quarters then cut the bottom section out of it. trim the bucket to the height of you cooler (or rubbermade container) and silicone the pieces into the corners. You will end up with an oval shaped bait well. The space between the bucket pieces and the corner of the cooler makes a good place to put a submersible pump. Some people cut a number of notches (about 1/8" wide and 2" long) in the top of the bucket piece where the pump is mounted to allow water to flow from the top to the pump. This acts similar to a skimmer in a fish tank and helps keep the foam down.

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