It seems from what i’ve read and seen that live herring is the best for the stripers. I’ve tried them several times with limited luck. I have a feeling that my poor luck is from the fact that they don’t stay “live” for very long. Short of breaking down and finding a 150 dollar live well, and losing all that space on my 14 foot v-hull, any suggestions on what to do? One time i bought bait, and the guy but some kind of tablet in the water. I’ve tried ice, and i have one of the little 15.00 portable aerators that i put in the bucket with the guys. Dropped ice in the bucket fairly regularly, but within about 2 hours in about 65 degree weather, all were belly up. If not herring, what would be another bait that they would eat on lake murray?
I’ll sell you a 55 gal. white plastic drum for cheap, and you could build 2 nice live wells and copy mine for a pattern. Probably have less than $50 ea. in them. Mine keeps menhaden alive throughout the summer heat with a 750 gal./hr. pump.</font id=“blue”>
SALT and temp are the key. I also wish my bait tank was only 150, more like $600( I use a 50 gal Super Bait Tank II). If you are going to use BB’s you will need a great tank to keep them alive. With that being said my fishing buddy fishes out of a 14’ duracraft and he has a homemade tank that he uses and he can keep his bait alive all day long. He used some type of aquarium pump/filter and an old 30 plastic barrel he cut down. He also wrapped it in foam for insulation as well. It is very important to keep the water cool/cold.
Also I mentioned salt, I add 2 cups of ice cream rock salt and a couple of table spoons of bait saver with mine. I can keep BB’s alive for several days in the winter as long as I keep the pump running, in summer a day or so is about all I can get out of them.
This time of year a lot of the guys up here on Hartwell used fresh cut bait(herring) and it is not as much of a problem, however most of them like the bait alive when they cut it up cause it seems to be fresher:question:
Let me know if you need any more help and I will be glad to give some free advice, but a good bait tank, salt/bait saver and keeping water cold and circulated are the keys to keeping them alive
1999 Sea Pro 210cc
Suzuki 225 EFI
I went to walmart and got a blue tub/basket (about 20 inches tall, and about 2 feet wide, with rope handles on it). I put an aeriator in the bottom (it had 3 suction cups on the bottom and a white tube that went straight up) and connected it to my battery. The blue backs stayed frisky all day. Just a suggesstion…
lmcleod, that aerator sounds like what i’ve got. must be the water wasn’t cold enough. well, i could sit here and type all day, or i could go put this advice to use. Wish me luck! and i’ll let ya’ll know how it goes. thanks again guys
Now that I think back, I do believe that my fishing buddy would throw in a handfull of ice every so often . . . ., maybe I sould get a thermometer and mount to the side of the bucket.
I use a swinning pool thermometer on a cord, hangs in the bait tank. Keeping that water cool is a must!!!
SeaPro SS1850/ 90 Merc
swinning??? OOP’S!!!
SeaPro SS1850/ 90 Merc
I JUST BUILT MY OWN BAIT TANK OUT OF A 45 GALLON PLASTIC DRUM.
CUT A THIRD OFF OF IT AND REATTACHED THE TOP WITH SCREWS.
CUT A LID IN THE TOP USING A PIANO TYPE HINGE. INSTALLED A DRAIN PLUG IN THE BOTTOM, BUT I DONT THINK I’LL NEED IT.
BOUGHT AN AERATOR, THAT IS BASICALLY A BILGE PUMP THAT PUMPS THE WATER UP TO A PIECE OF PVC PIPE WITH SLITS IN TO SPRAY THE WATER BACK OUT. IT WORKS GREAT. I AM GETTING SOME OF THE “FOAM INSULATION” SPRAYED AROUND THE OUTSIDE. ONCE THAT IS DONE, IT’LL BE GOOD TO GO. THIS PAST WEEKEND IT KEPT BAIT ALIVE FOR 2 DAYS, IN THE SHADE, W/O INSULATION. HAVE LESS THAN $50 IN THE WHOLE DEAL.
SURE BEATS THE “STORE BOUGHT” PRICES…
Keep in mind what I said about the rock salt, this it the key to keeping the little devils alive along with water temp.
1999 Sea Pro 210cc
Suzuki 225 EFI