Rango--I keep minnows in a 48 quart Coleman ice chest on the boat. They will keep for a week or longer. As a matter of fact I usually have to buy a few dz minnows each time I go out and I just throw them in the chest with the rest of em so it's possible some minnows are in there for several weeks. The key is to keep the water cool and to add some fresh water every coupla days. I keep a bucket with a coupla gals of lake water in my "beeridgerator " in the basement and take out some of the water from the ice chest and add the cold fresh water. I use lake water because I live on the lake and the chlorinated tapwater can kill the minnows. If you have well water it shouldn't be a problem. If you have chlorinated water you can get an Omni cartridge filter from any hardware store and fit it to a hose to use for the minnow tank. If you don't have a fridge to chill the water just put some ice in with the minnows. Adding alittle water every coupla days isn't much work and having a tank with a lid will keep the critters out. It also eliminates the need for a pump or aerator. As a matter of fact I can tell ya from past experience that an aerator can cause the water to heat up by splashing the water in the warm air. BTW I will be makin smokies tomorrow.
One taste of the bait
is worth the pain of the hook
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