Year round bait tank?

[FurFlyin]

I could put the tank in my shop. That way I wouldn't have to worry about winter kill either. Might smell up the place a little, but that would cover up the smell of when I mash minners in the carpet on the boat. I have been thinking about cooling the water..... I'm sure someone has tried this, but I wonder what would happen if I used a radiator with an electric fan?...

Regarding a summer die off. The mosquito fish won't die from heat. If they did there's no way that little stream would be jam packed with them. There's running water in it now, and probably is to some extent all summer long so that definitely keeps it cooler but it's not more than a foot deep, anywhere along the stream. No trees for shade either. It's in the blazing sun, all day long.

I may just have to fire up one of our green machines and dig me a 1/4 acre pond.....

[FurFlyin]

Cray, I've looked at them before, but is that Rubbermaid tank insulated? The one I have is just a galvanized trough. Heck the bottom may be rotted out on it for all I know. I haven't looked at it in 5 years or longer. I bought it about 10 years ago when we were in a 3 year drought. I put it out just to give deer a place to drink.

[ccollins]

Get you a 15 cu ft deep freeze all you have to add then is pump and filer. Google minnow tanks made from deep freeze.

[dhaire]

Get you a 15 cu ft deep freeze all you have to add then is pump and filer. Google minnow tanks made from deep freeze.

Good for a start but unless you have a way of cooling the water it still gets too hot. At least here in Texas.


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[CrappiePappy]

Good for a start but unless you have a way of cooling the water it still gets too hot. At least here in Texas.

A working deep freeze unit WILL keep the water cold, but you might end up with minnersicles if you can't control the temp.

[Benton B]

Does anyone have a year round bait tank at home? Since remembering about the mosquito fish I've been planning to set up a cattle water trough on the north side of my shop at home and give them a try. I would need to set up a filtration system similar to an ornamental pond, I guess...

I would need to set up a breeding tank as well, I guess....

I would need some chemicals to treat the water, then some food for them.

I guess this is gonna be a mess..... LOL BUT, I have to drive out of the way to get GOOD minnows. I can buy them on the way to my normal fishing spots but they are not well cared for and half die before I can use them. The gas station I buy my boat gas from is not a bait shop, but they only sell 100% gas, so that's the only place I fill up.

If not for the hassle of having to stop and get minnows I would probably fish with them more often.

So, back to my project, does anyone have any tips for setting something like this up? If not, I'm not opposed to winging it. LOL

Everybody loves the “good minnows” that are not lethargic, beat up and have caught the red-nose. If you look, I bet you can find a real live bait minnow keeping expert close to home, there are lots of these experts around. Take a ride and go talk to any local bait dealers that sells live baitfish (minnows) in your area. The bait dealer you buy bait from will be a great starting point.

Live minnow dealers are the real bait keeping experts bar none. They make a good living selling live minnows because they know how to keep live minnows alive and healthy enough for days, weeks, months. Sometimes 1 or 2 minnows die overnight, but not many. Keep in mind that some won’t tell you nothing, you know, trade secret stuff… don’t be offended just ask another bait dealer how he keeps minnow alive so well. The bro-science though meant well, can be real disappointing, expensive and doesn’t always work well sometimes, especially during the summer… June-September.

[dhaire]

A working deep freeze unit WILL keep the water cold, but you might end up with minnersicles if you can't control the temp.

We were told unequivocally a working chest type freezer was not able to hold the water therefore could not be used to cool your water. I was prepared to buy one but sales guy at Lowe’s said it would not work. Would love to find out he was wrong.


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[2boatjoe]

I have seen 2 working chest freezers used to hold minnows they where both old ones but nothing special. You could always get some kind of rubber liner to seal it up. That spray stuff you see on tv with the boat and the screen door kind of deal.

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[CrappiePappy]

We were told unequivocally a working chest type freezer was not able to hold the water therefore could not be used to cool your water. I was prepared to buy one but sales guy at Lowe’s said it would not work. Would love to find out he was wrong.

Not sure he knows what he's talking about, or what you were .... but, I've seen a upright freezer used as a minnow holding tank at one of the marinas down in Tenn on Watts Bar Lake. If I remember correctly, he also had it where the top could not be closed, so that the water wouldn't freeze and the gasses could escape. The freezer was not a "new" one .... and I don't think I'd spend that kinda money on one, when you can usually find used ones at yard/estate sales, or "scratch/dent" sales at appliance outlets.

In my mind, the trick to using one for a minner tank would be to be able to adjust the cooling to where the contents wouldn't freeze, yet keep the water in the 40-50deg range.

[Erin Brewer]

Thanks, I'll see if I can find it.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/live-...keeping-101-a/
here is the thread!