Building A Bait Tank.

[Fish_Whisperer]

In the electronics forum, I let it be known that I was building a bait tank.  I wanted to share my design (nothing original, took attributes from other designs and incorporated it into my own.)

 

The purpose for this tank is to transport blueback herring from one body of water to another that is one hour away. Blueback herring are easy to die, So I'm researching and plan on doing everything I can to keep them alive til we get to the location, upon which they will be set into another tank that is circulated by river current.

 

I'm terrible with paint, but here is this basics of my plan...

 

 

 

The idea is this... I want filtered water to enter the bilge pump. To ensure that,  I encase my bilge pump in a 5 gallon bucket, and plumb inlets and outlets.  the pump will suck water through the canister filter, into the 5 gallon bucket and back out of a pvc elbow.  The pvc elbow will send the water out sideways, creating a whirlpool effect so that the herring will school in circles, similar to what they do in their natural habitat.  An aerator pump (much larger than the bubble bucket style) will provide plenty of oxygen.  I will also be using shad keeper holding formula, which will rid the water of ammonia while providing nutrients for the herring.  

 

J. Francho informed me that I can run this setup off of the transporting vehicles battery with no problems, so I will be doing that along with adding fuses and a switch.

 

So, you all think this will work?

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

Looks like you've done your homework! 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Looks like you've done your homework! 

 

 

I have, BUT, do you think it will work?  I'd hate to drop money on this setup and it turn out a bust.  

[Hyrule Bass]

is it legal to move the fish from one body of water to another like that? i was reading an article on here how a guy dumped a bucket of alewife he was using for bait in a lake that didnt have alewives and it severely affected the lake

[Fish_Whisperer]

is it legal to move the fish from one body of water to another like that? i was reading an article on here how a guy dumped a bucket of alewife he was using for bait in a lake that didnt have alewives and it severely affected the lake

 

Blueback herring are present in the waters they will be going to.... I'm not very educated on the waters we are going to therefore I don't know where to throw the net, and since I am bank fishing I am limited as to how much water I can cover with my cast net.  

 

They will be used to target Stripers.

[MassBass]

You can't use wild herring for striper bait. They're protected. Its like shooting a bald eagle.

[Fish_Whisperer]

You can't use wild herring for striper bait. They're protected. Its like shooting a bald eagle.

Maybe in your area, but if that was the case around here, there would be a bunch of guides in big trouble.  

[everythingthatswims]

You can't use wild herring for striper bait. They're protected. Its like shooting a bald eagle.

That's anadromous (migratory) herring in rivers.

[Fish_Whisperer]

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/regulations.html

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/fish/species/stripedbass.html

 

Show me please where it says I cannot use wild blueback herring...

[MassBass]

Sorry thats how it is where i striper fish. everythingthatswims corrected me.

[Fish_Whisperer]

No problem, this kinda stuff happens on forums, regulations are different for every state.  

 

As for my question on if it will work or not, i have talked with some people that are doing similar things with good results, some even keeping them up to a week before die off.  I have tweaked my original idea so the 5 gallon bucket will not be in the barrel, and plumbing will run through the bungs on top of the barrel.  This allows for better connections on flat sides of the barrel (tops) and bucket instead of on the round sides where it would be hard to get a good seal.  

[jhoffman]

Good thing you chose a round tank. The herring species will find a corner and smash their own face in.

[Fish_Whisperer]

Hypothetically, lets say that I want to take the tank mentioned in this thread to the bank... I would need a battery, but I don't wanna haul a large deep cycle battery, any other substitutions?

[WRB]

Cylindrical bait tanks should have the circulation to create a counter clockwise current so the baitfish face into the current.

Tom

[Fish_Whisperer]

Cylindrical bait tanks should have the circulation to create a counter clockwise current so the baitfish face into the current.

Tom

I have read that, and my plan was to face elbow or vertical pvc bar with holes going counter clockwise.  Does it have a chance, WRB?

[Bluebasser86]

Good thing you chose a round tank. The herring species will find a corner and smash their own face in.

 

That's the same problem with shad, put them in a tank with corners and they're dead in 20 minutes.

Hypothetically, lets say that I want to take the tank mentioned in this thread to the bank... I would need a battery, but I don't wanna haul a large deep cycle battery, any other substitutions?

Depending on how it attaches to your power source, you may be able to use a power inverter? I use one to keep minnows and sunfish alive in a Rubbermaid tub when I go catfishing. It plugs into my cigarette lighter in my truck and runs aquarium bubbler aerators in both tubs. A smaller lawnmower battery may be an option also. 

[Fish_Whisperer]

That's the same problem with shad, put them in a tank with corners and they're dead in 20 minutes.

Depending on how it attaches to your power source, you may be able to use a power inverter? I use one to keep minnows and sunfish alive in a Rubbermaid tub when I go catfishing. It plugs into my cigarette lighter in my truck and runs aquarium bubbler aerators in both tubs. A smaller lawnmower battery may be an option also. 

Was going to run leads to the transport vehicle's battery for the ride.  If a lawnmower battery will work, then I will go that route once I get to location.

[WRB]

I have read that, and my plan was to face elbow or vertical pvc bar with holes going counter clockwise.  Does it have a chance, WRB?

I have read that, and my plan was to face elbow or vertical pvc bar with holes going counter clockwise.  Does it have a chance, WRB?

Really depends on a lot of factors like water temperature, air temperature and length of time in your tank.

The pump tends to warm up the water, warm air warms the water, night air cools it and changes that exceed the herring's tolerance will kill them just as fast as low DO levels.

You need a cover with a low watt light at night to keep the bait swimming the right direction and keep out predators. Your 55 gallon tank weighs over 400 lbs with 50 gallons of water, difficult to manage.

Tom

[Fish_Whisperer]

Really depends on a lot of factors like water temperature, air temperature and length of time in your tank.

The pump tends to warm up the water, warm air warms the water, night air cools it and changes that exceed the herring's tolerance will kill them just as fast as low DO levels.

You need a cover with a low watt light at night to keep the bait swimming the right direction and keep out predators. Your 55 gallon tank weighs over 400 lbs with 50 gallons of water, difficult to manage.

Tom

The water that the herring are coming from is pretty warm, i'm suprised  they're surviving as well as they do.  I will be sure to keep a way to monitor temps in the tank on hand.  The night thing wont be an issue, as they will be used the same day.  Schedule is as follows...

 

5am: in the water, throwing cast net.  between 5-530 is my best time to net herring in the hole i find them.  I have a cutout 55gal drum with hundreds on holes that I weigh down beside me, and have yet to have one die even without aeration from a bubbler, the current seems to provide enough circulation of o2 rich water.  

 

5:45 am:  turn on the truck tank, quickly bring bait to it by multiple 5 gal buckets.  

 

6am: depart, 1 hr 10 minute drive to destination.

 

once there, the herring wlll be transferred to the cutout barrel at fishing location.