A persons can ruin a good day on the water because of a problem with the bait bucket. One moment a person may be selecting the perfect bait such as shiners or crawfish, but the next moment the bait bucket can contain floating dead fish or bait that has a strong smell that stays on a persons hands for many hour. Many people of all skill levels encounter these types of problem with their bait buckets.
If a person can learn how to properly care for the bait in their bucket, they stand a better chance of having their bait remain active throughout the fishing day. Should a person make mistake in caring for their bait, however, they may end up fishing with wet socks all day. There are a few different problems that may occur with a persons bait bucket.
If a person can recognize these problems and avoid making them, they can ensure that their fishing trip remains successful. The following information will describe the problems that can occur in a bait bucket, the reason for each problem, and the steps that experienced fishermen uses to avoid each of these problems altogether. With the information provided, a person will have better control over their bait and will have fewer instances of missed fishing opportunity.
Common Problems With Your Bait Bucket
1. Oxygen Depletion
One of the most common problems with a bait bucket is the depletion of the oxygen that remains in the bucket. Baitfish species such as shad and minnows requires a certain level of dissolved oxygen to remain active in their environment. When the levels of dissolved oxygen in the water drop too low, the baitfish will gulp at the air at the surface of the water, but will eventually weaken and die due to the lack of dissolved oxygen in their water habitat.
This problem typically occurs with individuals who use small bait buckets for their bait but who load the bucket with too many fish at once. An individual can avoid this problem by following a rule of thumb that states that an individual should provide one gallon of water in the bait bucket for every dozen medium sized minnows that are to be stored in the bucket. Furthermore, using an airstone that is connected to a battery-operated aerator will help to ensure that the oxygen levels in the bait bucket remain stable even if the water becomes warm.
These two steps will keep the bait alive until they are needed for fishing.
2. Water Temperature Changes
Water temperature changes are another common problem. Water that is stored in the bait bucket can become very cold when added to the water resources where the baitfish live.
When the water that has these fish added to it is placed into a black plastic bait bucket, the water can heat to the temperature of the sun in just a few minutes. This rapid change in the water temperature stress the fish in their bodies and halves the lifespan of the baitfish. To avoid this problem, fishermen can either use insulated bait containers or they can perform the process of tempering the water in their bait bucket prior to placing the fish in the container.
To temper the water in the bait bucket, an individual should begin with the bait bucket filled to two-thirds of the the way with lake water at the boat ramp. Subsequently, the individual can add a few cups of water from the boats livewell or bait tank every ten minutes while the baitfish remain in the shade. This process will allow the baitfish to remain in water that is of a consistent temperature and allows them to swim normal in the water.
Should the weather be particularly hot on a given day, some fishermen will place a frozen water bottle into the bait bucket and cover it with a towel. The bottle should remain outside of the bait water to avoid shocking the baitfish by rapidly lowering the water temperature in the bait bucket.
3. Poor Water Quality
Poor water quality is another problem that can occur in the bait bucket.
After storing baitfish in the bait bucket, the water can become contaminated with the waste and scales of the baitfish, as well as any chunks of bait that may have fallen into the water. If the bait is permitted to remain in the bucket with the contaminated water for several hours, the water can become toxic to the baitfish and their survival. While weekend anglers may not recognize this problem with their bait bucket, the quality of the water in their bucket are poor.
Water changes are a common activity that should be performed in the bait bucket to improve the water quality. An individual should carry a second bait bucket with them that is to be used with fresh lake water only. When the bait bucket begins to become cloudy with the stored baitfish, the baitfish should be gently netted into the second, clean bait bucket.
This allows for the old bait bucket to be scrubbed for cleanliness without losing half of the stored baitfish to the water. Some experienced fishermen add a handful of non-iodized salts and bait conditioning products to their bait bucket after each change of water to promote the survival of the baitfish. The added salt allows the baitfish to produce slime with their bodies to allow for better handling by the fishermen.
4. Overcrowding the Bucket
Overcrowding the bait bucket with too many baitfish is a problem that will result in other problems with the baitfish all occurring at faster rates. Because tackle shops sell baitfish in packages of a dozen, a person may be tempted to purchase two or three times the amount of baitfish that are needed. This problem occurs due to the fact that more fish mean that the oxygen in the water is consumed at a faster rate, the waste in the water increases at a faster rate, and the fish will begin to collide with each other which can result in the shedding of scales of each fish.
The best solution to this problem is to separate the bait into two buckets. An individual can store the majority of the baitfish in a larger bait bucket that remains cool and shaded from the sun. A smaller bait bucket that holds only the amount of baitfish that will be used for fishing in the near future can be used instead to avoid the overcrowding of the bait bucket.
5. Low Quality Bait Buckets
Cheaply-made bait buckets can lead to problems in the same way that overcrowding does. A cheaply-made bait bucket typically has thin plastic walls that will absorb the heat from the sun, has small openings in the bucket that make it difficult to use a fish net to load the bucket, and has lids that are too tight to allow the air to escape from the bucket. Each of these features will negatively impact the baitfish that is stored in such a bucket.
An individual should purchase bait buckets that have thick walls to insulate the baitfish from the heat of the sun, have large openings in the bucket for ease of loading baitfish into the bucket, and have lids that allow the air to escape from the bucket. Instead of purchasing cheap bait buckets, however, experienced fishermen may opt to purchase round, aerated livewells that is used in boats but which can be used at the fishing dock. Furthermore, standard bait buckets can be modified to allow for the baitfish to receive adequate amounts of water and oxygen to survive.
Each of these alternatives will save an individual money in only a few fishing trips. Individuals should not forget the task of properly cleaning their bait bucket between fishing trips. Any water that remains in the bait bucket will begin to break down and introduce seeds of bacteria into the next batch of water that is added to the bucket.
6. Cleaning and Sanitation
The odor of the bucket when it is first pulled from the garage is an indicator of the bacteria that is in the water and how it will impact the life of the stored baitfish. To properly clean a bait bucket, an individual should rinse the bucket with a hose from the kitchen and then use a solution of mild bleach and water or vinegar to kill the bacteria that is living in the bait bucket. Afterwards, the bait bucket should be rinsed again with clean water and allowed to dry completely in the sun.
When dry, the bucket should be stored upside down with the lid removed to prevent condensation from forming within the bait bucket. A person should treat their bait bucket as they would a cooler in which they eat their meals; they are eating out of the same environment in which their baitfish live. Thus, if the baitfish are to remain healthy, they should not be allowed to live within dirty containers.
7. Species Specific Needs
The last problem that may occur in a bait bucket is ignoring the specific needs of each species of baitfish. For example, crawfish can live in warmer water and with lower amount of dissolved oxygen than do species like shad. Leeches require cooler water temperatures and avoid bright light.
Fathead minnows are very hardy but produce more waste than golden shiners. If an individual places each of these different types of baitfish into the same bait bucket with the same amount of aerators, some types of baitfish will die while others remain alive. An individual should take the time to visit the bait shop to learn about the types of conditions in which each type of baitfish prefers to live.
If possible, each type of baitfish may be stored in separate coolers that contain ice packs. These different types of habitats can help to ensure that each type of baitfish remains active and alive until they are needed for fishing.