Trouble keeping bait alive in baitwell

[Sea.P.A.]

Has anyone tried to insulate the baitwell on the 190 Bay? I was wondering if the canned insulation would work for me. Anyone anticipate an issue with this?

[tylerderdan]

Bait needs a directional flow, not too fast and not too slow. I really don't think the icing and all that is going to help. If you are picking up outside water and circulating it through and back out your tank, your problem is a flow problem nothing else. Your bait should be swimming circular in the tank at an easy relaxed pace, not too fast not too slow. That is the perfect setup. Unless I am missing something for this particular type of bait, that should be all that you need to keep your bait in perfect shape.

[Sea.P.A.]

I don't have problems keeping other bait alive (shrimp, mud minnows, menhaden and other baits when I go to the coast) and even threadfin shad has not been too difficult to keep alive, I even put the occasional largemouth and crappie with no problem. These blueback herring are driving me nuts. Some of these local guys have very expensive tanks (in addition to their built in livewells) like these http://www.creekboats.com/tank_home.htm but I refuse to believe that the actual tank makes that much of a difference, unless it's purely size or temperature.

[fishingfool]

To keep bluebacks alive you need directional flow, good aereation and
cool water. Bluebacks prefer the water temp to be around 65 to 70 deg.
With my bait tank I can keep 5 doz bluebacks alive for about 9-15 hrs, when
the ambiant air temp in the 90's. I have a Keep Alive KA29460 bait tank, they
are a not quite as expensive as the ones you mentioned in your last post.
Mine cost about $300.00 and it works great. I also add 1 cup of water softner
(rock salt) and 1 table spoon of foam away. I fill my tank with well water and
mix the above before I put my bait in so the water is well mixed. then I add 2 20 oz. frozen water bottels in the tank after I get to the lake. This is the only way that I have found to keep bluebacks alive. I hope this helps.

[jrterry1976]

I have been fishing clarks hill for 5 years (4 out of a 190bay). I use the built in bait tank, except I built my own pump/filter/circulation system. The raw water pump tot he tank will not work for herring.

I bought a 600gpm bilge pump that sticks via suction cups to the bottom of the tank. The pump pumps water up a 1/2" pvc pipe above the water line into a 5 inch section of a 3"OD pipe. On the outlet side of the 3" OD section, it is down piped back to 1/2" pipe and capped. The last section has directional holes drilled in it to spray water into the tank and cause it to circulate. The 3" OD section is stuffed with poly filter material and a bag of charcoal. I take the filter and charcoal out after every trip and clean it. The water needs rock salt and needs to stay around 70 degrees. I keep herring alive for at least 8 hours (longest I have ever fished cont). I usually get my bait at the herring hut and they give you the salt etc.

Be happy to take pics if you havent found a solution.

[Sea.P.A.]

Glad to see there's another Triumph on Clark Hills. I'd love to see pics of your set up so I can have some success as well. I can only keep them alive in the winter.

[Sea.P.A.]

One more thing, what did you use to cap the existing raw water pump outlet or leave with PVC up?

[Sea.P.A.]

Molar,

Have you had a chance to test your setup with bait? How did you run power and I see a small hole at the bottom of you tank, what is that?

[mick]

I just bailed on the stock bait tank. I took out the ice chest an installed a 27 gal kodiak in its place. Now my old bait tank is my ice chest and my bait stays alive without any trouble. The location of the stock tank was too much trouble. Makes a better ice chest than a bait tank IMO. I'm on the west coast and we fish sardines and anchovies. Directional flow is the key for these baits.

mick

[NCangler]

We'd love to see some pictures of your setup Mick.

Originally Posted by mick

I just bailed on the stock bait tank. I took out the ice chest an installed a 27 gal kodiak in its place. Now my old bait tank is my ice chest and my bait stays alive without any trouble. The location of the stock tank was too much trouble. Makes a better ice chest than a bait tank IMO. I'm on the west coast and we fish sardines and anchovies. Directional flow is the key for these baits.

mick