After a month, finally got the used pontoon up and running, now time to add in the bait tank. Found some 30 gallon tanks at several places, now I just need to figure out how to setup/configure and have a few questions.

Bait will be mostly freshwater shad, bluegill or minnows. Will take it down to the coast a few times a year so bull minnows and menhaden will also be on the menu.

I have a small bilge pump that has never been used that I could use to fill it up. My questions are:

1) Do I need freshwater coming in at all times or just use a recirculation pump and filter system once it is filled?

2) If this is just a recirculation pump, do I just put the filter inline (water in) to the pump then water back out into the tank at the top?

3) what is the proper ratio of salt to use versus gallons of water?

4) in the filter, what is the best filter material to use?

I probably will not go the oxygen injection route right now (just cannot afford it) so lookingf for low budget that will work until I can do one better next year.

Any advice, tips, illustrations would be great! Just glad to be back on the water.

My used pontoon has a pretty good system...a small bilge type pump continuously pumping new water into the tank. The tank has an overflow pvc pipe. Seems to work very well and I haven't had the need for O2 injection....yet

Tiny is the man to ask when it comes to keeping shad alive. He's our resident pro on the catfish forum. Here's his take on it:

http://www.catfishing.tv/Main/tips-section/TipsSection.html
Click on the "Aerator II" link. I'm building one of these on a few weeks. Pretty inexpensive and very effective. Just use a bucket to fill the well up and switch 'er on.

If keeping shad alive is important to you I would go with Greyline bait tanks. I'm thinking about getting one of these systems. Recirculating pump with a good filter that can be changed frequently is the way to go. A little pricey but being the only boat on the water with lively bait is worth it. I recently went on a guided trip with a guide who had one of these and we had very lively shad for bait all day even though he had put them in the livewell the day before. See link below.

http://www.graylinebaittanks.com/

great thanks guys

ChaseNTheBite,

That is a great do it yourself aerator set-up with good instructions. Thanks for the link. Now I have to decide if I should tackle making my own or just buy one. Let me know how yours turns out.

I have a tank and it is oval with a compartment behind the oval that has the pump, filters, tubing, ect... The filter that I use is pillow batting from Wally World. My Dad also has the same set up that I do and he also uses the batting along with ( I don't know what it is called, but I will describe - The hard part of a sponge that you use as a scrubber {usually green) and it helps.) I only use the pillow batting and it works pretty well also. I have a 36 gal. tank and use @ a cup and a half of salt. I also use foam off. I have changed out water, but only if I plan on keeping the bait overnight. I have tried to create my own tank before and it did not work nearly as well as the tanks that you can buy. Our tanks are both Blue Water. I would buy a Grayline or Sunshine if I was to buy another one. Hope that this helps a little.

1 - Use a filtration system

2 - N/A

3 - 1 cup per 10 gallons (I believe)

4 - Cotton, quilt making material, cheapest stuff you can find that can be removed easily and replaced.

on a extra note: add some shad keeper to your water.
http://www.sure-life.com/pro_SHAD_KEEPER.html

thanks

You have to have a filter!!

Visit this:
http://www.sure-life.com/bait_problem.html

Go directly to the page. Google and others may tell you the page may not exhist, but it is there. I hope this helps.