I have a 20 gal "Keep-A-Live" bait tank in which I try to keep shad alive. I usually use the BPS Shad Saver, but lately it isn't working and I noticed the formula seems to have changed. Now the Shad Saver produces a bright blue water (that stains like crazy). Am I not using enough of the product (10oz for 20 gal)or am I ready for a change. I found a bottle of the "old formula" and kept shad alive for 20 hours on friday. Went to the new stuff and only got 2-3 hours of live shad. Same lake same weekend. Scratching my head......

I have a 20 gallon keep alive bait tank and I don't use any chemicals at all. I just use salt.
You can use the Shad Saver from Bass Pro, but you don't need it.

The two most important things that you must do is

1) Make sure you put your bait in a holding tank for at least 10 minutes before you put them in your baitwell. This keeps the bait from trashing the water in your baitwell. I use a large plastic wash tub and I put the shad in their as I net them. DO NOT PUT THE SHAD DIRECTLY IN THE BAITWELL!!!!!

2) Make sure you put 1 cup of salt for every 10 gallons of water. The salt will help keep the slime and scales on the the bait.

I've kept shad alive for 3 days in my bait tank with nothing but water and salt. :p
Joseph

I also forgot to mention that you must have an oval or round bait well. Square baitwells with corners will not work for shad. They beat themselves to death by ramming themselves in the corners.

Joseph

jthomas, I'll give it a try. What brand of salt do you use?

My bait tank is round. I "hold" my shad in a live tank in the lake (could be a problem). I also add a frozen bottle of water to the tank when it gets hot out.

Rod, Joseph tells it like it is....The only time I use something like "Shad Saver" (I use Amequal or Start Right) just because I always start off with tap water in my tank.

Try this if you are using lake water.....In your 20 gal. tank add the whole content of one of those round Morton salt boxes (non-iodinized).

Typically with the "Keep Alive" system you don't develop a lot of surface foam, but if you do, make sure you have some foam kill, and be very careful how much of this you put in....Start off with two drops and give it some time to see if this makes the foam go away.

Also, be careful with that ice.....Cooling water too fast will kill shad in a heartbeat.

If this works, you can buy good salt much cheaper, but this will give you a starting line.

Thanks Mike, I will try it this Friday. Thats gotta be cheaper than Shad Saver

Wow, those boxes of non-iodinized salt works? Sometime you can find them at the $ stores for a lot less than a bag of salt at Home Depot or Lowes.
Geez,now if I can throw the net and catch Shad, will know hot to keep them alive. LOL