You might just cut to the chase and check this stuff out:

http://www.graylinebaittanks.com/

Super people and a tank that all of the experimentation has been done.

there are some effective DIY models folks have put together, and they probably keep bait alive with some effort, but you're not going to save yourself that much money by building a DIY tank if you want to incorporate all of the features needed to keep bait lively this time of year. for me, i dont get to fish that often, so when i do, i want to spend time fishing w/ good equipment so that i can mazimize the amount of time my hooks are in the water vs. working to keep bait lively. i went w/ a grayline and have no regrets.

like FASTGUY said, go w/ a grayline, they have already done the work of design etc, and they support the LTSA and other fishing organizations. give back to those who support our fisheries.

This is what Im talking about. Unless you have alot of time on your hands. my time is worth something to me.

Seems that you've got a little input from the "do-it-your-self" guys" so here is some input from one who just went and bought one.



No matter what set up you use, remember that there is a difference between shad that are alive and shad that are lively. Each person individually will define "lively" and there will be several different descriptions. But the quality fish seem to have the same opinion on what exactly "lively" is.....

Took me a little while to learn that when I first got started.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I own a Sunshine. Great tank. But if I were to go buy another one today, it would be a Grayline. Actually been thinking of buying another tank for a while now, just haven't pulled the trigger in doing so.

I know that there are other tanks but those two are the locals so those are the ones that I'm familiar with. I'm sure the others are great options as well.

Your way late Holzer.

I didn't see the "respond by" date & time stamp.
What was it?

I built a tank similar to this http://www.catfishin.net/baittank.html a few years that works really well. Made mine out of a smaller 60 quart pictured below.



It holds between 40-60 shad.

I have not had any problems keeping shad alive with this system. After a full days fishing they remaining as lively as first caught. Just add a cup or two of salt and clean the filter once or twice a day.

I recently modified and removed the filter/spray box off the lid and placed it inside the cooler to eliminate splashing in rough conditions.

Thank you ALL for the input. Its been great to hear from every side of the table.

So far, I think that 10gal size will be adequate for what I'm trying to accomplish. If that holds four dozen Threadfin or two dozen Gizzard, that'll be fine. I mostly fish solo or with one other person.

As far as the filter/circulation approach, I like the "all-in-oneness" of saltydawg88's setup, but I can appreciate what Holzer said about access to cleaning the filters. Salty, any thoughts on how easy this is with yours? Do you just stuff the filters in the tube?

I also think Rod has a good point regarding keeping stuff out of the way of the net.

Im envisioning a 10gal round cooler with either a false bottom or a mesh bazooka screen, like this:


Then run the "saltydawg style" canister vertically on the outside of the cooler, then tie it in to an aeration/circulation bar lining the top inner wall of the cooler using another through-fitting, possibly with a flow control valve.

I will come up with some drawings this afternoon for the panel to review. Gotta go to the RHSA stock-apalooza now! Maybe the state biologists have some ideas...

Buying a nice proven tank like a Grayline or the other ones are nice if you have the $350+ that they start out at. I spent $45 Total on my tank! The drum was given to me the pump I bought years ago on clearance at academy for $4.88 and the Filter housing cost me $36 for the PVC. The filter material I got from Dollar General for $2.

It took me about a total of 2 hours to cut and Assemble everything as I took my time. It was a learning experience and quite fun figuring everything out. Like some people I like building my own things.

Here is a video of the start of the day and the dirty/murky water I started with.
http://youtu.be/fY7M2yzYJzk

Here is a video of the water I ended with on the same day 12 hours later. No water changes, I did not clean the filter, I added just 1-2 gal of water just before I pulled the boat out of the lake.

http://youtu.be/fY7M2yzYJzk

As you can see the Bait looks quite lively and I used them again 6 days later. I only lost 10-12 in 6 days.. not too bad by my account.

My filters, I just pull them out from the top of the filter tube and they are easy to clean out. I have a screw top on it that provides easy access.

That looks like a good start you have there.

It was the 4 other people who said exactly what you were saying about just buying an already proven system. LOL

mix,fishn fool, me,fast huy and swtbs 81. Did I forget anyone?

That bit of information makes a difference. For hauling that little bait, it's a no brainer - self made tank will suite you fine. SaltyDawg88 does have some good stuff. I've seen several of his postings on his version of the bait tank.

Not late,just slow is what I meant.

You sure that AAAAALLLLLLL these people said the EXACT same thing that made me so late?


hhhhmmmmmm????


P.S.
The guys name is "fastguy" not fast huy. George is kind of a diva. I'd watch out making fun of his handle.....