Herring in Bucket Question

[Bruce Litton]

Do they keep while using an aerator? I've never tried this. Also, has anyone caught one or more of the stocked salmon on shiners instead?

[OMC]

If you use a large bucket and a good aerator they will keep for a long time you just need to make sure it is a good aerator. The other night I purchased 2 dozen for the next morning and finished the next day at 11:30 with no dead ones.

[DanH]

It helps a LOT if your bucket is insulated .

[dakota560]

I've heard it helps if the water is kept very cold by putting some ice cubes in it to slow the metabolism of the herring. Would guess same concept as making sure the bubbler system you're using is insulated. I know it works keeping other bait fish alive, have heard it helps with herring as well. Coool water, well oxygenated and a circular bucket or tank for them to swim. All contriubutes.

[AndyS]

Small frozen water bottles.

[Bruce Litton]

Thanks for the good suggestions. Will try, if Stanhope Bait & Boat is open.

[Castaway]

I purchased 18 herring Thursday evening. I had them in my cool garage in a 6 gallon bucket with a a good aerator running all night. When I woke up at 5am they were all dead except a few. Hopefully you will have better luck then me.

[go_fish]

If I get my herring the day before I fish - I keep them in our garage. I use two Home Depot buckets (six gallons?). I use an aerator that has two aerator hoses. I put six herring in each bucket. I also add the "blue powder" you get from the bait store (the come in a little plastic bucket) (I use shad keeper). The next day before I go fishing I put all the herring into one styrofoam bucket with an aerator. Never have a problem.

[go_fish]

Bruce - where are you salmon fishing? Any tips on catching
salmon would be appreciated. You can PM me if you want. TY

[Skunk City]

Do they keep while using an aerator? I've never tried this. Also, has anyone caught one or more of the stocked salmon on shiners instead?

I've had Salmon on shiners through the ice, never tried using them open water for them.

[Eskimo]

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I've heard it helps if the water is kept very cold by putting some ice cubes in it to slow the metabolism of the herring.

The trouble with ice is if it's made from chlorinated tap water, it releases chlorine into the water as it melts. Chlorinated water speeds the death of herring and shiners.

There are various livewell products that can be added to the water to help keep your bait alive. I have used ammonia neutralizers made for starting new aquariums (Amquel) to reduce the amount of ammonia the fish produce in the bucket until I can get them to the lake where I transfer the bait to a flow-troll bucket.

To keep the water from heating up in the car, i just blast the air conditioner and drive as fast as I can to the lake. :D

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[phil]

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The trouble with ice is if it's made from chlorinated tap water, it releases chlorine into the water as it melts. Chlorinated water speeds the death of herring and shiners.

There are various livewell products that can be added to the water to help keep your bait alive. I have used ammonia neutralizers made for starting new aquariums (Amquel) to reduce the amount of ammonia the fish produce in the bucket until I can get them to the lake where I transfer the bait to a flow-troll bucket.

To keep the water from heating up in the car, i just blast the air conditioner and drive as fast as I can to the lake. :D

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do they survive in the flow troll? i was staying @ byram cove last week and took a trip to dows to pickup shiners, left the cooler with aerator back at the house, like an idiot and brought the flowtroll. my 6 year old was freaking out about how he wanted to get herring but i didnt think theyd survive the trip back. i think lori felt bad for me so she tossed a couple herring in with a dozen shiners for the kid. those stupid ******* fish were dead in the 12 minutes it took to drive to our rental.

[Eskimo]

do they survive in the flow troll?

Yes, they do alright. I keep the flow-troll in the water and I fish in the evening, so the bucket isn't in the sun.

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/5a86eee5-bcfa-4bd6-9359-611d5a20fff9_1.afb7238599d69ca6b820785a1a2132d5.jp eg

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[OMC]

As I posted you have to use a very good Aerator to keep Herring Alive. I use this one http://www.marinemetal.com/products/12-vt-air-pumps/power-bubbles/item/power-bubbles

The battery operated cheap ones will not do the Job and they will die.

If I am planning on keeping them for an extend period of time I place them Large Bucket and have the bait shop fill it to the top and then add a scoop of the Blue Stuff they use for the bait. I will change the water with Cold Well Water the next day only if I have to keep then longer and use a cooler instead of the bucket. I never have any issues the key is to keep them in a lot of water that is very aerated. Good Luck

[Castaway]

As I posted you have to use a very good Aerator to keep Herring Alive. I use this one http://www.marinemetal.com/products/12-vt-air-pumps/power-bubbles/item/power-bubbles

The battery operated cheap ones will not do the Job and they will die.

If I am planning on keeping them for an extend period of time I place them Large Bucket and have the bait shop fill it to the top and then add a scoop of the Blue Stuff they use for the bait. I will change the water with Cold Well Water the next day only if I have to keep then longer and use a cooler instead of the bucket. I never have any issues the key is to keep them in a lot of water that is very aerated. Good Luck


How many do you put in a bucket if you’re keeping them overnight?

[OMC]

The other day 2 1/2 dozen in the cooler instead of the bucket. Bought them the night before and didn't change the water we were out of bait by 11:30 but they were all lively up to then. Normally 1 1/2 dozen I will just use the bucket and if getting the bait that day never an issue up to 2 dozen.

I lost so much bait before getting this Aerator since then all good.

[AndyS]

Tough time of year to keep herring alive due to the heat. Small frozen SEALED water bottles added to the water helps.

[Castaway]

The other day 2 1/2 dozen in the cooler instead of the bucket. Bought them the night before and didn't change the water we were out of bait by 11:30 but they were all lively up to then. Normally 1 1/2 dozen I will just use the bucket and if getting the bait that day never an issue up to 2 dozen.

I lost so much bait before getting this Aerator since then all good.

Thanks for the info. It sounds like I need a better aerator. I’m going to get the one you recommended.

[acabtp]

i set up a cooler with a livewell pump inside of it going to a spraybar i mounted inside the cooler. i keep the lid on it but cracked open. along with a couple frozen bottle of water it keeps herring alive for literally days and days. sure i'll lose one or two here or there, but no big die offs. i'm pretty sure i've had them over a week that way.

i think the spraybar does a much better job than a bubble aerator. if it's hot out, with a bubble aerator you transfer the heat from the air to the water a lot faster, heat up the water and that kills the herring.

[Blackfishhead]

Good topic. May I add as mentioned before the chlorine is no good! And as Andy said the frozen water bottles or blue ice packs are better. If your going to store bait fill a couple five gallon buckets of water and let it set the chlorine will dissipate over time unless you have access to well water . A 50% water change every 12/14 hours will keep your bait a lot longer as the amonina they release is toxic for them. Herring are not as hardy as shiners or killies so don’t overcrowd them. I use a 5 gallon Igloo water thermos that I found on the roadside 20+ years ago and ordered a lid on EBay for $7. I mount my Power Bubbles right on top or transporting and when I get to the boat I have a 12 volt Power Bubbles hard- wired in. At home I use a 110 volt air pump that I got from a garage sale to save on batteries. The blue stuff that others have mentioned also helps a lot it is called Finer Shiner and or Bait Saver. I got it on line when I was selling killies to bait shops years ago.Good luck and hope this helps out but remember the more bait more amonina/warm water= dead loss

[bigfishy]

Haha !!! we call it bait crack! use it when we dont even need it ...gets em goin

[OMC]

Update I picked up 2 doz yesterday but on the way I decided to change gears and when for Lakers instead. I only used about 8 herring during the outing. I got home and transferred the already stressed remaining herring into a cooler with fresh cold well water. This morning there were 2 dead and I changed about have the water and so far they are all good.

[Eskimo]

Haha !!! we call it bait crack! use it when we dont even need it ...gets em goin

The makes of Finer Shiner and Bait Saver have a good website with a lot of information on how to keep fish alive.

Keeping big fish alive in the livewell:
http://www.sure-life.com/images/images/pdf/PRMbro.pdf

Bait Problem Solver Chart:
http://www.sure-life.com/baitPS.html

Products:
http://www.sure-life.com/products.html


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[briansnat]

I was having a hard time keeping herring alive. I was using an aerator and a small cooler. Then a bait shop employee suggested that I get a round, insulated bucket. He said with a square cooler, the herring often all swim into one corner and end up suffocating each other, even though you have an aerator going.

I switched to a round, insulated bucket and haven't had an issue with dead herring since.

[Blackfishhead]

Yes round is better so they can continually swim in a circle like a school of bait. When they swim in the corner they beat there faces up turn red and over stress themselves.

[OMC]

Round cooler would make a huge difference. I have been looking for one may end up with a sports cooler.

[FISHOFF]

I wish herring would be as hardy as shiners. I found over the years, (45) styrofoam insert in a plastic bucket is the key. Generally I don't even keep the aerator on all the time. One of my buddies doesn't even use one. Cold water is also key. 1 dz per bucket and the magic blue powder helps. Maybe the garage is too hot?? Electric pumps are quiet and u can keep the bucket in the house. Back in the day the bulky and heavy paper mache' buckets were in style.