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Thread: Live bait tank

  1. #1

    Live bait tank

    Hi all thinking of buying a 45lt esky to turn it into a live bait tank.

    Has anyone done this before looking for some ideas i want to put a bilge pump with a spray bar is what I was thinking.

    All comments welcome.

  2. #2

    Re: Live bait tank

    hey mate i just done this myself, watched a few youtube videos and blended the info into my custom. good choice for choosing a esky, its insulated already and wont heat up like those horrible alluminium tanks. i done a 1/2 " poly conduit spray bar with the holes all along it , a t-junction in the middle with a hose direct to the bilge which is the pick up within the esky, i fitted a two valve to control the flow but it isnt needed so essentially it is recycling the water and every now and then just grab a bucket of fresh seawater and add to the esky, the overflow isnt a problem if youve a self draining deck like mine, i found this easy to do rather than mount the bilge externally at the back of the boat. works a treat and this option is portable as the bilge is inside the esky and is wired with battery terminal clamps, plus the 20 amp fuse. however if you go the external option, i had it on my last boat and was great as well plus it had the deck wash hose branching off from the pick up too.

  3. #3

    Re: Live bait tank

    Thanks catshark ill just be recycling the water just need to keep 10to15 lives in it, i want to have a go for jew this year in the river and drop a few in the bay for something different.

  4. #4
    Remember to always log on before heading offshore.

  5. #5

    Re: Live bait tank

    Not sure on what boat you have

    Rather than an esky - why not use a plastic brewers barrel or the like - 50/60lt

    This way you get a screw type lid & you just buy some skin fittings for your inlet & overflow ( just run it over the transom ) - You can also incorporate valves & sprayers

    Grab a 500 g/hr rule pump & you can either permanently mount it with a pick up - run a hose to a snap fitting on the drum .
    wiring can be basic - alligator / fuse or you could buy a waterproof switch & panel / fuse and have it down back the transom or your panel .
    Back in the day - I ran this set up using a 110lt Mauser drum to keep anything up to 50 slimies / fusiliers alive - we had it set up for about 90lts before it reached overflow - it was ratchet strapped down the back & it worked a treat with no interruptions in trying to maintain your bait. . You also ended up with the benefit of a little wash down hose - Cost ,
    If you paid for everything - it might cost you $100. A place like Whitworths will have all the fittings .

    I toyed with the esky but you actually needed around a 60lt min to do the job , but they sloshed around - an aerator was only good for a handful of mullet or yakkas …… out in any sought of chop it was crap . It's also widely recognised that a cylindrical live bait tank work best as you can set up a current that the bait will swim against keeping them well oxygenated & healthy .

    Anyhow it's just another option that works

    Chris
    Give a man a fish & he will eat for a day !
    Teach him how to fish
    & he will sit in a boat - & drink beer all day!
    TEAM MOJIKO

  6. #6

    Re: Live bait tank

    Continually flowing water is the go for livies ,recycled water will keep mullets alive because they are very hardy but almost anything else needs new fresh water regularly to keep them alive and active . A round bait tank is better than square as fish need to continually swim ,corners seem to bugger them . Nags idea is good , any live tank I have from now on will be oval or round with good flow from outside mate . Matty
    A bad days fishing has got to be better than any day at work......


  7. #7

    Re: Live bait tank

    Yep, Naggs is on the money. At Fraser for the comps we had a larger barrel, we got ours from barrel recyclers at Rocklea, ours was on the back of the truck on a plate that was mounted via the towbar hitch. We would every hour or so get several buckets of water and top it up after draining some out first. It kept, flatties, dart, whiting etc alive all night. You may need to line the outside as if its in the sun it will heat up, it wouldn't be hard, I've got some bubble wrap that has alfoil on one side and it really stops the heat getting through. I got mine from my neighbour as their medication came wrapped in it so some one must sell it.

    The only things I can add is that bait are far more comfortable in a round tank and if it is kept reasonably dark. The other think I got rid of the sprayer as in the boat I have a dedicated bilge pump and my water comes in a vertical pipe with larger holes at the bottom and progressively smaller at the top. This does 2 things, creates a current for the fish to swim against instead of around each other and forces the ammonia laden water at the bottom up and out the overflow, it is this water you need to replace if you aren't using a pump as it is what kills the bait so you will need a tap at the bottom to drain some off occasionally.

  8. #8

    Re: Live bait tank


    I had one of these in the boat I had before the bluefin ,it was great but expensive,but you get the idea . I could keep 10 or so slimeys alive in it . Matt
    A bad days fishing has got to be better than any day at work......


  9. #9

    Re: Live bait tank

    No that keen Matt I don't want to set up any self flushing bits, but I might set up a Venturi system with the pump and just change the water every now and then.

  10. #10

    Re: Live bait tank

    hmmm interesting think i might go and buy a round bin from bunnings. good point .

  11. #11

    Re: Live bait tank

    Quote Originally Posted by catshark View Post
    hmmm interesting think i might go and buy a round bin from bunnings. good point .
    Rather than Bunnings …. look out for drum recyclers etc - The chemical or food mauser type drums ( blue or black) are UV stabilised - much thicker / stronger & will last you years . They come with a screw or press on lids .

    As Dignity mentioned …… if you do go a bigger drum (60lt should be the aim) Get a 90 deg elbow skin fitting for the inlet & connect (glue) a PVC pipe / conduit that runs from the top to just about the bottom . Put a cap on the bottom of the pipe & drill small 2mm holes on one side with a few extra 4mm larger ones down the bottom - this will set up the current flow & help move water from the bottom to the top allowing you to keep more bait alive & well.

    Chris
    Give a man a fish & he will eat for a day !
    Teach him how to fish
    & he will sit in a boat - & drink beer all day!
    TEAM MOJIKO

  12. #12

    Re: Live bait tank

    Home brew style kegs as mentioned above are the go. Circular so the bait can swim in circles easier without getting into corners. Eskys ok but a waste of a good esky if you plumb them up with skin fittings etc.

  13. #13

    Re: Live bait tank

    recycling water only does so much wont keep slimeys alive without a change over of water
    and aluminum tanks dont heat up if a system that puts fresh water in is used

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