Homemade shad tank

**mikefish** · 03-08-2011, 06:26 PM

I started striper fishing about 5 or 6 years ago with the insane idea that I would do it without spending much money on it.

Thumbs Up YEAH RIGHT! My first attempts at making a shad tank were successful on a limited basis, but were too small and wouldn't keep shad but for a day at best. I broke down and got me a grayline 30 gallon tank and have loved it since the day I got it. We love to fish in Weldon every year and I usually take several different people up there over the last couple weeks of the season. I quickly saw the need for a second shad tank as we stay up there for a few days and don't want to chase bait every day, but didn't want to fork out that kind of money for something I will only use a couple weeks a year. After thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and some more thinking, I started my project a few weeks ago that is totally based on my grayline tank.

I found me a 55 gallon drum, cut the top off, flipped the top over, and dropped it back into the base of the drum to make my tank. After cutting out the top to make a spot for the filter box and access to the tank I was ready for my filter box. For that I used a sheet of 1/4" plexiglass and a made me a box with the divider, drain holes, overflow holes, hole for the water to get to the pump, and hole for a portion of the water to exit the box and get back into the tank. I used a product called Weld-on 3 to "weld" the pieces of the box together and it worked great. Again, I fashioned it after the greyline that I already have.

After the filter box was finished and the plumbing installed underneath it, it was placed in the top of the tank and a hose was added to the pump to draw in oxygen while it is running.

A friend of mine is an electrician and has access to construciton material so he got us (we are making him one now) some type of insulation and glue so we can insulate it. We wrapped the bottom and sides up past the water line with the insulation and then wrapped it in tape.

For a lid I bought an 8' long Corian countertop at the Habitat for Humanity "Re-store" and made a lid that doubles as a cutting board.

This tank certainly looks home-made and redneckish, but it works wonderfully. Here is a picture of the first tank we made with water running through it.

It turned out better than I thought it would, and now my buddy is wanting us to start making and selling them, which ain't gonna happen. I talked to a guy at the fishing show that was making bait tanks out a trash can and selling them. I couldn't believe how much he was asking for them . . . until I built my own. There is a lot of work that goes into it, and when you combine that with how much you have in materials it wouldn't be worh the time to try and make money off of them, but it was definately worth the effort to make one for youself or to have an extra one. I have about $50 in this tank, but I have been collecting materials for a good while now getting what I could free, and everything else pretty cheap.

I know I have seen several people asking about making shad tanks in the past and the concensus was, "Just by a Greyline/Creek Bank/ Super Tank/ or whatever name brand". Maybe someone can read this post and get some ideas if they are looking to build one.
Mike

Take a kid outdoors!

**jiggshooter** · 03-08-2011, 06:37 PM

nice man it looks good it probably will work good

**poppop** · 03-08-2011, 06:38 PM

wow Mike that is unreal...its a gift to be mechanically inclined. Great job...

**spiderkayaker** · 03-08-2011, 07:13 PM

that looks cool!

how does the filter work?

could a small electric AC pump work the same as a DC bilge pump?

**mikefish** · 03-08-2011, 09:07 PM

"...its a gift to be mechanically inclined. Great job..."

There in lies the problem, and the reason for all of the thinking. I have no great understanding of "mechanics" and how things work. I started this project in my mind probably over a year ago. When in the words of Zach when he was about 3-4, "Me have an idea", I think about it and run through it for a long time until I get all the "kinks" worked out in my head before I start the project. Thanks for the compliment PopPop.

I have no idea about the AC/DC question, don't even listen to their music. LOL Ok, lame joke. I used a 500 gph pump so as long as it is close to that it should work.

As far as the filter goes, the pump sends a portion of the water it is pumping out a hole in the filter box wall to the main part of the tank and part of the water splashes back into the filter box where it flows over the divider (you can see it in the first picture). On that side there is a carbon filter (not pictured, but you can get them at aquarium stores or aquarium sections in pet stores) with several layers of batting (used as filler in homemade blankets) over that. As the batting material gets clogged with scales and general debree you just peel a layer off.
Mike

Take a kid outdoors!

**SIMPLEMAN** · 03-08-2011, 10:21 PM

Thats is one more good looking home made bait tank mike. It'll work from what i see. Good job.

**stratosguy** · 03-08-2011, 10:32 PM

I don't have much information to help but maybe it will. I am definitely not mechanically inclined lol. I know a man locally who made his and I looked at it last year. It was different from that he had some type of jar contraption inside I could not figure it out. Anyway he told me to keep the fish alive longer that he uses a spoonful of coffee creamer instead of the expensive shad keeper to keep the fish calm and to reduce foam in the water. He also uses salt and a few ice cubes every now and again to keep the water cool. One thing I do know is that you want a round or oval bait tank because shad will run in to corners circling and actually end up injuring themselves to death. And btw I'd be glad to give you 50 bucks to make me one lol. I know they can run from 150 bucks up to $ 500 and more depending on size and brand.

**( JARHEAD )** · 03-08-2011, 11:50 PM

I made the same tank but I got a friend to sell me the filter box so all I did is to do is drop it in. Also took 55 gal barrel cut top off and found a smaller 30gal barrel dropped the smaller barrel inside the larger barrel. It left about 2 1/2 in around edge I then bolted my handles on . On the bottom I put 2in of styrofoam and then wrapped the tank with insulation wrap you can buy at lowes about 3-4 times until tight. I then sealed the top with treated plywood and spray foam . Then I put a lead on the top painted it and I was done enjoy the pics BTW I can hold 5-7 dozen shad.I run 2 PURE OXYGEN Aerators SYSTEMS you tank is looking good Hope my pics help, Looks great any ideas I might can help
Check out this web site It will help you a lot

Keeping Shad Alive

JARHEAD

**mikefish** · 03-09-2011, 10:32 AM

Excellent resource Jarhead. Your tank looks great! Thanks for the pictures. Is there a top to it that covers the filter box? I needed a lid for this tank as we catch bait here locally around Greensboro or go to Jordan, and then fish with them up in Weldon so I had to have a way to keep all the water from splashing out. I also thought about putting a smaller barrel inside a 55 gal, but figured I would loose too much space inside. 2 years ago we took 125 shad in another homemade tank and they lived the day, but were struggling by the end. It was nothing like this one, so I figure we can get between 150-175 shad that are in that 3-5" range and be ok. We fish them over 3 days and have another tank (the greyline) that has just as many in it. We usually have me, Zach, and 1 or 2 other guys on the boat each day.
Mike

Take a kid outdoors

**Mcslabs** · 03-09-2011, 10:34 AM

very nice tank

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