Thread: Suggestion to keep minnows alive in Jon boat

Originally Posted by Nova

I purchased an Engel bait cooler and it’s amazing what a little insulation will do for ya. I use a mini bubbler and add a few pieces of ice from my drink/food cooler when needed also I add better bait. I can keep them alive for quite some time. Several trips usually. A cheap cooler could easily be converted and use you choice off bubbler the mini bubbler has been flawless for years costs less then $10 and will run on a single double A or two double A batteries for longer run times. Not a fan of the C and D cell battery ones they are to expensive in my opinion

what size Engle do you have?

thx

I bought a 13 with hopes of taking it in the boat kayak and ice fishing works good to keep minnows from freezing but you have to keep it in the heated shack or the lid will freeze shut most of the time. Turns out the 13 is even a little big and heavy extra weight to drag/carry since in the great state of illinois no snowmobiles or utvs are allowed on the lakes. I may get a smaller one for winter some day

Originally Posted by Slab

I don't use a bubbler or aerator. They just pump in hot air IMHO. Just the cold water to slow down their metabolism so they don't consume as much oxygen.

I dont believe they actually pump in all that much air, but none the less, the water needs to be kept cool.
I use a small cooler the size one would use for packing a hefty lunch and a 6 pak of your choice.
I drilled a small hole in the lid for the air hose to enter and hang a small bubbler on the side.
I have a second cooler of about equal size for the lunch and bottled water plus a few frozen ones.
I dont leave the bubbler run all the time, but i carry spare batteries in the boat.
In very hot weather i dont fish much, when i do i wont be using minnows, maybe crickets or worms or nothing but a small jig or a Beetle spin.
But i do also use the small frozen bottles as the weather gets warmer for the minnows.

Bubble box and Ice water like mentioned above.

me too frozen bottles and a cheap battery aerator in a cooler

Originally Posted by Slab

I always keep my minnows alive in cold water using frozen bottles in a Styrofoam bucket. In my experience they stay alive for a long time this way, and this even in my Florida heat!

I can give you some good advice on this subject as I've done it all. Don't buy anything but the 11 quart Cool Bubbles minnow bucket. Grizzly jig sells them. If possible I fill mine with cold well water but it really doesn't matter. You can put in a pinch or two of Better Bait or some other water treatment. I can fish all day in close to 100 degree weather and not lose a minnow! A frozen 20 oz. bottle of water will help too but not really needed.
What I really like about the 11 quart Cool Bubbles bucket is that you can unplug the air line from your battery pump and plug it to a 110 AC pump at home to save your D batteries.

The Absolute Best Addition along with temperature is ShureLife Bait Buddies! I just bought gross of them as they are very hard to fine. I first found them at Tommy's @ the Hwy 43 Bridge on Ross Barnett. They chemically enrich the water with pure oxygen and eliminate Ammonia, Nitrogen, other undesirables. Give them a try and you turn the page on minnow issues.

Engel 19 qt .