In late summer, when water temperatures are hot and fish become a little less active, many coastal anglers rely on live bait. A basic understanding of live bait handling could mean the difference in a successful fishing trip. The first consideration is water quality. A number of water quality requirements must be considered. These are oxygen, temperature and salinity.
Many new bay boats have built-in bait wells with flow through pumps. These work well if not overloaded with bait. For fishermen who do not have a built-in bait well or even a boat, the most popular method of insuring adequate oxygen is to use a l2-volt aerator that sits inside of the well or bait bucket. Other methods are to use time-released oxygen tablets or an external pump that blows diffused air. Submersible pumps are not optimal since they can cause heat build-up in the well.
Temperature and salinity should be considered next. If possible, fill your bait well or bucket with the same water the bait was held in when purchased. If this is not possible, acclimate the bait to the water at the fishing site by adding small quantities of water until the desired temperature and salinity are reached. This is especially important if there is a large temperature and salinity difference. Rapid changes in water temperature and salinity, more than five degrees and ten parts per thousand, can cause temperature shock and osmotic stress.
Remember, cooler water holds more oxygen than warm water. Cooling the water with ice will cool the water and not reduce the salinity by much. Caution should be taken when adding ice to the water, though, as too much ice will chill your bait too fast and kill it. These steps may seem unnecessary but, if not taken, your bait will die much sooner.
All finfish have a protective mucus — slime — coat that protects them from external stress. If this mucus is removed when handling the fish, it can cause the fish to become stressed and die. This can be overcome by using a dip net to remove bait from the live well and wetting your hands before hooking the bait. This also serves as a means of not contaminating the water in which the bait is living. Insect repellant and sunscreen are two sources of common contamination.
Many types of tanks are suitable for holding and maintaining live bait. Homemade tanks can be constructed of plastic or fiberglass. Metals should be avoided when possible. Round tanks are preferred, since bait tends to huddle in the corners of square or rectangular tanks. This is especially true of menhaden (pogies).
For more information, visit www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/resources/factsheets/tipslivebait.htm
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