How often have you gone fishing, only to come home and find your bait is already half dead? Or even worse, when you leave them overnight and they all die? Nasty.
As anglers, we’ve all been there. Replacing bait constantly sucks, and heaven forbid you soil a container on accident; you have to replace that too. I get it, it’s expensive. But what if you actually took the effort to keep your minnows and bait alive all year? It’s really not that hard when you look into it…I will explain.
How Do I Keep Minnows Alive? Shad, Fatheads, Creek Chubs, Shiners, Etc.
You really can’t throw ALL minnows and baitfish together into one mix. Some minnows are stronger than others, it’s just that simple.
For example, I grew up fishing Minnesota lakes often for walleyes, and that meant buying shiners. And wouldn’t you know it if half of them were dead by the time you got to the dock… Aww yes, memories…
So YES, you CAN keep bait alive, such as shiners. Myself, I spend a lot of my time seeking out creek chubs in the Dakotas. As a tourney angler, having the right bait is vital (they don’t sell them in bait shops in ND), for example.
So there really is one main question before we get started…are you going to be using an aerator for your bait? Because if you don’t, you’re usually fighting an uphill battle from the start.
If you’re using fatheads, for example, then you’re in luck without an aerator. Keep the water fresh and cool and they’ll last a LONG time. Bait such as shad, shiners, creek chubs, etc. will require an aerator, so to be safe I suggest acquiring one.
The good thing is, I’ve already written an in-depth article on the best aerators for fishing. Check it out if you’d like (and I suggest you do).
Using an Aerator for Minnows
I’m not going to go into detail about which aerator to use. As stated just earlier, I already covered that in detail in another article. So for the sake of the argument, let’s say you’re using any rechargeable aerator with 1 or 2 ports.
I keep a fish aerator going on my minnows at all times, regardless of the bait. Yes, it’s probably overkill on even fatheads but why risk it? Aerators supply oxygen to the water and will keep your bait alive even as the water gets dirty.
But I should also note, that you SHOULD always keep your water fresh if you can. When we keep creek chubs alive, the first 3 days we’re usually given them fresh water each day. A lot of types of minnows are finicky to keep alive, so going the distance will ensure they not only stay alive, but fresh and lively.
Keep in mind, that a small, cheap aerator won’t keep a LARGE volume of bait alive alone. You need enough oxygen or the bait will die, it’s just that simple.
Look into larger-style aerators that have 2 ports, for example, when keeping larger tanks alive. And sometimes, that’s not enough either. You may need 2 or even 3, depending on the tank, of course.
But this is normally for being PORTABLE with your bait. If you’re at home, get a large, plug-in style of aerator that pushes a lot of air and you’re set (and no need to worry about batteries).
If you want to establish a large bait tank, relax, we already wrote about that too…check it out.
No Aerator
To avoid repeating myself, unless you’re keeping hearty minnows alive such as fatheads, you’re going to be in trouble. You can keep fatheads alive if the water is cool (with occasional water changes), but for most minnows, you cannot. Just buy the aerator already…lol.
How Do I Keep Leeches Alive?
Aww yes, leeches. Some lakes or regions don’t see many leeches. The Missouri River system and reservoirs come to mind as you don’t come across a ton of mud for leeches to thrive.
But in most, leeches are key to good fishing for a lot of species. So how do you keep leeches alive? Easy…keep the water FRESH and COLD.
You can literally use a small container of any kind to hold leeches, really. It all comes down to how many leeches you want to keep alive. Dozens? Pounds? Make sure you have a container that fits them and allows plenty of extra room if you can.
I suggest a water change at LEAST once a week for leeches, if not twice to be safe. Keep them in the refrigerator…done. I have a buddy who keeps leeches alive all summer and fall, just so he can use them ice fishing. He says it’s killer and not hard to accomplish.
How to Keep Worms Alive for Fishing?
Worms are generally easy to keep alive, just live leeches. You’ll need to create a moist environment for them (not too wet), and normally they thrive.
You can use dirt, shredded newspaper, worm bedding, etc. It all can work, just comes down to what makes the most sense for you.
I’m not a huge dirt guy for crawlers…why? When used in the boat, that dirt gets everywhere. It’s a nightmare to clean up, so I simply don’t use it. To each their own on that.
Also, like leeches, I would keep your worms in the fridge to keep them cool. If you let that container of worms heat up, it’s pretty much a quick death for them. With that in mind, always keep it cool for your worms or crawlers.
Bait Fish Recap
So there you have it. It’s really not rocket science, but if you want to keep your bait alive for long periods of time, you just have to be proactive.
There are always ingenious ways to reinvent the wheel, but for not much money you can get it done properly.
Tight Lines
