Build a Bait Tank

To start, pick out a tank of some sort, I have used bulk dog food containers and plastic drums. Keep in mind you will need a lid of some sort, this will be discussed later. For now we will say we are starting with a 30 gallon plastic drum, which can be found for free or as little as 5 dollars at various salvage yards, car washes ect. Other materials will include a 4 inch piece of PVC pipe that is as long as the tank is high. A 4 inch coupler or cap that will be used to anchor the pipe to the bottom by using aquarium sealer or other silicon type adhesive is another item that will be needed. A bilge pump of 360-500gph and approximately 6 feet of vinyl tubing will be the basics needed for the tank.

To assemble this, your first step will be to cut the top off of the barrel, if you are planning on using the top as the lid cut a big enough hole to get a net in and catch your bait and save this plastic to use as a lid. Attach the coupler to the bottom of the tank using the aquarium sealer, ensure that the coupler is not against the wall of the tank and plenty of water can circle the pipe as shown below.

Your 4 inch pipe will act as the housing for the pump and filter material. You will need to drill holes in the pipe to allow water to enter the water will enter through the holes; go through the filter material and down to the bilge pump. This filtered water will then travel up the filter housing through the vinyl tube that then circles the rim of the tank. You can attach the hose to the rim with zip ties or wire. Drill small holes into the vinyl tubing along the rim that allow the filtered water to shoot into the tank, this will provide aeration and will help release the ammonia gasses built up by the shad’s crap. I left the vinyl hose on mine a little long so that when I need to drain tank I can simply pull the tube out and aim for the lake.

Insulation is another subject to be looked at when making a tank. For mine I glued ½ inch foam insulation to the under side of the lid and have added a hot water tank blanket around the outside. I then wrapped it with duct tape and painted with white exterior paint. Another option would be a RV or automobile sunscreen, the kind people put in there windows. This will keep the water temp much more tolerable for the shad in the summer months, especially with the addition of a frozen liter of water on the really hot days.

I lucked out on my lid and found one off an old Baitsaver tank that Bass Pro use to produce. It just happened to snap right down tight on the top of the barrel. Other options are using plywood cut in a circle, then cutting a mouth big enough to fit a net in and using a simple pair of hinges to attach a door. If using a barrel, Flynn made a nice lid by molding a piece of Tupperware lid, big enough to cover the half moon he had removed from the lid of the barrel. A couple of hinges and a lock later and he is in business. Handles are pretty simple; a couple holes near the top, a short length of rope and PVC pipe and you are ready to go.

For the filter material I use a combination of a lufa sponge and pillow stuffing. I place the lufa sponge directly above the pump and follow that with a large handful of pillow stuffing. This will need removed, rinsed, and replaced about every 2 hours at first then about 6 hours after that. Another thing I add to my bait tank is salt. I use Morton’s water softener salt which is iodine free and contains 99.5% pure sodium chloride. Foam off or even crushed crackers or coffee creamer can be used to remove any foam build up. One not though, when you are experience high amounts of foam, it is time for a partial water change and sometimes a cleaned filter.