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Posts: 76
| I have been having problems keeping my suckers alive and I think it may be because I have Oxegenators in my livewell?
I have purchased suckers 4 times this year and each time they have died within a few hours. I have already washed bott livewells and have tried to use some form of bait fresh product. I have also used lake water and the water from the shops that they were purchased.
I have never had this issue but I have also never used a Oxegenator before in my livewells. I have 1 in the front and 2 in the back and have treid using both of them.
Any thoughts is it the Oxegenators or do I need to do something different? |
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Posts: 8781
| Predator
We had that same problem with a couple batches of suckers too. I think its something that happens to them long before they get to the livewell. |
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Posts: 661
Location: Roscoe IL | This is scary.. Right now if your lucky enough to find suckers they want $9ea. I get 30 to 50 at a time, I would hate to see $450 floating in my tank! YIKES! |
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| Fill your livewell with water from the bait store, you want them to get acclimated to the different water temp of the lake. Sometimes that few degrees difference can shock them. Thats what I normally do and hit the airator a couple of times throughout the day. |
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Posts: 76
| Yea the cost of this can really suck! It is also a pain in the _____!
I am not sure whats going on that is why I am asking for some help. I am not sure if the Oxegenator can be the problem but at this time it seems to be the only thing that is different than usual?
The only other thing is temps but others are not having the problem so I cant feel that that is it. |
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Posts: 22
Location: Minnesota | That burns. Try using a cooler and an aerator, they are a cool water fish. Maybe to much oxygen is killer.
$9 a pop. Never. I'd catch my own. Just cleaned out my new tank today. Picking up the first batch on Friday at 1 for 6.50 each, and there all 14"+. Ummm, fresh meat. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | $6-$9 a sucker??? Thats insane, I'll stick to artificials....... |
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Posts: 8781
| shaley - 10/20/2010 7:54 PM
$6-$9 a sucker??? Thats insane, I'll stick to artificials.......
You pay $20 for a lure. At least. For the same price, you can get 2 suckers, and still have a couple bucks left for a coffee. A nice hot coffee in the fall, and a reasonable chance at at least one fish, possibly more??
That's a LOT more than I can for most lures! I think I'll continue to take my chances buying suckers. 
Edited by esoxaddict 10/20/2010 8:11 PM
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Yea but my $20 bait I can use for years and possibly catch many fish on and sell it........ Guess I just don't get it since we don't use or even get suckers here. But we still catch fish...... |
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Posts: 8781
| How many lures have 'ya got Shaley? I'd bet you'd still catch fish if you only had 10% them. That's not a good reason to leave 90% of them in the basement, is it?
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Honestly I don't have that many different baits but I do have many patterns of the styles I use most, all are in the boat but a handfull that will be going to the MN Expo swap....If they don't move or catch fish in a years time they are gone.... I can't afford $100 a weekend on livebait that may not live out the day in a bucket.... |
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Location: Contrarian Island | was having the cost of suckers discussion this last weekend...imo I don't really care what they cost...sometimes that is what they want and puts fish in the boat....will I pay 20 or 30 for one? no, but 10 maybe...I can buy 1 pounder, catch 1 fish and there goes 30 bucks, heck sometimes pounders fall apart with zero fish....1 sucker at 8 bucks if it puts a fish in the boat to me is worth it...last weekend we went thru 17 suckers...and we put lots of fish in the boat on them....got some casting and some w/ suckers....but, some days in the fall you won't even SEE a fish follow your artificials but they eat the suckers....i go fishing to catch fish...not wash baits. supply and demand.
Edited by BNelson 10/20/2010 8:51 PM
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | We have an outdoor 100 gallon cow tank for our suckers. I have three big ones right now. I got mine from a fish farm and feed them trout pellets. So far they have been in the tank for 8 days and are doing great. This tank has a large canister filter to keep the water clean and only feed a few pellets at a time. There are two oxygen stones in the bottom of the tank hooked two a twin line bubbler. So far its been great. These are 12 to 14 inch suckers. I am hoping to get another batch of a dozen or so for November. Mike |
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Posts: 1887
Location: syracuse indiana | i also have a 100 gal tank in my garage, i use 3 filter systems on the tank and also keep a couple dozen crappie minnows in there and they all stay alive for weeks. and i have 2 huge long air stones in the tank too. the more air and water filtered and movement the better. and they do eat the minnows.. but do seem to prefer the food i give them.. usually the stuff you can get for alge eaters at walmart...
hey king how do they like the trout food. i never thought about that.. |
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| I mainly fish Indiana waters and these are gizzard shad lakes , but if you aren't draggin suckers in the spring and especially fall you are missing out on a ton of oppurtunities. In the past 7 or 8 years all of my boats big fish (25 to 35 pounders ) have come on suckers with the exception of one or two fish. There are plenty of fall days where we move nothing on lures but boat a giant or two on meat . I know the price is steep but give meat a chance . It's a guaranteed way to put more and bigger fish in your boat ! |
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| The suckers I've been getting around town here are only 10-12" but only $3. For that price I don't really care about the size. Fish have still been eating them.
I just stop on my way out and pick up what I'll use in that day. I keep them in a cooler without any air and don't have any problems keeping them alive for 8-10 hours. |
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