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Posts: 8
| I was wondering if anyone is using live bait coolers like the Engel brand for keeping their suckers alive while in the boat. I am also curious what size someone would recommend for hold a few 10 to 12 inch suckers. They have 30,19 and 13 quart coolers available. I'm leaning towards the 30 quart if this seems like a viable option. I fish out of a 14 foot john boat so I'm looking for a possible option to keep my suckers alive while taking up minimal space. |
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Posts: 323
Location: Elk River, MN | Getting into late October and November you don't have to worry as much about your suckers dying in warm water. Any mid-sized cooler or rubbermaid bin will work. Get yourself a battery powered aerator and you shouldn't have any problems. Those Engel coolers looks great, but for $15 you can make something work. |
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Posts: 8
| Ok. Thank you for the response.
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Posts: 323
Location: Elk River, MN | You can definitely go the Engel cooler type route and get a great setup, but for those who only get out a couple times a year sucker fishing you can makeshift something easier on the wallet. I kept 4-6 12-16" suckers in an average sized cooler for 3 weeks without issue. I'd change out the water every couple days and I kept an aquarium aerator in it while in the garage and occasionally threw in some ice.
The biggest problem I had was that I had them for 3 weeks. I was hoping they would have been eaten long before that |
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Posts: 2097
| Did you feed them? |
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Posts: 613
Location: Michigan | I made my own as well and it was super easy and cheap. Just need a cheap cooler from walmart and an aerator or two and you are good to go. I only use the cooler in the boat for 2-5 suckers, but have a 54 gallon Rubbermaid trough at home for holding more.
This isn't mine, but it give you a basic idea of how to make one yourself. Here is a decent video as well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sunnov1e8R4
I just use industrial Velcro strips to hang the aerator on the side of the cooler and that has lasted a couple years now for me.
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Location: Contrarian Island | tip:
also cut a slit on the outside to put the metal bracket aerator is on to hang on...
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Posts: 323
Location: Elk River, MN | cave run legend - 11/12/2015 10:32 AM
Did you feed them?
Tried some hot dogs, potato chips, and skittles but they didn't really care for that.
I had some leftover algae wafers from the aquarium that i tossed in, seemed like they ate a little of that. |
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Posts: 99
| As espy stated it shouldn't be too hard to keep them alive this time of year with cooler temps. Another option for keeping them fresh on the water is to drill some holes in the top half and cover of a 5 gallon bucket and drop them in the lake. Don't bother feeding them, it just makes them poop more and create ammonia in the water. I have had creek chubs in my commercial tank stay alive for 4 months with no food. They were a but thin by than lol. |
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Posts: 8
| I am going to go with a cooler i got and get an aerator like you guys suggested. It was a case of saw something interesting on the internet and didn't realize how cheap and easy i could make one lol. Definately glad i didnt pull the trigger. More money for suckers now. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | In addition to Brads tip(I screwed a heavy duty zip tie to the end of the cooler for the aerator clip), I beefed up the handles and then had the idea for a removeable divider in the cooler. My friend norm perfected the ststem for me, epoxying a slot on each end, so that a piece of plexiglass separates the cooler into two sections. That way I can quickly put my two rigged suckers inside and they never get tangled, when bouncing from spot to spot. I take the divider out when at home or at the next fishing spot, so that the fish have room to move around in the cooler. We made a few of these coolers and raffled/sold them at our club banquets. |
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