# How to keep mullet alive



## Redfish Chevy (Feb 6, 2011)

What is the best way to keep mullet alive overnight? Thinking about buying a few dozen tomorrow evening to use Monday morning. The boat ramp I use doesn't have mullet and the closest place is about 30 mins away. Any advice is appreciated!!


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

unless you have a very big tank with aerator. They die quick.


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## notthatdeep (Feb 5, 2005)

When transporting them, I use an igloo cooler and a cheap Walmart 120v aquarium pump plugged into an inverter in the truck. In the boat I use the cooler with the 12v Power Bubbles from Academy. Both put out enough air to keep a lot of bait alive for days.


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## TranTheMan (Aug 17, 2009)

Keep the water really cold will help. I kept a frozen half gallon milk jug in the cooler with mullets.


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## notthatdeep (Feb 5, 2005)

Also, depending on how long you keep them, you may need to refresh some of the water. if not there can be a toxic build up from mullet poop.


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## Redfish Chevy (Feb 6, 2011)

I just plan to keep them in a bucket for approx 12 hours. After that they will be in the Livewell of the boat with recirculating water from the bay. It's just the overnight part that I'm worried about. They will have an aerator in the bucket


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## notthatdeep (Feb 5, 2005)

if you are going to keep a few dozen mullet in a 5 gal bucket for 12 hours, you might want to fill another bucket of clean water to change out. Otherwise you may wake up with a bucket of dead bait. Even if they have plenty of air, the ammonia/poop build up can kill them.


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## chriserman (Aug 12, 2005)

About two dozen mullet is all you can keep in a 5 gal bucket with an aerator over night. May need to have a double up of buckets.


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## Wygans (Jan 22, 2014)

Brute trashcan with a pump to make the water circulate and an aerator.


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## troutalex33 (Aug 21, 2012)

*mullet for days*

If you buy your mullet the bait camps usually pump oxygen in their tanks . This keeps them alive until you place them in a regular bucket with a regular bubbles aerator they will die fast . Thats why when you buy bait their tails and noses are red . They are stressed and once they are without saturated oxygen water . They will DIE ! You can still catch mullet but you have to have due diligence . Try the bayous and ditches they last better from there . Also remember what everyone said ,Cool water , water changes and dont over pack them in 5 gallon bucket .Back in the day I used to chase bait the days before a cold front and keep them alive 3 or 4 days after the front . But , I used a cleaned out modified 35 gallon plastic barrel . I kept up to 8 -10 dozen alive up to a week on a regular aquarium pump and changing water and scraping slime from the barrel . 
If you buy bait dont get high expectations of them lasting long . 
Good luck , I hope this helps . By the way I did pretty good the other day with live shrimp I bought from Bayou bait in Galveston . They were really fresh and didn't have any casualties during my trip. 
Fish on !!


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

It's hard to beat Mother Nature. Aerators, oxygen and waste levels can all get jacked up in a holding tank. Thats why I tie this on my pier and use it as much as possible. If you don't have a pier and are launching from a boat ramp keep a good phone book of the local bait camps and call ahead to locate your bait. I also keep a cast net with me wherever I go.


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## Redfish Chevy (Feb 6, 2011)

That would be a must have if I lived on the water. We have about a 45 minute commute to the nearest boat ramp and it doesn't have live bait at the moment. The closest is 30 mins out of the way. I think we are going to try a large tube (about 20-25 gallons) that I will connect an aerator to during the commute to the bait shack and back home today. Once it is at home, I have a large aerator that the other half uses for her pond that I will steal for the night to use on the tub overnight. In the morning, we will put the tub in the truck and put an aerator in for the commute to the ramp where we will then put them in the bait well of the boat . Got my fingers crossed lol!


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## Redfish Chevy (Feb 6, 2011)

I do keep a cast net in the boat but we have been unable to locate any finger mullet. We searched and searched on Friday and only ended up with 1 mullet about 8" in length . 


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## Redfish Chevy (Feb 6, 2011)

Will 2 aerators and stones be too much for them overnight?


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## Redfish Chevy (Feb 6, 2011)

It'll be 4 doz mullet in a tub with about 15-20 gallons


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## colbyntx (Jul 18, 2013)

If they don't make it, artificials wool great and easy to keep alive


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## Redfish Chevy (Feb 6, 2011)

I watch an older man chunk mullet about 30 yards from me catching nice trout. I was chunking every artificial that I had in the boat and didn't even get a bite haha I'm in it for the long haul tonight and just hoping that they stay alive 


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## colbyntx (Jul 18, 2013)

Keep trying! It not just about chunking. It's what you choose, presentation, speed, twitch, ect.... I have been on the opposite of what you said. I've been in the middle of people drowning bait and not catching a cold while we we're slinging them in the boat on Artie's. Live bait can be productive but such a pita and you catch so much trash.


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## Redfish Chevy (Feb 6, 2011)

Oh we won't give up that's for sure. If the mullet don't make it for some reason, we will be right back with the Artie's for sure!


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