# Old style wooden floating live bait box



## Johnboat (Jun 7, 2004)

I may have posted this way back but its not in the archives. I have this picture but no information on the guy who makes them for sale. Does anyone have info on the guy building these 1950s bait boxes?


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Dunno who's makin' them now, JB...but you shore brought back as lot of fond memories...


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## Old Whaler (Sep 6, 2005)

Those look very cool! I bet my dad and late grandfather used them


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## Hooked Up (May 23, 2004)

Tortuga said:


> Dunno who's makin' them now, JB...but you shore brought back as lot of fond memories...


Ditto that! And I didn't even fish in the 50s. Grandpa believed in taking care of his gear H/U


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## KILT610 (Feb 24, 2006)

I have one and it's still in good shape.


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## 032490 (Jul 25, 2007)

I had a neighbor growing up who had an old wooden one simular to that. That was back in the 60's. What memories. I can remember going fishing with him and remenbering how heavy it was in the water.


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## Titus Bass (Dec 26, 2008)

My grandpa had an old wooden one he kept shrimp in.....He put them in sawdust.....best I can remember they stayed alive pretty good......Would like to have the one you show there to hang on the wall......


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Titus Bass said:


> My grandpa had an old wooden one he kept shrimp in.....He put them in sawdust.....best I can remember they stayed alive pretty good......*Would like to have the one you show there to hang on the wall......*


LOL..bet if ya played your cards right, Titus..one of the guys on here could make one. I remember many moons ago watching the pros whip them out pretty easy. Back in those days fruits and veggies were shipped to grocery stores in WOODEN slat crates...and those slats were just perfect for the live bait floaters..Back door of all grocery stores back them had PILES of HUNDREDS of empty cases..Dunno if they still ship that way or use some kind of cardboard or plastic ...


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## apbubba (Jul 25, 2007)

I remember that my brothers built them and used tire tubes for seals to make them water tight. They did build them out of old Veggie crates now that I think about it. My oldest brother was 21 years older than me and my closest was 16 years older than me. Maybe I was a surprise! Jr. built a cabin on the intercostal out of Port Mansfield in the sixties and life was good! Push nets, pull nets, cast nets, and etc. filled up those bait boxes. You quit fishing when you decided you had more fish than you wanted to clean. We never wasted fish and life was good.


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## bluemangroup (Sep 2, 2009)

My friend's father recently brought up those old bait buckets. I have a woodshop and could have one of my guys make one, but other than wall art why would you want one?


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## DANCO (Aug 12, 2005)

I have this one
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/65655633_uNPGM-M.jpg
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/693966092_UpYom-M.jpg


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## DANCO (Aug 12, 2005)

one more try


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

capt. jimmie dooms had some he got from a guy down south I think... looked just like your picture.. try pm'ng him on here and see.

team castaway http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/member.php?u=7128


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

here is an older post from jimmie



Team Castaway said:


> Still have them. They are absolutely the best bait boxes ever made. I don't use them any more as I very, very, very rarely use bait any more. I'll never get rid of them as the guy who made them for me passed away a few years ago. Robert Zapata's father-in-law, made them for me and Robert. I've got 5 of them I believe. I've often thought about having them built and selling them. The problem is that most people would rather use those plastic boxes that are cheap. Those wooden boxes would be at least $75 I'm guessing.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

If you are going to build one, build it out of cypress and use copper nails , it will last until someone borrows it out of your boat. We purchased a slab of cypress from hardwood lmbr. on 5 1/2 st and ripped the slats off the split the piece into and made the sides and ends.


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## capt mikie (Feb 22, 2005)

Roy's Bait & Tackle here in Corpus Christi have them. Build "old school" style. 361-992-2960. 

Mike


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## ol' salt (Jun 11, 2006)

I remember them well. I don't remember anyone buying them, everyone made their own. Back then you could go to the grocery store and get wooden crates (apples, etc) like you get cardboard boxes now.


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## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

Perfect project for some surplus cedar fence boards...


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## roundman (May 21, 2004)

anyone know what kind or have a picture of one that was built outta metal that had a starfoam ring around the top inside that when you put the outside part into the holder part you would lock the handle and it would make air bubbles itself, a man that use to take me fishing when i was a kid had one


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## Oceola (Mar 25, 2007)

Wow...memories. This double taper design I remember well from back in the 40"s. Pulled a "Killie" (mud minnow) out of one and caught a 12Lb flounder. 7 years old...One of the best days of my life.



DANCO said:


> one more try


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## awesum (May 31, 2006)

They are easy to make.

My dad and I used to make them all the time when I was a kid.

Yes. it does bring back fond memories.


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

*Pop and I built them in the late 50's....*

only instead of a door, we had an inner tube "door". Inner tube fastened to it with about a 9" slit through it. Reach through the slit to retrieve shrimp, and didn't have to worry about it coming open in the surf.

ANYBODY with a table saw ought to be able to build you one for next to nothing!!

Later
R3F


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## saltwater_therapy (Oct 14, 2005)

My uncle has one that he still uses sometimes. I have always wanted one for decoration.


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

We had one when I was a kid........worked great back then.


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