# Shad keeping live well



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Can some one on the board give me a design for a twenty to thirty gallon portable shad keeping live well. Some thing that a rather skilled engineering minded fellow with hand tools can build himself.
I know the ones used by the real striper guides on Texoma and other striper lakes are expensive. They have large filters using angel hair material to remove the gill clogging scales and some even have refrigerated water cooling circulation.
But they also have a very high price tag.
What do we have fellows?


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## TexasTom (Mar 16, 2011)

*Shad Tank*

Hopefully someone with first hand building knowledge will chime in but here are a couple I found on line as a starting point:

http://www.learntocatchcatfish.com/building-bait-tank-shad-tank

http://www.catfishing.tv/Main/tips-section/TipsSection.html - Go to "Bait Tank"

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/main-crappie-fishing-forum/65398-building-shad-tank.html (Has pictures and good description)

http://bleedingthumbbaits.com/BuildaBaitTank.htm

Also found this post and a couple of people echoed the same thought:
"Andrew,
I have built many shad tanks trying to save money and do it my self.
The bottom line is you can keep shad alive during the cooler months with just about any of the home made ones....but during the warmer months...for get it!
my opion only buy a charcoal filtered Grayline I am not sure if thats how you spell it but they seem to be the best I have used. I fish live bait for hybrids and maintaining a shad tank in the summer is a job... oxygen tank is another consideration....I can keep shad alive for days during the warmer months....keep the water cool with frozen 2 liter bottles of water...and add salt ...to help keep the scales on your shad....
I could have bought two or three garylines for the amount of money I dumped into my home made shad tanks......
You are a lake record holder now work that angle and get you a sponsor!"

That should keep you busy for a while... :work: I look forward to seeing what you end up with as I expect it will be better than any of these.

Tom


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

I haven't had much luck keeping them alive for very long, even putting them in a built in live well on my bay boat, one that proves constant fresh water not recirculating the same water. Good luck.


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## Auer Power (Jun 16, 2009)

I have had luck keeping them alive by sticking a Mr. Bubbles in my built in live well, and keeping the water fresh with the aereator. Also throwing a hand full of ice in there every 30-45 mins. That'll keep em cool.
Scoop the foam off the top of the water every 15 mins or so as well.
GL


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## Dgeddings (Sep 16, 2010)

Tiny's guide on catfishing.tv works pretty well, I tried doing that and it still wasn't good enough for me, I stalked craigslist for over a year and drove 300 miles to get a good deal on a Grayline shad tank, I actually have a grayline and an older sunshine now I like the filtration on the sunshine more but the grayline keeps bait friskier somehow, the insulation on it is second to none

You can find a good used sunshine or grayline for 300-350 sometimes and the only maintenance is replacing filter material and the occasional bilge pump

for foam you can use powdered coffee creamer in very small doses, a little goes a long way, I use 1 cup of non-iodined salt per 10g water and a product called sure haul from kent marine


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## flatsmaster14 (Mar 25, 2011)

I can only keep big ones alive, I have used mr.bubble and pro air with no luck


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Google "keeping shad alive", or so I am told. It should be in the mayor archives?


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## Bacovish (Mar 1, 2012)

How about this one. Will keep shad alive for a long time. On a hot day fill some gallon jugs with water and freeze them to keep your water cool. I made this one in a couple hours. If you go this way go with a white can because it is hard to see them inside a grey can. I stuff two bath scrubbers down the PVC for filters and have not had any problems at all. Please don't tell momma what I'm doing to her scrubbers. Lol. I found this design on whiskerkitty.com Tanks Chad! This is a 30 gallon if you want this design and can't find any info let me know I will give you step by step. My bilge is in bottom of the PVC and is ran through the top. this a great tank. But the water gets real hot in the summer. I have less than 50 bucks in this one. I think it was 42.00.






























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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?4jyd20


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## Davoh (Mar 5, 2010)

I've often wondered about this, since I can't seem to keep shad alive... never really tried tho...

Does the tank really have to be that big?
Would it be sufficient to use a 13 Gallon typical kitchen can?
Does the shape matter?


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

I have heard that a spoonful of rock salt helps keep them alive longer.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

The stock slat really helps a lot, I use a 30 gallon barrel and it keeps about 150 or more shad alive all day with salt and an a bilge pump to recirculate through a sprayer.
Of course HOT weather has not hit yet so we shall see.
The shape does matter, a round tank keeps them from bashing into the side of the tank.


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## Git$um (Feb 11, 2008)

Use stock salt, 1 ounce per gallon of water.


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## Dgeddings (Sep 16, 2010)

I use the water softner salt from lowes, it's in a blue 40lbs bag and its about $3
any salt without iodine will work though


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Yeah SALT


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

SB,

If you plan to use it a lot, IMO the professional made ones are the best path to go.

Last year I watched arguably some of the best striper anglers in Texas consistently win the TSA tournaments with live bait right out of their tanks. The best ones just brought their live bait with them and the bait was just fresh as could be after several days in hot weather. Made a believer out of me.


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