How to Make a Minnow Bait Tank

Make your own bait tank for minnows.

Minnows rank among the most commonly used baits for fishing. A variety of game fish species including largemouth bass may be caught with live minnows. As popular as they are, minnows can often prove to be expensive or even hard to find depending on location or season. The solution may be to create your own minnow bait tank. With a few common items and a little time, many anglers can make a tank capable of holding large numbers of live minnows.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic cooler
• Distilled water
• Tap water
• Purification tablets or solution
• Clean cloth
• Aerator
• Extension cord

Instructions

1. Select a plastic insulated cooler that will be of a suitable size for the number of minnows you want to keep. A good starting point is a 48-qt. cooler. Consider this size and then buy larger if needed, based on the number of minnows it will hold.

2. Wet a clean cloth with distilled water. Wipe down the interior of the plastic cooler with the distilled water to remove any debris or oils. It is important to clean the cooler interior as much as possible so that when the water is added it will not be contaminated.

3. Position the cooler in a location that will provide good access and will not be in direct sunlight. Since children can drown in only a few inches of water, kids should not be able to easily access the cooler once it is filled with water. Take into consideration a power source for the aerator.

4. Fill the cooler with distilled water. The cooler should be filled to within a few inches of the top with water. Tap water should only be used if purification tablets or solution is added to remove chlorine and other additives from the water.

5. Remove aerator from packaging and read any directions from the manufacturer thoroughly. Connect any hoses such as an inlet or outlet hose as directed. Plug the aerator into an electrical outlet and use an extension cord if necessary.

6. Test the aerator inlet hose to make sure there is suction. Place the aerator on the side of the cooler and position the outlet hose in the water so that bubble production is maximized. Monitor the tank for several hours before adding minnows to ensure the system is working properly.

References

• Catfishing: Bait Tank

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish