Keeping minnows in your fishhouse?

[Kylersk]

Looking for suggestions on how to keep minnows in my FishHouse (drop down) while I'm away? Also, how about waxies? Do you all keep your houses heated at all times?

Nytelyter, I remember you had something rigged up, but cant remember what exactly?

Thanks in advance.

[HarryG]

Baitkeeper is the only thing that has worked for me. It is a heavy duty plastic bait bucket the will fit down the hole. I put a little weight in it so it sinks to the bottom easily. I always kept it outside. If the hole freezes, I can drill another hole next to it and get it out easily. Although, I need to get another one as someone stole mine last year. I could not believe it. Minnows are and always will be a challenge.

[nytelyter]

[image][/image]

this is my every day bcket almost all parts came from ff i also use a piece of 4inch pvc capped at one end with a trap clean out on top and an eye run thru it to drop back into the lake on a piece of rope if i am gonna be gone for more than a day or two which hardly ever happens it is drilled full of small holes to keep the bait fresh and lake water temp correct. hope this helps. ... paul

[STEP & 1/2]

Kylersk: Here is what my Uncle used many years ago in his house.

He mad a tube the size of the holes in the house and 2 1/2 to 3 feet long out of S.S. The bottom end was covered and he would place a hook on the outside of the bottom.

When he would leave he would snap a chain to the small hook on the bottom and the other end of the chain to his metal minnow bucket and then he would put the minnow bucket down the hole slide the S.S. tube into the hole. He would have to place something heavy on top of the tube to keep it down. When he came back he would remove what ever he had on top dump a small amount of lighter fluid into the tube light a match drop it into the tube lighter fluid would light and in a short time the tube would heat up and the tube would slide up out of the hole. You then remove the tube from the hole along with your minnow bucket. You not only have fresh minnows you also have a clean fishing hole.

I have no idea what it would cost today to make the tubes, but they sure work great.

Just and idea hope it helps.

Roy

[minneman]

The best way ive found is to get one of those yellow screw on top bait keepers (comes W/openings at the top with screen over)and drill holes in the sides and bottom,.. or.. get a chunk of pvc pipe (3-4-5" dia - 2- 3' long) and drill holes in it, then cap it on one end and get the screw on lid part for the openable end. have a way to attach a line at least 10' long to it. the yellow containers have a hole in the lid already.

now, auger a hole outside your house right next to an augered hole inside the house (as close to the house as possible) put a screw or nail on the house on the exterior above that hole, tie the end of the 10'+ line (I use 50+lb black fishing line or heavier) to that nail and the tube on the other end.

sink the tube in the exterior hole , (let the line freeze in). its now hanging out of the way for future drilling of holes inside the house. make yourself a wire hook type device to reach from inside the house hole to grab the line and pull the tube up the hole from the inside, dump the minnows in a container. keep the line tight and out of the way in the hole. when your done for the night, dump the minnows back in the tube and sink it.

only down side is that there is a string in the hole that you may snag onto, and you leave a bit of string if you move your house.

bait will keep all winter.

as for the heat all the time, I have a bud that does this, 4-5 100lb tanks per season. he doesnt like to drill holes...

another bud has his spear house out in front of his cabin and runs an overhead power line to his shack with an electric base board heater inside. nice...

[mskyfshntchr]

here is what i do when i am gone...

i made a keeper...4" pvc. length your choice. cap one end and a screw cap on the other with a hole in it to tie a rope thru. small holes in the sides, bottom and top for water to go thru.

i have a hook tied on the outside of my shack...i drill a hole right near the hook, which is also near one of my holes inside...i then tie the rope to the keeper and shack.. drop it down from the outside. use a wire to pull it up inside. unscrew the cap, dump the minnows into your bucket, tie the rope up out of the way and fish. when you leave pour the minnows into the pvc, screw the cap on and drop it down your hole. fresh minnows every time you come to the shack. it works great and is cheap to make!!

[beer batter]

I used one of those huge Utz pretzel containers from Sam's Club or Costco. It already had a screw on lid and is 7 inches across so fits perfectly down a 8" hole. Drill small holes all across the plastic container to sink it and let water flow through. Leave it solid (no drilling holes) for about 6-8 inches from the bottom so water can be held up to that level and it won't spill all over the floor of your shack. Sink it just as others described when not in use.