minnow bucket

[kingkobbla]

i was just wondering if anyone uses those frabill min-02-life minnow buckets with the aerators in them...i was looking at them at l&m and i think they might save me a few bucks cause in the winter i go through alot of minnows. I was just looking for comments on them. thanks!

[sparcebag]

I bought the bucket and bubbler seperatly,bubbler for reg minnow bucket,then I got the lined minnolife whatever bucket.I think just a bubbler in my reg. bucket works as well! It just does'nt have the little hole for bubbler tube and clip for holding the bubbler!

[Water Hazard]

I've got one. It takes two D-cell batteries. The batteries last over night if you leave the bubbler on all the time. I kept the bucket in the basement and threw ice cubes in. It kept my fatheads alive for several days before I could get to the lake.

The only complaint I have is battery consumption. The next time I use it, I might look into turning off the aerator for a while to try and use less batteries.

BTW-The hose for the bucket is inside the battery compartment. It took a "wasted" trip to Cabela's (if there is such a thing) to figure that out. Apparently, when they say, "The hose is inside" they don't mean inside the bucket.

[The_Duckslayer]

Quote:

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I've got one. It takes two D-cell batteries. The batteries last over night if you leave the bubbler on all the time. I kept the bucket in the basement and threw ice cubes in. It kept my fatheads alive for several days before I could get to the lake.

The only complaint I have is battery consumption. The next time I use it, I might look into turning off the aerator for a while to try and use less batteries.

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You might want to try a DC powersupply and a couple of aligotor clips to the springs in the battery compartment. Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[BillP]

or get one of those little pumps for inexpensive aquariums with the hose and bubbler end. That way you won't wear out the battery one. If you have an extra fridge for beer and pop as I do you could rig the plug to the light bulb socket. Then you could set the bucket in the bottom of the fridge, turn the bubbler on and drop the hose in the bucket. Minnows will think they are back in the bait shop. By the way I am told the dark inside the fridge keeps them from stressing out as much.

[hanson]

Aerator in a minnow bucket? Guess it depends on a number of things.

If you are just keeping minnows at home, buy an aquarium air pump, hose, and airstones and you are good to go.

If you are looking to keep them alive anywhere you have access to a DC battery, get a small inverter, and then plug your aquarium air pump into that.

I've tried all sorts of ways to keep bait alive and the aquarium air pump is one of the best ways IMO.

Since I'm a catfisherman, I need to keep bullheads, large suckers, creek chubs alive at home and in the boat and all I use now is an aquarium pump with airstones. I have a DC to AC inverter installed (which I run the air pump from) in my boat to provide constant air to my baitwell. Its much quieter and just as effective as running a recirq pump on the livewell.

The battery operated, portable, bubblers are OK but they just tear through batteries. A pair of D cells isn't exactly cheap and you'll go through those in a day, plus the bubbler just doesn't provide the bubbling action as an aquarium pump does.

[backlash 1]

Billp

Doesn't the door of the fridge have to be open to get power to that socket???

[BillP]

Good call Backlash. I guess you could disable the switch but probably easier to just close the door on the power cord.