keeping baitfish alive - help my muskie-crazed buddy

[MiddletonMark]

Hi -

A Muskie-crazed friend of mine asked me last week about how he could keep minnows and suckers alive between fishing trips, for maybe a month or two so that he can get `the good ones' and not lose fish between trips.

He has a `worm farm' presently, so if worms as food would help - he has more than what could be needed.

So, I know aeration is necessary, as would be cool water. Generally this would be during cool [winter here] weather ... so temps would be in the 50's, low 60's max there.

Would just a couple airstones work?
Would a hang-on filter do a better job?
Any ideas on ideal temperature?
What to feed the minnows and suckers?
Is this feasible?

Thanks for any and all advice. I'm pretty happy to have someone who I can dump my old FW 40 breeder tank on, and my wife's closet of old FW fish stuff.

Anyway ... I'd love to help him as I know enough fishing to know that sometimes you have `left over' bait fish - and halfway measures often lead to the poor fish dying before the next weekend/trip. Just for the fishes sake ... never mind his pocketbook, I'd love to help him out.

Any ideas? Links?
Thank You!
mark

[Stang69]

Would say cool water pleanty of circulation and a airstone should work long as it is in a big enuff container. Water changes will help also



Good Luck


Jeff

[mnreefgeek]

Mark - my experience has been that suckers do not do well long term for some reason. I have been successful keeping fatheads and crappie minnows in a cooler with nothing more than a portable aerator and running water. I just modified the drain on hte bottom of the cooler to "leak slow" and had the cooler positioned under a water spigot.