EELS ARE HAPPY WHEN
THEY ARE SLIMY AND MOIST. PHOTO: RIC BURNLEY
BAIT BIONICS W
BY RIC BURNLEY
hen chasing trophy fish, live bait can be the magic bullet. But storing livies on a kayak can be tough. Three pros share tips
and tricks to keep live bait alive.
BUGS AND SNAKES East Coast anglers chasing everything from tautog to big red drum will want to load up on live blue crabs at the local tackle shop or seafood market.
AnglingAddict.com guru Rob Choi recommends keeping bugs cool and moist. “I keep them in the tank well,” Choi says, “covered with a wet towel.” Stay safe by cutting the top claw off each crab. During striper season, live eels are a must-have. Choi keeps his in a plastic container that has eighth-inch drain holes drilled in the bottom. A couple times an hour, Choi fills the container with water and lets it drain out. “As long as they stay wet and the slime drains, eels will stay alive all day,” Choi says. He adds, “A dry rag will get a grip on these slimy snakes.”
BREATHING BUFFET The Gulf Coast marshes are a petri dish of life. Matching the hatch can require a wide variety of live bait. Ocean Kayak team member, Phil Spencer suggests a buffet of live croaker, piggy perch and live shrimp. “As long as the live well has good circulation, bait will stay alive for hours,” Spencer says. To do the job, he recommends run- ning a small bilge pump off a rechargeable 12-volt battery. “Add a small oxygen bottle and airstone,” he adds. To keep the baitfish safe and happy, he recommends a circular bait tank. “Make sure there is light in the tank,” he adds, “so the fish don’t get disoriented. A hand- ful of shrimp will last hours wrapped in a wet towel.”
GET TUBED
Live bait or go home is the mantra of Bay Area angler Chuck Es- pirito. “Striper, salmon, halibut—live bait is the only option,” he says. After catching smelt with a Hawaiian thrownet or mackerel, ancho- vies and sardines with a sabiki rig, he stores his bait in a bait tube built out of a two-inch-wide, 18-inch-long piece of PVC with two end caps. “Drill a lot of small holes in the cap and tube,” Espirito says. “More holes equals more flow and less drag.” He recommends sanding the inside of the tube so the bait isn’t injured by plastic burs. “Attach a piece of bungee to each end cap so you don’t lose one,” he says, “that ends your fishing quickly.”
EAST:
sales@caribbeanwaterworks.com
www.rtmkayaks.com WEST: spike@kayakfi
shing.com
Yourself Enjoy
HOW TO KEEP LIVE BAIT ALIVE AND HAPPY [MU LT I SPECI ES]
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