Galveston fishing report

Galveston fishing charter company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

The recent illustration depicting how to hook live bait has drawn several comments and questions regarding live bait and keeping it alive during the warm summer months.

Carey Helton sent a note saying that it seems impossible for him to keep bait alive for more than a couple of hours before the shrimp start turning pink and settling on the bottom.

Jerry Hescock called in and complimented the illustration, saying that at least half of his problem with live shrimp would be solved, the other half, keeping it alive, remains an issue.

Helton uses an ice chest with a 12-volt aerator, while Hescock uses a conventional live bait bucket suspended in the water for his shrimp.

The key to keeping live bait is to have cool, well-aerated and clean water.

For Hescock, the only recommendation I can make for his type of bait container is to not overload it, keep it out of the sun and in the water.

Those type of bait buckets are designed for wade fishermen and not for boaters who have to pick up and move often.

Also, the bucket remains near the surface where the water temperature is the hottest.

Now, for Helton’s situation, there are ways to maintain longer life for live bait using bait wells such as an igloo or other large, insulated and aerated container.

No more than a quart of shrimp should be placed in the typical 48-quart ice chest.

The aerator must be continuously working, and the water should be changed often.

By changed I do not mean the container emptied and refilled, but rather take out a gallon or so and replenish with clean salt water.

This should take place at least twice an hour and more frequently during midday.

A frozen ice pack such as Blue Ice will do wonders to keep the water cool and will not add melted fresh water.