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6 minutes ago, JonC said:

Where did JDP put it then? 

Go on Jon, let's use this as a test of your Admin skills. See if you can move your Live Bait Tanks thread from General to Boat angling techniques, baits and tackle...

Bet you a BrewDog you can't 🤭

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1 minute ago, captin slows old outlaw said:

andy where do you get your live baite from ie sand eals

I don't do any live baiting with sand eels. Occasionally I'll put down a live pout for conger but I don't have a sandeel net or any other way to get live eels. It's something I plan to look into this coming season though as I want to get out onto the bass marks more. 

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Sand eels or launce can be caught on Sabiki's or small hockeye lures over sandbanks at or near slack water.  These beasts bury in the sand during the main run of tide but come out to play when the tide eases and appear to come higher up the water the less tide there is, that's how we fish for them on the shambles and banks closer to home.  You will also obviously get mackerel in the same areas which are also good live baits.  A lot of our members like to catch scad as they are very hardy and excellent live bait. 

Edited by Maverick
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3 hours ago, Maverick said:

Sand eels or launce can be caught on Sabiki's or small hockeye lures over sandbanks at or near slack water.  These beasts bury in the sand during the main run of tide but come out to play when the tide eases and appear to come higher up the water the less tide there is, that's how we fish for them on the shambles and banks closer to home.  You will also obviously get mackerel in the same areas which are also good live baits.  A lot of our members like to catch scad as they are very hardy and excellent live bait. 

thanks i will give it a try , when i get on the water again

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1 hour ago, Maverick said:

Agree with the weaver comment but they also make good bait for turbot, if you're brave enough to use them that is :classic_biggrin:

Good to know, we have tried live baiting one before, but nothing touched it, however the banks off Yarmouth are not exactly awash with turbot fish...

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This was the one I put in and out of the rib (which is posted in the boating section). I made the video for another member on the other site as it was easier to explain. It held a good 10-15 mackerel for marlin fishing but you don't want to overcrowd some sorts of live bait. Any bait that is bleeding or not looking 100% should not be put in a tank as it will quickly effect all baits. Any handling should be minimal.

 

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In the late eighties whilst on holiday in Gran Canaria (Porta Rico) I thought it would be nice to have a day out on a charter boat that specialized in tuna fishing. I was lucky enough to be one of only two people that caught. I say luck because each person took a turn on being "on the rod" and it was a matter of luck as to who was in that position when a fish took. My fish was about 60kg, the other slightly smaller. I had a great day out, but did not go again because I did not like the treatment of the live bait. On the way out the boat stopped and a large baited net was lowered from a gantry (Derrick?) over the stern. The net was only in the water for a few minutes before being retrieved loaded with what to me looked like sardines. These were emptied into the hulls live bait tanks. After 3 or 4 nets full we continued on our way. When we reached the area to be fished the boat started going around in fairly large circles - so far so good. What I did not like was that one of the crew members whose job was to chum the area just spent the whole time hauling bucket loads of the sardines? out of the LB tank and without even looking at what he was doing simply gripped a fish in his hand with the head poking out at one end and the tail the other. He tweaked the tail,  breaking it so the fish could not swim away and with his forefinger flicked an eye out of the fish as he threw the fish into the water. The idea being that these baitfish could not leave the area, but were intended to attract and keep any tuna nearby. This went on all day and obviously every day during their season. Of course any tuna that were caught stayed with the boat and were  presumably sold to local restaurants. Geoff.

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37 minutes ago, Maverick said:

That doesn't sound good Geoff, that said how we use livelies isn't pleasant for the fish but at least we don't chum with them alive (turbot or bass fishing we don't chum at all)so don't use that many in a day

My comments were not against the use of live bait or chum, it was to highlight what I witnessed then and that I thought it barbaric. I must say that I very much enjoyed my day on the boat in actually catching what was to me something to remember. Normal live baiting and the use of chum is fine, it was just the way hundreds of live fish were treated. I have no idea if that still happens today. Geoff.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I use a 30gal clear tank, the clear opaque tank is a must for mackerel as they will swim round a clear one and stay alive great but not so good with a dark one. Don’t know why but they just don’t like dark tanks. 1” inlet hose with a rule 500 pump fitted over the stern, overflow is 2” on a skin fitting. Simple and very effective, 

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9 hours ago, DINOBOY said:

I use a 30gal clear tank, the clear opaque tank is a must for mackerel as they will swim round a clear one and stay alive great but not so good with a dark one. Don’t know why but they just don’t like dark tanks. 1” inlet hose with a rule 500 pump fitted over the stern, overflow is 2” on a skin fitting. Simple and very effective, 

The boats over here with built in tanks aren't clear or opaque and hold plenty of mackerel for a day fishing, maybe it something else which was killing your mackerel on the dark tank you had before. At the end of a day the mackerel in the tank of the charter boat my daughter skippers stay in there overnight with the pump running. The boat is on its wharf overnight and hooked up to the land electric so the pump doesn't drain any of the batteries. Also the tank on her boat is aluminium (like many boats) and the corners of the tank are actually square which you would imagine to make life more difficult for the bait. The big holding tanks on the long liners are pitch black and kept under lid until they are baited up, which is mostly done at night.

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5 minutes ago, JDP said:

The boats over here with built in tanks aren't clear or opaque and hold plenty of mackerel for a day fishing, maybe it something else which was killing your mackerel on the dark tank you had before. At the end of a day the mackerel in the tank of the charter boat my daughter skippers stay in there overnight with the pump running. The boat is on its wharf overnight and hooked up to the land electric so the pump doesn't drain any of the batteries. Also the tank on her boat is aluminium (like many boats) and the corners of the tank are actually square which you would imagine to make life more difficult for the bait. The big holding tanks on the long liners are pitch black and kept under lid until they are baited up, which is mostly done at night.

They don’t die they just seem to be less lively, the light round tank keeps them swimming vigorously round and round. It certainly keeps them tip top, I was told about the clear tank by a local line caught bass commercial fisherman and they sure know their stuff. 

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12 minutes ago, JonC said:

I understood it that mackerel die very soon after being handled, they have very sensitive skin. Perhaps try shaking them off or Tbar? 
I try my hardest to not handle any fish I’m not going to keep, their lateral lines are very delicate. 

There’s all sorts of different views on this, I personally don’t touch them before they go in the tank and try not to when hooking up but my old man nets them out of the tank then grabs hold of them to hook em up but to be honest I’ve seen no difference in life span of the bait. 

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i don't think handling makes much difference when using that day for livebait. The studies done on this were recording mortality over a longer period of time than they would usually spend in a tank for a days fishing. Still treat them carefully though  to give them the best chance.

On the subject of tanks maybe the ones in clear tanks are more lively as they're more stressed. The dark blue or black barrels may have a calming effect on them, just a thought. Deffo use a round tank though with no corners

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My boat has two inbuilt tanks both are white outside blue inside.... bait can last all day. 
 

If I’ve got bait left over I’ll leave pump going overnight with boat hooked up to electric 

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