NEWBEE

[THE DARKHORSE]

Originally Posted by esdees

Tubed baits are very healthy as long as you do everything correctly:

• don't over pack
• drag at the right speed
• don't mix small baits with large ones

But if you can afford it, a bait tank is the way to go. You can throw one together using a bucket and a bilge pump for pretty cheap, or you can go all out and get a kayatank (internal bait tank). The main thing is to just get out there. Live bait is nice to have, but it is not a requirement. Good luck!

I know, bait can stay alive in a bait tube "for a period of time if you follow a few simple rules". My perspective on this subject is coming from the angle of "hot bait" vs. the amount of strikes you will draw as apposed to using "bait". My personal definition of a "hot bait" : Catch a horse Sardine, and as soon as he flops of the sabiki hook, send him out on the flyline. No comparison, to the nervous speed like this to a stressed bait that has been kept in a confined area. You could propose an argument that a bait tank is a confined area also, and I would have to agree again. Each little fish is different, as some handle the stress better than others (just like people). That's all the more reason to take advantage of a quality tank, thus directly affecting how many fish you will catch (guaranteed), especially in slower conditions or when bait is plentiful.

Even with a quality bait tank, I look real close as to which baits are "lit up", and brimming with energy. Just like when I'm on a two-day trip offshore, I huddle over the tank wells the entire time, and have "my eye on the hot bait of choice", waiting for a troller to be hit. The same theory of using a "hot bait" applies to all Pelagics.