Fish keeping is not cryptic nor does it require a fishery biologist college degree to be successful even in the heat of summer. Keeping fish alive and healthy at home is actually very simple. Just don’t suffocate, insure safe oxygenation for all the fish and change the livewell water occasionally to control metabolic waste.

The availability of dissolved oxygen (DO) is usually the first factor that limits stocking density (lbs. of bait per 1 gal livewell water) ESPECIALLY EVERY SUMMER. Safe continuous oxygenation (not to be confused with aeration primarily used to off-gas dissolved CO2 and ammonia gas) is the most vital water quality parameter when keeping and transporting live bait fish or any other kind of fish.
1. You must insure optimal continuous safe oxygenation, the most important water quality parameter – *maintain 100% DO Saturation or greater continuously 24/7 regardless of the stocking density: 1.0 – 3.0 lbs. of live bait fish per gallon of livewell water.
2. You must change your livewell water every 1-2 days to control metabolic waste depending on stocking density to control dissolved CO2, acid water pH, ammonia, nitrites and most of the big chunks of feces, scales and urine.
3. Take the dead and dying bait out of the livewell 3-4 times daily.
4. Feed fish vey sparingly for extended captivity
5. Use non-iodized granulated salt to aid fish’s osmoregulation for freshwater species.

The fall, winter and spring months, while the livewell water is cool/cold, keeping/transporting live bait fish, keeping it alive and healthy is simple and easy. Mechanical aeration and essential electrolytes (non-iodized granulated salt) and a little Amquel to buffer ammonia will keep your water quality in excellent condition during these seasons.

In the summer months when the water is warm/hot, extra effort must be considered to insure minimal safe oxygenation because ambient air only contains 21% oxygen. The greatest water quality problems keeping and transporting live bait fish are predictable every summer… oxygen deprivation, suffocation and higher bait mortality while in captivity. For years this was a serious problem for some fishermen.

Regarding live bait keeping, aeration, oxygenation and water quality supplements, these 2 sites may interest you.

The use of feed and water additives for live fish transport https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/raq.12239

GUIDE TO FISHING AERATION AND OXYGEN SYSTEMS http://OXYEDGE-CHUM.COM/UNDERSTANDING-THE-CONCEPT-BETWEEN-LIVEWELL-AERATION-AND-LIVEWELL-OXYGENATION/

Nothing to it…

Thanks for the (literally) warm welcome today fellows. Wife and I are in Yooperland visiting her folks. I’m sitting here in the living room with my coat, scarf and long under ware on inter-netting. This is how I found this website. Wife’s kin went fishing this morning, I declined…this is just way too cold for me. I grew up in South Texas near the river, the Tex-Mex border. I not comfortable in real cold weather like this in the UP in late January and short daylight photoperiods.