How To Keep Shrimp Alive
TOM ROWLAND PODCAST
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In this weeks How 2 Tuesday, I am going to answer a question I got over email. If you have any questions please shoot me an email at podcast@saltwaterexperience.com. I was asked about using live shrimp and live crabs as bait and the question was how to keep shrimp alive overnight.
Why would you even want to keep the shrimp alive overnight? Well if you head out earlier than the bait shop is open, or if you have some left over from the previous day, then you will want live bait for tarpon or bonefish, etc…
I was looking for ways to circulate the water, using pumps, keep the water cool. I started keeping the shrimp inside where the AC would help keep them alive, but the pump would heat up and this would kill the shrimp. Other times, the pump has too strong of a flow and the shrimp will work all night and end up dying. In this case you need two things:
Oxygen in the water: using a bubbler or aerator. You don’t need the water to be circulating, you need to oxygenate the whole area. A stone with a weight on it will make it sink and an aerator.
The shrimp need to rest, that is the key. Something for the shrimp to rest on. This is something that the shrimp can hang on to. A screen around the edge maybe. This is a great way to keep the shrimp alive.
The best combination of these two factors for me has been the Frabill Bait Station. It has a mesh net around the outside for the shrimp to hold onto and has its own aerator. If you’d like to know more about the Frabill Bait Station Check out this Saltwater Experience Blog.