How to Keep Live Shrimp and Baitfish Alive: Buckets, Bubblers and Cold-Weather Tips
To keep live shrimp alive, give them room, oxygen and cool, clean salt water. Don't crowd them, run a bubbler the whole time they're in the bucket, keep the bucket out of the sun, and swap in fresh water from where you're fishing every hour or so. Get those right and shrimp bought at sunrise will still be kicking at lunch.
The same rules work for baitfish, with one difference. Pilchards, threadfins and pinfish burn oxygen much faster than shrimp do, so they need more water per bait and steadier air.
Why live bait dies in a bucket
Nearly every dead bucket of shrimp comes down to one of three things:
- Oxygen runs out. Still water in a closed bucket goes stale quickly, and it goes faster in warm weather and with more bait in it.
- The water heats up. A bucket on a sunny dock or a boat deck warms fast. Warm water holds less oxygen while the bait needs more of it.
- The water goes bad. Waste and slime build up and the water turns cloudy and foul. Shrimp will sit in water like that for a while, but they won't stay lively in it.
Bucket size: how much water per dozen shrimp
There's no exact chart, but give shrimp more water than you think they need. As a starting point, figure a gallon or more of water per dozen shrimp, with a bubbler running. If you're keeping three or four dozen for a full day, use a bigger bucket rather than packing them in.
For a quick dock session with a dozen shrimp, a small 4qt bait bucket is easy to carry and plenty. For a full morning, several dozen shrimp, or any baitfish, step up to the 11qt bait bucket. More water stays cooler and goes bad more slowly.
Put a lid on it. The 11qt bucket comes with one, and if you use a 5-gallon bucket, add a 5-gallon bucket lid. A lid keeps out sun and spray, stops shrimp from jumping out, and keeps the water from sloshing all over the truck on the ride to the ramp.
Bubblers: the single biggest difference
If you only buy one thing, buy a bubbler. A battery aerator pushes air through a stone and keeps the water moving and full of oxygen.
What to look for in a bait bucket bubbler:
- Battery life that lasts the whole trip, drive included.
- Water resistance. Buckets get splashed, tipped and dropped. A sealed unit holds up better around salt water.
- A fine air stone. Small bubbles put more oxygen into the water than big ones.
We carry two. The MINI Bubbler Sealed (Fish Guard) is compact and suits a small bucket or a kayak crate. The Elite Bubbler (Fish Guard 44hrs) is the one to grab for long days and bigger buckets of baitfish.
How long to run the aerator
Run it the whole time there's bait in the bucket. Turn it on at the bait shop and turn it off when you head home. The bubbler isn't what kills shrimp. Running out of air is. Bring spare batteries, because a dead bubbler halfway through the morning is how most buckets die.
Swap in fresh water, and where to get it
Even with a bubbler, change some of the water as the day goes on. Every hour or so, or whenever it turns cloudy or the bait starts hanging at the surface, dump about half and refill.
- Only use water from where you're fishing, or at least water that's the same salinity and close to the same temperature.
- Never use tap water. It's fresh, and city water has chlorine in it. Either will kill shrimp quickly.
- Pull the dead ones. A dead shrimp or baitfish fouls the water for the rest. Pick them out and use them as cut bait.
Temperature: cool helps, too cold kills
Summer is the hard season in Florida. Bucket water sitting in the sun gets warm, and warm water holds less oxygen. Keep the bucket in the shade, under a seat or behind the cooler, and keep the lid on. The bigger the bucket, the more slowly it heats.
If you need to cool the water, do not drop ice straight in. Ice melts into fresh water and drops the salinity. Freeze a sealed bottle of salt water (or plain water, as long as it stays sealed) and float it in the bucket. It cools the water slowly without diluting it.
Winter works the other way. Cool water helps, and shrimp usually stay livelier on a mild winter morning than in August. On a cold-front morning, though, a bucket left out on a windy pier can get colder than the bait can stand. Keep it out of the wind with the lid on, and make any changes gradual.
How long do live shrimp last in a bucket?
In a properly sized bucket with a bubbler running, kept shaded and topped up with fresh water now and then, healthy shrimp usually last a full fishing day. Crowded in a small bucket with no air on a hot day, they can be in trouble within an hour or two. If yours are dying fast, check oxygen and temperature first.
Keeping pilchards and other baitfish alive
Cast-netted pilchards (scaled sardines) and threadfins are some of the best live bait in Florida, and some of the hardest to keep alive. They're fragile and use oxygen fast.
- Don't overload the bucket. A bucket that holds plenty of shrimp might hold only a handful of pilchards. Catch what you'll fish and turn the rest loose.
- Get them into water quickly. Shake the net out over the bucket instead of dumping them on the deck or the pier boards.
- Strong, constant air. This is where a long-running bubbler really matters.
- Change water more often than you would with shrimp, especially when it's warm.
On a pier
Pick a spot in the shade, drop a rope bucket for new water when it's time to change, and keep the lid on between baits. Our Florida pier fishing guide covers the rest of the setup.
On a kayak
On a kayak, space is the problem. A small bucket with a sealed bubbler wedged into the tankwell or crate works well for shrimp. For pilchards, carry fewer and change water more often, which is easy since the water's right there.
Catching your own bait
Plenty of Florida anglers skip the bait shop and throw a net. For pilchards, use a small mesh like a 6' 1/4" Aqua cast net so they don't gill in the net and get torn up. If you're new to it, start with how to throw a cast net, then read our guide to cast net radius, mesh and lead weight to pick the right one.
Cast-netting rules vary by species and by area, and so do the rules for what you can do with your catch. Check current FWC saltwater regulations before you go (and NOAA rules if you're fishing federal waters).
Gear for this
- 4qt Bait Bucket: small trips, a dozen shrimp
- 11qt Bait Bucket: full days, several dozen, baitfish
- Bucket Lid: fits a 5-gallon bucket; shade, no jumpers, no sloshing
- MINI Bubbler Sealed (Fish Guard): compact, good for kayaks
- Elite Bubbler (Fish Guard 44hrs): long days and baitfish
- Cast nets: catch your own
FAQ
How do I keep bait alive without a livewell?
Use a bait bucket big enough for the amount of bait, with a battery bubbler running the whole time. Keep it shaded with the lid on, and swap in fresh water from where you're fishing every hour or so. That setup handles shrimp all day for most anglers.
Can I put ice in my shrimp bucket?
Not loose ice. As it melts it adds fresh water and lowers the salinity, which hurts shrimp. Float a sealed frozen bottle instead.
Why are my shrimp all at the surface?
They're usually short on oxygen. Check that the bubbler is running and the stone isn't clogged, change some water, and get the bucket out of the sun.
Do I need a bubbler for a short trip?
On a cool day with a few shrimp in a big bucket, regular water changes might do. In warm weather, or with any baitfish, use one.
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