Yeti coolers cost hundreds of dollars, but professional crappie anglers Steve Coleman and Ronnie Capps spare no expense in keeping their live minnows lively. You probably don’t have to spend that much, but good bait management can mean more crappie on your stringer or in your livewell. (Photo: Richard Simms)
Crappie Basics: Best Bait Buckets for Minnows
by Richard Simms, CrappieNOW Editor
In this month’s issue Senior Writer Tim Huffman shares some great tips on crappie fishing with minnows. Article Link Click Here
One of his tips is to always keep your minnows lively. He suggests some frozen water bottles to keep the water cool. Cool water holds more oxygen. But the best way to keep your minnows cool and lively is to use an insulated and aerated bucket or coolers.
As shown above, well-known professional crappie anglers Steve Coleman and Ronnie Capps use a high-collar Yeti cooler along with an external aerator to keep their bait cool and lively.
Other professional crappie anglers rely on Engel Live Bait Coolers. They also come with a somewhat hefty price tag ($100-plus, depending upon the size and aerator options). But most professionals agree you get what you pay for.
Other manufacturers, such as Frabill, offer excellent aerated bait management systems, as does Flambeau Outdoors.
One thing to consider is whether the aerator you buy has the capability to operate via a 110-volt outlet. There are occasions you might have bait left over and want to use it the next day. Or you want to buy bait a day ahead of time and you need to plug in the aerator in the garage overnight.
Capt. Richard Simms is the Editor of CrappieNOW magazine as well as owner of Scenic City Fishing Charters. Formerly he was a game warden for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency before becoming a photographer and PR guy for TWRA. That lead to a 30-year career as a broadcast journalist and freelance outdoor writer. Check out his book, “An Outdoor State of Mind.”
