Keeping Your Bait Alive

2 Requirements for Aeration

There are many types or aeration we will cover just two for this article:

1. The velocity and direction of water flow
2. The size and amount of the air bubbles

Velocity and direction of Water Flow

Delicate bait such as greenbacks, and white bait will not survive an entire day of fishing unless the water flow (velocity) in the livewell is soft and gentle. Turbulent water will damage the bait and force them to work against the current.

Ideal water flow within a live well should be approximately 1 to 2 Mph. in a circular motion. This will allow fish to school together and provide a smooth flow of water through their gills. If the water flow is excessive, bait will tire quickly and will not be lively.

Size and Amount of Air Bubbles

Air bubbles must remain contacting the water, if they are to do the job properly. A good rule of thumb is: The smaller the bubble, the longer it will remain suspended in water to dissolve.

Your Lesson in Air Bubbles

The smaller the air bubble, the more slowly it will rise, giving it more time to dissolve in the saltwater.

Due to the high density of salt water, air bubbles are usually smaller in salt water than in fresh water.

The tiny bubbles, can theoretically aerate 6.6 times as much water with the same amount of air.

Knowing the importance of air bubble size, the effectiveness of different aerator systems becomes readily apparent!

Livewells

Livewells come in many sizes. Oval or round tanks provide the best circulation. However, rectangular or square wells are satisfactory if there is a directional discharge into the well. The directional discharge will induce the more desirable circular motion.

Spray Bar Aerators

Spray bar aerators add oxygen to the water by jetting small streams of water into the surface. Some air is absorbed into the spray as it passes from the spray bar to the water surface, and when the spray strikes the water surface, air bubbles are injected into the water. For the most part, these bubbles are rather large.

Jets of water from spray bars are generally harsh to delicate bait. Their protective coating and scales are easily removed, and their survival is drastically reduced.

Spray bars are an inefficient aeration system, and should be used only on the hardiest bait.

Air Stone Aerators

Air stone aerators are an inexpensive way to keep bait alive in small containers. They are quiet and gentle, but because their bubbles are typically larger, they need a greater amount of bubbles for a large amount of bait.

Air stone aerators do provide gentle aeration, but they sustain less bait per unit of air than aerators that produce smaller bubbles.

Venturi Aerators

This is the much copied, old aeration technology. They can be purchased as a floating aerator or a bottom aerator with suction cups.

The fast-moving water at the output of the pump creates a vacuum, which suck air into the pump output. This system typically provides larger amounts of smaller air bubbles than previously discussed aerators.

Some models can damage bait due to the high speed of water from the pump output.

Thru-Hull Pumps

Thru-hull pumps provide a uninterrupted flow of new water into the live well and eliminate the problems of heat and ammonia build-up. As long as clean water is available, more bait can be placed in a given amount of water than with any of the previously systems. However, when entering water that is less than ideal for delicate bait, care must be taken to secure the intake water. By utilizing a combination of the thru-hull pump with other aeration methods, bait can remain healthy and lively for longer periods of time.