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i'm in the process of making a live fbait pen for bunker,porgies kingfish.i want to use a soft netting rather than metal.i know the soft will lesson fish damaging themselves but will it last long and what type should i use.
building a bait pen
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not gona keep any crabs in that one.i have a crab hotel for that and it sits on the bottom.this one floats and is for fish only
flukeoholic wrote:
not gona keep any crabs in that one.i have a crab hotel for that and it sits on the bottom.this one floats and is for fish only
I think he means that crabs would try to get from the outside in, clawing at the fabric cage.
I also know of a crab hotel that sits on the bottom too..i believe its my ex girlfriend..but thats another story.
not gona keep any crabs in that one.i have a crab hotel for that and it sits on the bottom.this one floats and is for fish only
I think he means that crabs would try to get from the outside in, clawing at the fabric cage.
I also know of a crab hotel that sits on the bottom too..i believe its my ex girlfriend..but thats another story.
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definitely stay away from a soft net. Ive had blue claws try to chew through a spackle bucket to get to some snappers that I was using for bait. A soft net won't last one day once the crabs roll in.
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Live Bait Pens
There was a great article in the Saltwater Sportsman a while back. It told you everything you needed to know about making a bait pen. They also go into detail about livewell pumps and how many GPM you need to keep you baits alive for a full tide. Most of all, they tell you the supply companies that have what you need.
The article is definately worth researching.
There was a great article in the Saltwater Sportsman a while back. It told you everything you needed to know about making a bait pen. They also go into detail about livewell pumps and how many GPM you need to keep you baits alive for a full tide. Most of all, they tell you the supply companies that have what you need.
The article is definately worth researching.
flybyme. wrote:
Crabs do put some small holes in the side. You are also going to have some silent partners borrow your bait, lol......
Just to tie into this thread....when I was building soft fabric pens the crabs would chew through to get at my peanuts and my "silent partners" (people) would always remove my eels (I thought that eels might be particularly adept at escaping but not so much). The fabric also tends to get a LOT of growth on it and by the end of the season it is pretty much a lost cause.
Last year I built a hard pen out of a plastic drum with an interlocking top. I cut lots of slits in it with a dremel tool and a wood cutting bit to allow for lots of water flow. I used a pool noodle to float it. I hid it underneath a floating dock to discourage "silent partners" but that didn't work. All good bait seems to find its way into someone else's livewell!
I was pretty happy with my new hard pen and figured that it would be the perfect set-up to last a couple of seasons ... until mid November when some %$%$()@#()$%#$)( stole the pen from my dock
![]()
I think I give up at this point!
Crabs do put some small holes in the side. You are also going to have some silent partners borrow your bait, lol......
Just to tie into this thread....when I was building soft fabric pens the crabs would chew through to get at my peanuts and my "silent partners" (people) would always remove my eels (I thought that eels might be particularly adept at escaping but not so much). The fabric also tends to get a LOT of growth on it and by the end of the season it is pretty much a lost cause.
Last year I built a hard pen out of a plastic drum with an interlocking top. I cut lots of slits in it with a dremel tool and a wood cutting bit to allow for lots of water flow. I used a pool noodle to float it. I hid it underneath a floating dock to discourage "silent partners" but that didn't work. All good bait seems to find its way into someone else's livewell!
I was pretty happy with my new hard pen and figured that it would be the perfect set-up to last a couple of seasons ... until mid November when some %$%$()@#()$%#$)( stole the pen from my dock
I think I give up at this point!
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Things You?ll Need:
1/2-inch hard mesh, one 3 foot by 15 foot roll
2 pool noodles
Four 3/9-inch flex conduits, 8 inches long
Two 3/8-inch T-fittings
Two 3/8-inch 90-degree elbows
Four 3/8-inch end splices
Wire cutters
Silicone glue
30 zip ties
Measuring tape
Step 1:
Measure and cut the mesh and flex conduit. You need to unroll the mesh and cut one 9 foot section and two 3 foot sections. The flex conduits are cut into four 4 foot 6 inch sections, two 3 foot 1inch sections and three 1 foot pieces.
Step 2:
Form top and bottom rings. The rings for your bait pen are formed using the 4 foot 6 inch sections of flex conduit. You use two sections per ring. Bend the flex conduit into a half circle and connect in the middle with end splices. To secure the ring, silicone the connections and allow it to dry.
Step 3:
Attach the mesh to the rings. The top of the 9 foot section of mesh attaches to the top ring and the bottom of the section to the bottom ring. Pull the mesh tight to prevent gaps or warps and secure it to the mesh with zip ties. Use one of the 3 foot sections to cover the top and one for the bottom and secure with zip ties. Once the top and bottom sections are secure, trim the excess mesh with wire cutters.
Step 4:
Make the door for the bait pen. Place the three 1 foot sections of the flex conduit in a T shape and connect in the middle of the T shape with a T fitting. Put a 90-degree elbow on each outside end of the horizontal pieces and attach a T fitting at the bottom of the vertical piece. Connect the two 3 foot 1 inch pieces of flex conduit to the 90 degree elbows and T fittings. Secure all the connections with silicone and allow it to dry.
Step 5:
Cut an opening for the door. The opening gets cut into the top section of mesh and needs to be smaller than the door to keep the door from falling into the bait pen. You can use the door as a template for the opening. After you have the opening cut, place the door over the opening and secure the horizontal side to the mesh with zip ties.
Step 6:
Bend the pool noodles into a half circle. When connected, the pool noodles should enclose the bait pen. You may need to cut the pool noodles to get a tight fit. Use zip ties to attach the pool noodles to the mesh just under the top ring.
1/2-inch hard mesh, one 3 foot by 15 foot roll
2 pool noodles
Four 3/9-inch flex conduits, 8 inches long
Two 3/8-inch T-fittings
Two 3/8-inch 90-degree elbows
Four 3/8-inch end splices
Wire cutters
Silicone glue
30 zip ties
Measuring tape
Step 1:
Measure and cut the mesh and flex conduit. You need to unroll the mesh and cut one 9 foot section and two 3 foot sections. The flex conduits are cut into four 4 foot 6 inch sections, two 3 foot 1inch sections and three 1 foot pieces.
Step 2:
Form top and bottom rings. The rings for your bait pen are formed using the 4 foot 6 inch sections of flex conduit. You use two sections per ring. Bend the flex conduit into a half circle and connect in the middle with end splices. To secure the ring, silicone the connections and allow it to dry.
Step 3:
Attach the mesh to the rings. The top of the 9 foot section of mesh attaches to the top ring and the bottom of the section to the bottom ring. Pull the mesh tight to prevent gaps or warps and secure it to the mesh with zip ties. Use one of the 3 foot sections to cover the top and one for the bottom and secure with zip ties. Once the top and bottom sections are secure, trim the excess mesh with wire cutters.
Step 4:
Make the door for the bait pen. Place the three 1 foot sections of the flex conduit in a T shape and connect in the middle of the T shape with a T fitting. Put a 90-degree elbow on each outside end of the horizontal pieces and attach a T fitting at the bottom of the vertical piece. Connect the two 3 foot 1 inch pieces of flex conduit to the 90 degree elbows and T fittings. Secure all the connections with silicone and allow it to dry.
Step 5:
Cut an opening for the door. The opening gets cut into the top section of mesh and needs to be smaller than the door to keep the door from falling into the bait pen. You can use the door as a template for the opening. After you have the opening cut, place the door over the opening and secure the horizontal side to the mesh with zip ties.
Step 6:
Bend the pool noodles into a half circle. When connected, the pool noodles should enclose the bait pen. You may need to cut the pool noodles to get a tight fit. Use zip ties to attach the pool noodles to the mesh just under the top ring.
silent partners
Bravajo
Bait theft that a calls for a hanging.I'd tear that marina apart It's not exactly something you could carry away in your pocket. and buy seasons end not a pleasant thing in the trunk of a car, Should narrow it down. Fortunatly mine is behind the house.
Bravajo
Bait theft that a calls for a hanging.I'd tear that marina apart It's not exactly something you could carry away in your pocket. and buy seasons end not a pleasant thing in the trunk of a car, Should narrow it down. Fortunatly mine is behind the house.
daddy0 wrote:
Bravajo
Bait theft that a calls for a hanging.I'd tear that marina apart It's not exactly something you could carry away in your pocket. and buy seasons end not a pleasant thing in the trunk of a car, Should narrow it down. Fortunatly mine is behind the house.
Exactly. How/why someone took that sea-life encrusted mess will always be a mystery to me. I usually net/trap my own bait so it hurts even more given the effort put in to fill the pen.
Bravajo
Bait theft that a calls for a hanging.I'd tear that marina apart It's not exactly something you could carry away in your pocket. and buy seasons end not a pleasant thing in the trunk of a car, Should narrow it down. Fortunatly mine is behind the house.
Exactly. How/why someone took that sea-life encrusted mess will always be a mystery to me. I usually net/trap my own bait so it hurts even more given the effort put in to fill the pen.
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bravajo wrote:
Gaucho,
Where do you get the "hard mesh"?
I tried HD and Lowes last year but all of the stuff that they had was too big for my bail (eels, spearing, killies, peanuts, etc.).
Joe.
The garden section at home depot. I also made eel traps that worked out really nice.
FYI
Make sure you take these traps out every so offen and rinse them off with a strong hose.
Gaucho,
Where do you get the "hard mesh"?
I tried HD and Lowes last year but all of the stuff that they had was too big for my bail (eels, spearing, killies, peanuts, etc.).
Joe.
The garden section at home depot. I also made eel traps that worked out really nice.
FYI
Make sure you take these traps out every so offen and rinse them off with a strong hose.
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