# Separating shrimp in livewell



## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Add a second baitwell?
A perforated separator plate?


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

The shrimp kill the fish? Are you sure the fish don't die on their own and the shrimp survive longer?

Those Lousiana shrimp must be tough little critters!

How deep is your livewell? I might suggest a small basket attached to teh bottom with velcro. Need a shrimp, pull out the shrimp basket, then stick it back in place in the well.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

http://www.gulffishing.com/bait951.html



> Mixing live shrimp with bait fish is like putting a cat and dog in the same box, they are natural enemies. What happens is the shrimp will continuously stick the bait fish with their horn in this inescapable confinement as often as they make contact, eventually killing them.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

hmmm this is all very good info considering I'm figuring out my baitwell configs. I'll have to build in some sort of divider.


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

Well, put that down as the something new I learned today!

I guess I've been lucky in that my bait has always had good livewell relations.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

It's been 'splained to me on several occasions here...

             Bait is wrong!   [smiley=StirPotChef.gif]

Now if I could just remember who posted those words of wisdom...
....repeatedly!
                                    ;D


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

so the shrimp kill the fish huh? thats news to me, seems like my shrimp are usually the ones to expire first. on occassion i'll catch a grunt and toss him in the bait well, he tends to keep the ruckus down between the mullet and shrimp  ;D


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## backwaterbandits (Dec 15, 2006)

> It's been 'splained to me on several occasions here...
> 
> Bait is wrong!   [smiley=StirPotChef.gif]
> 
> ...




The Ghost of Tanner Past.....WOOOOOOO.....
  ;D


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

Been a bunch of live-bainting going on around here, where's he been?


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## backwaterbandits (Dec 15, 2006)

I have a small round bait-bucket, the kind with
perforated inside part that goes inside an outside
bucket... Both have bail handles...I put the inside
part down into the bait/livewell on my LT25 when
I have shrimp and pinfish. I don't bother with only
whitebait or other more "tame" bait that gets along
better with the shrimp...


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

Like adding a mouse to a snake tank when the snake isn't hungry. 

The mouse will kill the snake.

In this case, I guess the shrimp is the mouse.

-T


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## edauphin (Feb 15, 2009)

Brett and Backwaterbandit thanks for the input. I remember reading Jerry's article a while back.

I'm always amazed at the knee jerk reaction to using live bait - seems to be linked with the automatic assumption that anyone who uses live bait is incapable of practicing catch and release. Just a bunch of knuckle dragging meat fisherman.
If the thought of using live bait makes you weak in the knees just click that Back button and move on down the list.


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

> Brett and Backwaterbandit thanks for the input. I remember reading Jerry's article a while back.
> 
> I'm always amazed at the knee jerk reaction to using live bait - seems to be linked with the automatic assumption that anyone who uses live bait is incapable of practicing catch and release. Just a bunch of knuckle dragging meat fisherman.
> If the thought of using live bait makes you weak in the knees just click that Back button and move on down the list.


Live bait & a circle hook = better for the fish than a lure with a pair of trebles = released in better shape for the future of our fishery. 

You've got my nod on bait any time. 

-T


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## Tom_C (Dec 10, 2006)

Skimmer basket for swiming pool filter.

AC did Fishgazam III with a setup like this.


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## edauphin (Feb 15, 2009)

I am totally with you on circle hooks. I released between 12 and 15 reds today caught with circle hooks and live mullet.
Swimming pool filter basket is a great idea.
Ideally it needs to be a container which has an opening to access the shrimp, but could either float or sink in the live well.


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## cantcatchsquat (Jun 16, 2008)

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?type=product&cmCat=Related_IPL_120234&id=0013525013714a

if your planning on having two buckets this could work


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## edauphin (Feb 15, 2009)

Absolutely no room for a second livewell. I feel lucky to have one.
I would like to create a cube made of plastic hardware cloth or screen with a door to get shrimp in and out. I will have to start using a smaller dip net.

Thanks


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

shrimp on the rocks.... 

Used to keep shrimp alive by soaking newspaper in sea water
and laying it over ice in a small cooler.
Live shrimp were kept on top of the wet newspaper.

Hey, whaddaya know, apparently it still works...

http://fishing-live-bait.com/articles/fishing_live_bait_shrimp.html



> A third technique that is a bit more complicated is to cool the shrimps down. You will need a small ice cooler, ice and a newspaper. Fill the ice cooler half full of ice and place a wet newspaper section on top of the ice. Now simply place the shrimps on the newspaper and close the cooler. The shrimps will go into some kind of suspended state when cooled down this way. If kept cool they will last all day. When a shrimp is placed on a hook and put back into the water it will "wake up" and act as if it was just caught.


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## edauphin (Feb 15, 2009)

Hey, Brett that is the answer. 
So very simple, inexpensive and no interference with finfish bait. All problems solved. Shrimp Master has spoken!
Cool..................very cool
Thanks


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## edauphin (Feb 15, 2009)

Now that I think about it, I remember quite a while ago, reading about people keeping shrimp on moss or seaweed over ice, same as newspaper, just an insulator.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Yep, I can't claim it as my idea, it was being used by most bait and tackle shops in the era before small aerated livewells.
You'd walk into the tackle shop with your cooler and ice, and they'd wet a sheet of newspaper in the shrimp tank,
fold it and set it in the cooler, then load your cooler with your shrimp.


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

> shrimp on the rocks....
> 
> Used to keep shrimp alive by soaking newspaper in sea water
> and laying it over ice in a small cooler.
> ...


That is amazing. I'm definitely doing this sometime soon. You think it would work if I just sectioned off my 72 qt Igloo? One half for drinks and put the wet newspaper over the other half for the shrimp.


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