Bait Tank - Igloo Ice Cube Cooler

I needed a bait tank with some aeration and filtration to hold blueback herring for striper fishing that could also be used as a seat. I used an Igloo Ice Cube cooler along with a Tsunami live well kit, some pvc odds and ends, a submersible blue LED light, and some Water Weld putty for the return (inside of the tank only). For the filter I drilled some holes in a Tupperware container filled with filter material from my local pet store.

[@catfishassassination3821]

Been using this for about 3 years now just a few months after you posted this. Been a hell of a tank

[@jasonchambers1646]

So glad it's worked for you! Thanks for letting me know.

[@timecode2533]

Just built one following you build. Put a “Y” adaptor in mine. So no blow. Works GREAT! Thanks for the video!

[@idealroofcoatings]

I have watched a BUNCH of videos where guys are making bait tanks and NONE of them could solve my issue which is a filter until you!! Herring need one badly to stay alive. Thanks for showing me the way to do it. Now I don't have to give $500 to my bait store for an overpriced tank!! The ONLY thing I might do differently is to possibly use an extra large Gatorade cooler as it's round and those basterds like swimming in circles but that is it!! Great job and thanks again. Robbie T Atlanta GA

[@johncampbell1191]

Thanks for the filter idea! My big bait livewell is a large barrel, and the filter was just pantyhose I kept replacing over time. This is pure genius!

[@pballa7078]

Genius!! Just ordered my kit and stole the exact rubbermaid bowl and lid from the wife.. BIG THANKS!

[@DarronSmithBahamianMillionaire]

That was brilliant and a great step adding the filter and tehn also using the pump to empty the cooler. First time seeing it like this so thank you for the smarts!

[@jasonwhitaker9884]

Wow Jason this is super helpful I striper fish out of a 18' XPRESS bass boat and u just made my day thank you again.

[@allkindsofoutdooractivities]

Great build! Glad you built the filter. I’d add a small bag of activated charcoal with zeolite in your filter also.

[@idealroofcoatings]

One other thing; About 20 years ago I met a company that specializes in fluid dynamics. They make an industrial battery watering system that I have sold and installed on my customers forklift batteries. They make aerators for livewells . That at are factory installed bvy every bass boat manufacturer in the country. I'm going to use one of their retro kits and see how it does. It REALLY does well and generates a lot of O2 for the fishes.

[@mlangfordoutdoor]

I like that boat looking for something like it I can store in my garage and thanks for the bait tank video Subscribed and making one this week

[@brettb2951]

I have the same setup on same ice chest with a "T" and a valve to drain the water. I also have a pressure switch so my light only turns on when I open the lid. I will definitely be adding your filter setup though. Thanks

[@jeremydecoudres]

How many shad can you keep in here?

[@floydaltonmiller]

Great idea. I think I will steal your idea.

[@hopechannelcat5462]

great ideas, enjoyed your video

[@bigred4158]

Sweet. Best diy bait tank I've seen. Thanks for the share

[@Justin-tp3lr]

I have one setup just like this. I just bought the mesh screen that fits over the end of the pump. That's the only real difference.

[@Swanny713]

Great video! Thank you

[@paulmerritt7540]

Great setup Jason. I plan to copy your idea for my own setup but install a switch because of having to unplug it several times a going through the steps to fill, prime, empty, etc. Thanks for the great video and good fishing!!

[@anythingoutdoors7034]

Great looking tank on mine I would put a T and valves in that clear line so wouldn’t have to pull that off all the time

[@jasonchambers1646]

Yes! That would work well.

[@stevehenry9053]

dude sick, im going to make one for walleye fishing

[@fishmut]

I have a smaller bait tank so this looks like an upgrade for me, time to build me a new one , thank you for sharing.

[@charlesrobinson3651]

fishmut u

[@MillerMurdaughFishing]

That filter is genius

[@masterbaits8351]

i know this video is old , but i would put a directional Y adapter on that hose fitting u keep taking off. put a flex hose on the new 2nd output, that way u just toggle the y adapter to drain instead of having to take it apart and put it back together again, also u could use it as ur priming hose, and prob not have to cut power ,

[@alanwillms7164]

Great job! Well thought through.

[@GetOutTheHouseGoFish]

Great job with the DIY bait tank. I hit that red button and shared it to the FB page #getoutthehousegofish

[@roynew8998]

Good job

[@Popareeno]

Well done sir

[@appalachianpursuit2924]

Does your lid leak a ton of water when it sloshes

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

It works better with a round tank with water moving clockwise or counterclockwise. Bait fish,especially freshwater shad live much longer. I've seen many a shad push into a cornered and drowned.

[@jasonchambers1646]

I've heard that thing about bait dying in square tanks for years but I've never seen it happen. My large bait tank (275 gallon) is square and all the bait shops I know of use square tanks.

[@dougdodge1121]

Looks great. Are the corners round enough so bait don't bunch up. Have you used it for shad?

[@tomthecat9780]

I like it, put in the to do list.✓

[@eviltricster8090]

Could just take the hose off the back and tilt the cooler back with the hose on the floor. The weight of the water will drain itself out, or should unless I'm wrong.

[@davidschwartz2398]

I bought a 20 gal Keep Alive bait tank & am extremely disappointed with it - herring die quickly. How many Blueback Herring can your tank safely keep alive?

[@jasonchambers1646]

I can keep 3 dozen easily, sometimes a little more. I only use this tank for store-bought baits that have already been cured, and use the water from the bait shop tank. If you're catching your own baits you should consider upgrading to a quality bait tank like a CreekBank, or Shad Shack.

[@davidschwartz2398]

@@jasonchambers1646 Thank you for your reply.

[@tongvang724]

Why dont you just get a tube to connect it to where the water flows out from inside the cooler?

[@mcallenr]

Hey Great Ingenuity especially with the LED. Have you thought of a possible plexiglass window on top to look at the bait with the lid closed?

[@joshblackett5]

thats a good idea

[@dthomas2176]

With the led light did you use the screws or an adhesive to seal the light to the inside of the tank? Thanks for the video in the process of building this now

[@412Angler]

D Thomas use double sided tape

[@jasonchambers1646]

I used screws. Drilled small pilot holes, dipped the screws in silicone, and then screwed them in.

[@chuckmiller9469]

My wife said to stop playing with the fish and build her a hot tub

[@Rolaids65]

Smart Man

[@adolfoquezada9898]

Cool setup. Thinking about building one. Did you have any problems keeping herring alive in it? I would only need them alive for around 5 hours or so.

[@jasonchambers1646]

You should be fine for 4-5 hours. That's all I fish, too. Thanks for the comment!

[@yayahelwa1681]

This is a great idea thank you for sharing. Can you please specify the name or model of the pump. I think I'm onto making one like yours.

[@jasonchambers1646]

Here's the one I used www.amazon.com/Attwood-T500-Reqcirq-Aerator-Kit/dp/B002FVQGB4/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1533744060&sr=8-4-fkmr2&keywords=bait+tank+kit+attwood

[@Dr.ChrisSmith]

Hey Jason, where did you get the fittings to fit through the cooler, the top one. Thank you, great idea for a bait tank.

[@greenriggerselectricfenceo2468]

Gidday from New Zealand. Looks great! Do you use it in salt water fishing? Also (if you do) how long have the fish lasted total (alive)? How many hours please? Thank you again.

[@jasonchambers1646]

I have since sold this tank with the boat but I only ever used it in freshwater. I could easily keep bait alive on a day-long trip. I would typically start with around 4-5 dozen. Less on hotter days, more on cooler days.

[@dthomas2176]

Did you use wire nuts to connect the pump, light and power source all together or did you have to use a resistor for the LED light?

[@jasonchambers1646]

I used waterproof solder seal connectors for all connections. I did not use a resistor.

[@Hogwylderr]

I love that boat. Perfect size for me. What brand is that?

[@jasonchambers1646]

16' Aquasport Osprey

[@Hogwylderr]

@@jasonchambers1646 Thank you...

[@dougbecker9224]

Put a tee with a valve in the blow/drain tube then u won’t have to keep unhooking it.😎

[@DaveLovesFishing]

Did you use the 4253 kit for this build? Love the build

[@Brian-co2xh]

Thank you for sharing a great idea! What did you use for the gasket at the tsunami pump inlet?

[@jasonchambers1646]

It was one that I just had laying around from another project. I honestly don't remember what it was from originally.

[@21rjuan]

Cool compact build.. Do you have a link for the led light?

[@jasonchambers1646]

I got mine locally at Walmart. Looking on the website I can only find a 10-pack, but this is what mine looks like: www.walmart.com/ip/10pcs-Marine-Boat-LED-Lamp-Cabin-Deck-Courtesy-Light-Stern-Transom-Lights-Blue/156256290

[@SolorideryR6CX650C]

Hey pops!! what kind of boat is that you have?

[@jasonchambers1646]

Sold it last fall. It was an Aquasport Osprey. sweet boat but just too small for guide trips.

[@j3cubdriver]

That was awesome. I love the detail and care that went into the design and construction! Mine was just simply throwing an aquarium aerator pump in it and heading out lol. Have you considered plumbing in a hand pump bulb to prime it?

[@jasonchambers1646]

I hadn't considered that but it's a great idea!

[@curt32807]

Currently in the middle of doing this build and was wondering if you had any issues attaching the nut for the spray head. The threads on mine dont come out far enough to attach the nut. I ordered the same kit and cooler.

[@jasonchambers1646]

I had the same issue. I used JB Waterweld to install the spray head. You could also try JB Weld Marine epoxy. Amazon has both.

[@MidniteClubII]

Right on.. Building one this weekend.

[@batteries2857]

Jason do you have a parts list and where to buy. With A hookup diagram?

[@maryclouser3748]

my husband got a boat almost like yours

[@DefenderoftheFather]

I like that little bait tank and the little boat too. Looks perfect to set up for striper fishing. What kinda boat is it?

[@jasonchambers1646]

It's a 2001 Aquasport 165 Osprey. Got me a bigger boat so it's up for sale.

[@savagestyle124]

what size is the cooler? great build,thank you.

[@jasonchambers1646]

15 gallon

[@peterfazzi7257]

60qt or 15 gallans

[@bobbybenny]

I have a 35 Gallon Super Bait Tank($900 to boot that is)which is too bulky and gets in the way on my 11 passenger 2150 Center Console Tahoe boat. The boat comes with a standard maybe 10-gallon bait tank, of course, no filtration system. How would anyone suggest or has anyone done some similar modification to the conventional customary bait tank that is incapable of holding herring or gizzard chad? Ugh...BTW, took it up to Bass Pro Shop while installing Active target and brought it along with Super Bait Tank II and asked that they use it as a key to designing something whereas they don't have to drill into the boat that would be sufficient in holding Striper live bait? They got back to me and said "nope, don't give a sh*^, gonna be better for you to just take the tank when you need it and take it out when you don't." I say BS, I know something can be done, the worst-case scenario is I have two coolers that came with the boat, one big one (maybe 35 gallons) under the captain seat that I cannot use for this purpose(gotta have a place to keep the "Koolaid" cold), the other one is located right behind me under the passenger seat in the middle of the stern, unfortunately, you have to lift the seat that is designed for three asses and not one seat per passenger to sit on rather than one which makes is quit daunting to do over and over again. .

[@jasonchambers1646]

A little pricey but something like this might help

[@aspergerhellasbn]

I build a bait tank and its almost finished my only problem and most important is that i can not seal it properly.i used many kinds of silicons but i did not had good results:( any tips?

[@chrisgunter4344]

4200 or 5200 marine silicone....the 5200 if you never want to take it apart...

[@CfRlCajunfishRiplips]

Nice Job....cool idea

[@mikemilton9841]

Does the LED light have to be blue?

[@jasonchambers1646]

No. It does not have to be blue. Green lights will work and just a regular white light works, too. I'm guessing other colors might work but I'm not sure.

[@shawnmayhorn977]

what is a alternate power source i could possibly use other than a cigarette lighter??

[@jasonchambers1646]

You could also just use two wires that connect straight to the battery.

[@Crisco29006]

I know this video is an older one, but I was wondering what kind of light you used?

[@jasonchambers1646]

I just used one from Walmart. Its says submersible but I've had to replace it a few times.

[@Crisco29006]

@@jasonchambers1646 Thanks.

[@MSTR-DTH23]

How long will this keep bait alive?

[@TheDuckseason]

Super Genius !!

[@ehogsed9447]

That's great ! Thanks for sharing.

[@buckshot700]

What’s the blue light for

[@jasonchambers1646]

It helps with a couple things. For one, it keeps the bait calm. Also, when fishing in the dark it's easier to see the bait when you need to net one, and you don't have to hold a flashlight.

[@SiCDesigns]

idk why but when he started blowing on that i died laughing. great video.

[@jb501968]

nice job!

[@rafaelmontalvo9918]

nice

[@anton00867]

Great ideas!

[@coffeedollsvp]

how well does that chest hold water in....when the boat is rocking , does water come out?

[@jasonchambers1646]

It does lose a little water, but not much.

[@INFOWARSDOTCOM]

Jason Chambers Why the elaborate filter? Why couldn’t you just use one of those mesh screen filters that fits over the end of the inlet?

[@jasonchambers1646]

Thanks for your question. I have one of those screw-on wire mesh screens you’re talking about. The problem is, with blueback herring, they lose so many scales that it would clog up quickly and stress the pump. More importantly, the filter I designed gets the scales out of the water and away from the bait. Too many scales floating around can get stuck in their gills and kill them.

[@INFOWARSDOTCOM]

Jason Chambers Makes sense, thank you! We did a variation of your design but with a bubbler. Looking forward to using it. Thanks for the video!

[@downdirty8543]

Love the effort brother but way too much work. I built a similar bait well / live well (30 gallons) that self fills and drains by the flip of a switch

[@kyleward261]

Hey there Jason, nice bait tank! Did you install the 3 amp inline fuse the pump calls for?

[@jasonchambers1646]

I didn't have to. There's a fuse in the cigarette lighter plug I use to plug it into the boat.

[@derek56ace]

That’s awesome

[@azfirebreaks9528]

Where can I find the light

[@jasonchambers1646]

www.amazon.com/Attwood-T500-Reqcirq-Aerator-Kit/dp/B002FVQGB4/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1533744060&sr=8-4-fkmr2&keywords=bait+tank+kit+attwood%EF%BB%BF 1

[@peterfazzi7257]

What led bar are u using?

[@jasonchambers1646]

Here's the one I got at Walmart: www.walmart.com/ip/T-H-Marine-LED-Slim-Line-Utility-Strip-Lights/52897231

[@kevinguthrie466]

What pump is that?

[@jasonchambers1646]

Jason Chambers 4 months ago Here's the one I used: www.amazon.com/Attwood-T500-Reqcirq-Aerator-Kit/dp/B002FVQGB4/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1533744060&sr=8-4-fkmr2&keywords=bait+tank+kit+attwood%EF%BB%BF

[@brt-jn7kg]

First what kinda boat is that? Smoking cool!!!

[@jasonchambers1646]

16' Aquasport Osprey

[@brt-jn7kg]

@@jasonchambers1646 i wish I could show you a picture of my boat. I converted an open skiff 1964 Crestliner Challenger 14 foot fiberglass boat to a small center console. If you want email me [e-mail]. im going to do what you did with the live well.

[@commercialelectrician133]

great video can you get me a parts list

[@1osmosiss]

Put a two way tap on it

[@ForrestOutdoors]

Very informative, very cool, sub your way, have a great season from Forrest Outdoors. Check us out when you have time.