Bait Motel / Live bait pen Information?

[NauticalSteve25]

Any suggestions of the best live bait holding pen for goggleyes, blue runners? Sizes and prices and where to buy? I guess mesh is the best material.

2500 Hydra-Sports Vector
Twin 225 Johnson Ocean Pro's

[the other tom]

Heavyweight Contender on the SWS forum has posted detailed drawings and materials list to build one yourself for about $30. Much better than a garbage can with holes drilled in it (although that will work) do a search over there, you'l find it.

[IrishJig]

Bigger is better. Best I have seen is a big (approx 4'long x 3' wide x4'deep) plastic coated wire mesh pen available at Capt. Harrys'--not cheap though, I think $300+. The net mesh pens (bigger is better) will suffice for smaller quantities over short durations, but don't stand up too well to Tarpon intrusion if they decide they like the looks of your bait.

[Gil Morgan]

As an add-on to the Irishjig comments, crabs trying to get to any dead baits in the bottom of the mesh trap can do a devastating job on the mesh, ie, big holes and all bait gone.

[wahoome]

Like they said, bigger is better and the soft mesh tends to traumatize the bait a little less as do round pens. Don't leave them in the water too long though. On the homemade front, the plastic 1" fencing works well with floats attached or simply on a rope hung from a dock (non floating pens might cut down on bait theft too). Make the top opening large enough and all the way to the edge so that you can dump them into the live well if you're in a hurry, sometimes I think that's easier on hard tails than netting them individually. I made mine with @ 4' high plastic fence and tie-wraps in an hour or so. I left half the top open to be laced shut with a cord. That's a pain to get open and shut in a hurry though. Metal pens can be hard on the gel coat as can barnacles if they've had time to grow.

[Keyskid]

The net mesh gets destroyed by cudda and snapper trying to get at your baits -believe me, I have gone through several.

"Everyone should believe in something. I believe I will go fishing" --- Henry David Thoreau
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[HeaVEEweight]

As stated above, I drew these plans and built a couple of pens as well. I also know of several other guys that have used my plans with good results.

You can get the materials for around $25 and the pen will hold up for a long time. I had one lost/stolen and the other is still in good shape after 1 year in the water.

Feel free to distribute these plans.
www.groveslam.com/images/downloads/baitpen.pdf


No, not a boxer, just a fat f**k with a Contender!

[NauticalSteve25]

Hey thanks for the input. Sounds like a great christmas project! Anyone run out of the Boynton Inlet? I run out of there often!

2500 Hydra-Sports Vector
Twin 225 Johnson Ocean Pro's

[Booby Trap]

Here is a site you will need to build all your bait well needs.
Quite a site with lots of goodies.

Homepage is: www.memphisnet.net

Page for the plastic netting: http://www.memphisnet.net/10/FishCat...l#anchor801857

.............Booby

[Booby Trap]

Naughti,

I run out of Boynton with my son and my son in law but not as much as I would like.
My son in law has a 24' Pursuit c/c and my son has a 26' Sea Ray.
They both work waaaaaaay to much so they don't have the time that I do.
I am retired so I fish the backwaters on the west coast and the Banana river and Indian river when I'm here on the East coast.

I could take my 18' Lema out Boynton but I would have to wait for special days for that......I think Boynton is one of the worse inlets that I have seen here on the east coast anyway with Sebastian not far behind..

Both my daughter and son live in Boynton and I'm back and forth between Rhode Island in the summer and Englewood,FL and Indian Harbour Bch in the winter.

......................Booby