Hooking Up The Electrical
Your Bait Tank pump comes pre-wired. The only connection you have to do is connect the open wires to your power source. The wire will have red paint (or a red sticker) on it and this connects to the positive power source. The other wire is to be connected to the negative power source. There is a quick disconnect that will be between the open wires and your pump. This connection will enable you to leave the power source portion connected but not have the pump connected when the bait tank is not in use or is being stored. Also, you do not have to reconnect the power source leads each time you use the bait tank.
If for whatever reason the pump requires replacing, please mark how the wires from the pump are used. The brown wire (positive) from the pump will need to be rewired to the positive feed to the power source.
When using the tank for the first time and the water is not pumping, check the power feeds to see they are connected properly. If not, you will need to redo the power connections.
Filter Box Preparation
Place the separator screen in the bottom of the filter box. Put the 1″ black foam pads on top of the separator screen. Precut the supplied Poly-Fil material into rectangular pieces slightly larger than one of the black foam pads. Place all but 3 of these in a plastic storage bag for use later.
Pre-wet the white Poly-Fil material before placing it in the filter box.
Place the 3 layers of the Poly-Fil material, one layer at a time, on top of the black foam pad.
During use, when the top layer of the Poly-Fil material becomes clogged, start at one corner and “jelly roll” the soiled layer up and discard it in the trash. The second layer will instantly be filtering any secondary debris. Please carry a sealable food storage bag for this purpose and discard the soiled material properly when you reach shore.
NOTE: Should the black foam pad become clogged, shut off the pump momentarily, allow any water above the pad to drain down, then remove the pad and rinse it in the lake. Reinstall the black foam pad, then the Poly-Fil sheets and restart the pump.
NOTE: We use new Poly-Fil on every recharge of the tank. Poly-Fil can be obtained at local discount stores, sewing stores, or hobby stores. It is used as a filler for quilting. The 3 or 4 ounce weight is the best.
Tank Preparation
Fill the tank to the proper level, which is just to the bottom of the filter box. There is a line on the filter box to indicate the proper level. Over-filling will flood the filter box and slow the filtering process. If city water is used, be sure to include a de-chlorinating chemical. LCR (Liquid Chlorine Remover) is added at one teaspoon per 10 gallons. Non-iodized salt can be obtained at a Walmart. Please be sure to use non-iodized salt.
Add the LCR product that supports the specific bait you are retaining per the manufacturer’s suggestions. When your choice of bait is freshwater shad, stock rock salt can be used and is a clean, inexpensive alternative – one cup per 10 gallons of water.
Foam formed on the surface of the water in a tank can rob the water of the extra oxygen it could contain. Foam can be removed by adding “Sure-Life” Foam-Off per directions on the container.
Transferring Bait To The Tank
Baits should be shaken from the cast net straight into a transfer vessel containing water where culling must be done to eliminate loose scales and unwanted baits. When culling, use a small net instead of your hands to place the choice baits into the tank water.
After you have all the bait you need, pour the contents of the transfer vessel back into the lake and return any unneeded baits to the lake.
Adding Bait Fish
When adding bait to a tank, always try to keep count. Never over-populate your tank with a bushel basket catch dropped directly into the tank. This results in a congested tank and over-contaminated water. Bait usually dies quickly because contaminates (scales and debris) enter the baits’ mouth while breathing and cross over and lodge on the gills, preventing the bait from receiving the air needed. Never keep small bait fish that you don’t intend to use because they steal oxygen needed by more desirable baits.
Keep in mind that the larger the bait, the smaller tha numbers that can be kept. The 30 gallon tank will keep approximately 30-36 6″ baits. The larger 50 gallon tank will hold bait in the same proportions.
The oval insulated tank is constructed to hold water temps in hot summer months. Put the bait in your tank and bring down the temp gradually. This will not give the bait thermal shock, which can happen when bait is moved form one extreme temperature to another. A good method of reducing water temp is to use sealed frozen milk containers (or something similar), slowly adding them until the desired temp is reached. A simple thermometer can be used to accurately monitor the water temperature.
It is not recommended to add ice or frozen water directly as there may be contaminants which will harm the bait.
Draining The Tank
After removing all unused baits from the tank back into the lake, remove the plug from the back of the tank and allow the water to drain into the lake. If you are using a separate pump to drain the tank, insert it into the tank and drain the water over the side of your boat.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call or contact us any time!