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For goodness sake keep your live bait alive 🐟
A new movie is out that claims to capture the essence of fly fishing 🎬
Don’t put away your grill quite yet 🔥

🎣 Bucket to Baitwell

If you’ve ever watched your minnows go belly-up halfway through a fishing trip, you know the heartbreak of bad bait management. The fix? Build your own live bait well with nothing more than a 5-gallon bucket and a little know-how.

🧰 What You’ll Need:

5-gallon bucket (and lid, preferably with a hatch)
Battery-powered aerator
Command strips (for mounting)
Drill with ⅜-inch bit
Air hose and air stone
Zip ties or suction cup
Frozen water bottle
Fresh or dechlorinated water

⚙️ Setup:

Mount the Aerator: Use Command strips to secure your aerator to the outside of the bucket. It’s strong, waterproof enough, and easily removable for cleaning or battery swaps.
Drill the Lid: Using a ⅜-inch bit, drill a small hole near the edge of the lid—just big enough for the aerator hose to pass through. This keeps the lid snug and prevents the hose from getting pinched.
Run the Airline: Thread the hose through the hole you just drilled and drop the air stone into the bucket. Secure it at the bottom with a zip tie or suction cup so it stays in place while underway.
Add Water: Fill the bucket about three-quarters full with lake or dechlorinated tap water. Avoid chlorinated hose water—it’ll turn your minnows into memories.
Power On: Turn on the aerator and make sure bubbles are flowing freely. Oxygen is your bait’s best friend.
Lock the Lid: Snap the lid on tight. That hole for the hose is all you need for airflow and access.

You can build your own baitwell at half the price of these pre-made baitwells.

💡 Pro Tips:

Keep it cool: Always toss a frozen water bottle in the bucket. It keeps the temperature stable without watering things down.
Don’t overcrowd: Two dozen minnows or a dozen larger baits max in a 5-gallon bucket.
Refresh often: Swap out part of the water every few hours to remove waste and keep oxygen levels up.
Lid security: Add a bungee cord to keep the lid on during travel. Flying shiners don’t impress the highway patrol.

🎣 IN THE FIELD

This is 100% on our list to watch this weekend:

If you’re looking a premium insulated cooler baitwell, we can’t recommend Engel coolers enough.
An angler from Manteo, North Carolina hauled in a massive 49-inch red drum during an Outer Banks fishing tournament, turning plenty of heads on the docks. The catch quickly became one of the standout moments of the event — proof that the Outer Banks still delivers giants when the bite is on.