20 Gallon Bait Tank Build Project
 

I want to start doing some livebaiting for stripers on the area lakes using mainly hickory and threadfin shad. These boogers require an act of congress to keep them alive. I had a 20 gallon tub laying around for years that I've alway wanted to use. My good buddy Garrett has an extensive background in stucco work, that coupled with his desire to catch the landlocked freshwater stripers is all I needed to get this project going. That and the ever-so-important input from the V20's most notorious striper king - Reelapeelin.

Here's the build pics. They are pretty self explanatory. I don't have the pump in yet and Reel says we gotta insulate the bottom so I'll circle back and add those pics once done. The tub is wrapped with 2 layers of 1/2 inch styrofoam, then another 3/4 sheet of styrofoam. Next is 2 layers of fiberglass mesh bedded in with some kind of rubber coating stuff and topped with an additional 3 - 4 coats of the rubber-like stuff. Garrett did a fantastic job...I only helped a little with gluing the first 2 layers of foam, he did the rest.


Here it is:
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Sweet!!!

awesome...love the way you finished off the top edge.

Thanks guys, I wish I was that good Rwilson....that is my buddy in the pics. He did most of the work. At first we planned on making a redneck bait tank but it morphed into this. And I'm glad it did. It turned out about 100 times better than I ever thought! It will be interesting to see how well it holds up. I still have not found anywhere local to get the pump system Reel told me to get. I'm not too worried about it b/c I'll be at the beach this weekend and near a West Marine. They should have it if not sold out.

That tank came out great! Now where is mine? hahaha

Shawsee, get yourself a round or oval tub/container b/t 20 - 30 gallons....I'll tell you exactly what we did and all the materials you need.

Piece of cake! Reely!

I never thought about using the synthetic stucco that way.
Great post Blue!

I don't think it was actually stucco...heck I don't know what it is. It is some kind of rubberized waterproof coating over fiberglass mesh. I do remember him saying he could use the other stuff but it would be 10 x heavier than this stuff. Thanks Tsub! I'll send the compliments to my buddy.

Hey BR - Where did you get a 20 gallon bucket?

BS - I've had it for 8 or 10 years. One of my bro-in-laws got it for me. I'm not sure where he got it but it did not contain liquid, rather I think it was a container for some sort of beads. I wish I knew where to get my hands on more.

All of my projects seem to be on this 8 - 10 year plan, go figure.