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Original post made by William Sipes(Riverrat) on March 25, 2002
When shore fishing for flatheads, here is a cheap way to make a portable livewell for your baitfish. You need a sturdy clothes basket, about 4 feet of hardware cloth, 2 hinges, a knob, small gauge wire, about 15 small nuts and bolts and some light weight material for a lid.
Line the 4 inner sides of the basket with hardware cloth, using small pieces of wire to attach it. Cut out a lid to fit the top, then cut the back 4 inches off. Attach this small piece to the back side of the top of the basket with 4 small nuts and bolts. Attach 2 hinges to the attached back piece, and attach them to the larger front piece. Put a small drawer knob in the center of the front.
You can use it to carry equipment to the water, then empty it out, chuck in a rock to hold it down, and set it out in the water til the water line is about 3 inches below the lid. Go early, and take some worms with you. Catch bluegills, suckers, bullheads etc...whatever is legal to use for bait in your area. As you catch them, put in live well. When you are ready to start flathead fishing, carry the basket to the shore. Most of the water will drain out, leaving just a inch or so in the bottom, making it easier to grab your bait. Anyone who has ever stuck their hand into a 5 gallon bucket full of bullheads knows this ain't fun. Bait up and return basket to water. This also helps in using fish from the water you are fishing, baitfish the flatheads are accustomed to eating. When done for the night, you can empty the basket back into the water, returning what you don't use.
Rat
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When shore fishing for flatheads, here is a cheap way to make a portable livewell for your baitfish. You need a sturdy clothes basket, about 4 feet of hardware cloth, 2 hinges, a knob, small gauge wire, about 15 small nuts and bolts and some light weight material for a lid.
Line the 4 inner sides of the basket with hardware cloth, using small pieces of wire to attach it. Cut out a lid to fit the top, then cut the back 4 inches off. Attach this small piece to the back side of the top of the basket with 4 small nuts and bolts. Attach 2 hinges to the attached back piece, and attach them to the larger front piece. Put a small drawer knob in the center of the front.
You can use it to carry equipment to the water, then empty it out, chuck in a rock to hold it down, and set it out in the water til the water line is about 3 inches below the lid. Go early, and take some worms with you. Catch bluegills, suckers, bullheads etc...whatever is legal to use for bait in your area. As you catch them, put in live well. When you are ready to start flathead fishing, carry the basket to the shore. Most of the water will drain out, leaving just a inch or so in the bottom, making it easier to grab your bait. Anyone who has ever stuck their hand into a 5 gallon bucket full of bullheads knows this ain't fun. Bait up and return basket to water. This also helps in using fish from the water you are fishing, baitfish the flatheads are accustomed to eating. When done for the night, you can empty the basket back into the water, returning what you don't use.
Rat
