Thread: Live shrimp vs. fresh dead

Is it worth the trouble to keep them alive or just make sure to keep them fresh?

Thinking i would need a decent sized bucket and bubbler and maybe some ice to keep them alive right?

For specs, reds and sheepshead live is better. A bubbler and a 5 gallon bucket with lid will work, especially since it is starting to cool off. Don't over-crowd it.
For whiting, white trout and croakers, fresh dead is all you need.

There's live and then there is ALIVE shrimp ;-)
Keep 'em kickin!

And then there is fresh dead, and FRESH DEAD.
The FRESHest are the ones you kill yerself just when you put them on a hook ;-)

Not saying you can't (or won't) catch fish (some) on three day old market shrimp (sold as "fresh dead"), or even frozen, but ALIVE and FRESH dead will outproduce other (shrimpy smelling) baits hands down 99% of the time!

... and ice is not necessary except in 90+ degree heat.
You don't want to cool your bait too much or they will be much less active and the stress of chunking them into 80 degree water will kill them outright!

Never let the temp of the water in your bait bucket deviate more than 5 degrees from the water temp you intend to fish or they will be 'stunned' by the sudden change in water temp ;-)

Where would be the best place to get ALIVE shrimp?

J&M Tackle on Canal Road.

Fresh vs. FRESH reminds me of a time I went into a local (as in dock-side, right off the boat, mom & pop place) shop and asked if the shrimp was fresh. T
he teenage girl behind the counter says "yes, we just thawed them out this morning"!
Older lady quickly came to the rescue and pointed me towards the truly FRESH stuff they had...

J&M has a 5 gallon bucket with the bubble box and hinged lid for around $25 or you can buy the hinged lid and a bubble box and put it on your own 5 galon bucket and save a few dollars.

Originally Posted by Pier#r

... and ice is not necessary except in 90+ degree heat.
You don't want to cool your bait too much or they will be much less active and the stress of chunking them into 80 degree water will kill them outright!

Never let the temp of the water in your bait bucket deviate more than 5 degrees from the water temp you intend to fish or they will be 'stunned' by the sudden change in water temp ;-)

1000x this.

Probably the single-handed best advice ever given in relation to fishing with live shrimp and even live bait in general.

Temperature "shocks" nearly all aquatic life, and you must be careful to know the water temps! Cannot be stressed enough.

Shrimp and "bull minnows" (killifish) are very resilient, and you can keep them alive for weeks with a simple bubbler and proper temps.

Slightly off topic, but killifish don't really even need a bubbler. You can throw them in a 5 gallon bucket half filled (so they don't jump out), and make a trap for mosquito larvae (which will eliminate most mosquitos in a good 3 block radius of your home), and you won't even have to feed them due to so much natural food that finds the bucket of water so tempting.

Perfect for any free standing water source where a fish could potentially thrive. Feeder guppies are another good mosquito cure, and cheap as can be--reproducing like... well, guppies!

I never put ice in my shrimp bucket because it is made from fresh water and shrimp live in salt water. Could kill 'em.

If i add ice to livewells or bait buckets it is always in frozen water bottles.