spot kept in bait pens

[MuphDiver]

with the price of spot at 3 for 10 bucks, I was thinking of just catching a bunch and keeping them in a pen at my slip. Or even keeping ones that I buy and didn't use. How long can they live in a pen? I fish once a week. Do you have to have a food source too?

[TunaTony]

After I clean my catch, I put some of the by product in the pen. Instead of throwing back the blue fish, I always keep one for the pen. I agree with you, spot is going up in price. You just have to find an area that holds them by you. I use a small sabaki hook and some blood worms to catch them. It works great.

[Tuna]

If you have a pen, many of the local bait shops will sell 50-100 at a much better price.
Last year they were $1.50 to $2.00 depending on how many you purchase.

[kronix]

They'll live for some time as long as you feed them. Fishbites also work well with Sabuki rigs.

[chunking]

Try to keep one thing in ind. A bait pen is like an aquarium. I have a large bait pen and it's important to keep it clean to keep the spots healthy especially while the water is warm. Every day I feed my spots a whole bunker. I know a lot of people who just throw food into the pen. This works but it will leave the pen dirty with skulls and back bones littering the bottom. Not the best situation for healthy spots. I use two crab bait clips and a piece of string. I take a bunker and cut it open so they can get to it easy. I take one bait clip and run it through the skull and clip it shut. Hang it in the pen and put the other clip on the side of the pen. This way the bait hangs just off the bottom of the pen and when I feed them next time I just pull the string out and unclip the remains of the old bunker and toss it away. This way the bottom of the pen is kept clean.

[young~gunz]

I used a chum bag that i got from dicks. Went out on a head boat loaded up on some big blues, and fed my spot a blue a week keep them very happy and like Fred said this way keeps the bottom of the cage clean, and the spot happy. :thumbsup:

[Somethin'sFishy]

I've had spot in my pen for almost three months now. I throw in a cut up bunker or two every week, and they have been doing fine. Make sure that you secure the hatch or the otters will rob you.

[JoeyZac]

I throw in all kinds of edible scraps. Canned tuna, leftover clam pieces from wreck trips, meaty scraps after cleaning Sea Bass, etc.

The bigger the pen the better, and they live for months...............

[MuphDiver]

Thanks alot guys for the help! I'll be picking up a pen soon and catching more spot while they are around. How long do they stay around? all season? Are they an effective bait all fall?

[Bet On It]

Try rolled up bread balls. No bacteria.