Shad Tank... Need Help!!!

[sublime]

OK so I just picked up a black plastic 55 gal drum. I already know about keeping the water temp in the mid 60's, adding rock salt, dechlorinate water, and all the conditioning stuff, etc. But I have a few questions on the tank itself.

Where's a good place to cut the tank down to? I would like to keep around two dozen shad at a time so I should "need" atleast 24 gallons according to the golden shad keeping rule(1 shad per gallon). But I'll be keeping them for a max of 24 hours prolly.

So I'm cutting it down, what's the easiest way to make a lid? I was gonna try to cut the tank down as even as possible, then try to screw on a round piece of plexiglass. I'll prolly cut it in half and put hinges on it for an opening.

And the most important part... WHAT AERATOR?!?!?!?! I don't want to spend an arm and a leg and I don't want to drill a hole in my tank. Basically I want to know if I can get by with a like "Double Bubbles" or "Big Bubbles", the "D" cell, dual outlet aerators. Run one of those and have two of the big "fine" air stones. I know I won't have any current but I won't be trying to keep them for over 24 hours or so. Basically anything 12V is out of the question because I'll have to go buy another deep cycle battery. And I just don't want to put too much money into it, considering this is just my tank for when I go fishing by myself.

Also when you guys catch shad, like when you cast net them, what do you do to get them from your cast net, to your bait tank in the back of your truck? I've heard put them in a 5 gal bucket, then take em up, but I was thinking. What about just taking my 5 gal with holes drilled all over, and drop the fish straight out of my net - into the 5 gal bucket and just keep that in the water the whole time im cast netting? That way I don't have to worry about aerating, and losing the fish that are waiting in the bucket. Or would doing this stress the fish out and kill them?

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm pretty new to trying to keep shad alive (other than castnetting at the lake I'm fishing). I've done as much research as I can but there's still a few grey areas. Thanks.

[flatheadsteve]

when i take them out of the cast net i put them in a fish basket or like you said a 5 gallon bucket with holes in it works good to. but dont fill it to full or they will die.

[flatheadsteve]

and for the areator i like the one that sprays water out i think it is called the bait saver or somethin like that its 40$. you just have to clean the filter out everynow and then but its the best one ive used. no holes needed to be drilled or anything.

[snake513]

man from my experience i would say just a good airpump 2 BIG air stones(not the cheapos get the biggest you can find) clean cool water,shad keeper,pinch of coffe creamer and a little salt will do the trick in a round tub no need for a pump unless you want to keep it in there for a week. the pumps work good but they get clogged alot and will warm your water if its not mounted outside of the tank. this method will keep 2- 3 dozen alive 24 hrs no problem. get the air pump that goes to your battery and attach a cigerate lighter to it insted of the battery clamps.BLUECAT59 will run his for 2 days without starting his truck and will not drain battery. good luck with the shad

[snake513]

ohh yea make the tank about even with the bed of your truck. it will be about 30 gallons. you could just mount the lpart you cut off of the barrell back on it and eliminate the plexi glass top theres a pic on here of mine done that way