Keeping peanut bunker alive [FAQ]

[njadam]

What is the best way to keep peanut bunker alive without a livewell on your boat? thanks

[Luna Sea 5]

What is the best way to keep peanut bunker alive without a livewell on your boat? thanks

live well is the best choice, or hang over a bait keeper off the side of the boat.  If your fishing for fluke, they don't have to be alive, so keep them on ice and keep them real fresh.  DO NOT PUT THEM IN THE LIKE WELL WITH KILLIES, THE KILLIES WILL EAT THEM..  No joke, you heard me correct..  killies will eat them.

[njadam]

i had no idea the killies would eat them. very interesting. caught about 2 dozen of them on monday and then just put some salt on them and put them into the freezer.In about 20 mins they were all dead in a bucket of water. will they still be good for fluke this weekend?

[Luna Sea 5]

Fluke eat frozen bait, so don't worry too much about that.  If I get the peanut bunker, I will zip lock bag them, remove the air, and keep them in the refrigerator for a few days if I know I will be on the water in that time.  If not, then freeze them.  They are great Fluke bait, dead or alive, frozen or fresh.

[Luna Sea 5]

I couldn't believe my eyes.  Last year I spent some time at my house in Little Egg Harbor.  It is great having access to my boat when it is docked in the lagoon in the back yard.  I caught a bunch of killies for a fluke trip, put them in my live well for Fluke fishing a few hours later.  During that time a school of peanut bunker made there way in my lagoon.  I threw the cast net out and BANG, got a bunch.  So, i put them in the live well with the killies.  By the time I got to the fishing grounds, I opened the live well and all the killies were attacking the peanut bunker that were twice or 3 time the size of the killies.  SO, at that point, I put the killies in the trolling saver and then in the live well to separate them.  I couldn't believe it, and I wouldn't of if I didn't see it.

[ped579]

Wow, The Attack of the Killer Killies.

Coming to a live (or dead) bait well near you.

Sorry I couldn't resist

Happy Catching

Paul

[gottog]

Round livewells or tubs with a good aerator will keep the peanuts alive.  Rectangular, like a cooler, will work, but if you have a good amount of them, they just don't swim right.  With a round tub they'll swim in circles staying alive longer.

Killies will eat anything.  if they grew larger, they'd be almost like saltwater pirannha.