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Buying, Making & Using Tropical Fish Catch Buckets

By Stan & Debbie Hauter, About.com Guide

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DIY Catch Buckets - 5 Gallon

Drilled 5 Gallon Catch Bucket

Stan & Debbie Hauter
  • Plaster your bucket with 3/8" holes all around the outside and bottom of the bucket. The more holes, the better!
You now have a catch bucket that is durable, has plenty of flow through, easy to use and is roomy for your critters. When you catch a critter all you have to do is pull open the door, fold it back, place your net on top of the bucket, invert the net through the opening and release the fish from your net into the bucket. Keeping the net over the hole, fold the lid back over on top of your net and slowly pull the net out sealing the lid with the velcro.

Just remember not to overcrowd fish in your bucket. When you have too many fish in one bucket they are more susceptible to ammonia burn and if too crowded will cause injury to each other from sharp spines and fins. It helps to swoosh the bucket around every once in a while to get some good flow through the bucket if it is stationary. Attach the same kind of line and brass swivel clip to the handle as you do for the flow troll for easy anchoring while fishing down under. If surface diving, you can find an inner tube that will fit the bucket and allow it to sit in the water so you can tow it along as you go. Try and keep as much of the bucket in the water as possible.

Now that you have made your catch buckets, the only things left to make are your Collection Nets and Hand Nets. After that you will want to read up on how to Capture, Decompress and Transport your catch, then you will be ready to pack everything up and head for the ocean.

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