Bait Tank Question for the Guides

flip0302

Senior Member
I am in the market for a filtered bait tank and I know that there are some excellent guides on here that GOOD BAIT is critical to their success.
I have a small 20 Gallon Greyline that is too small and I use it primarily for Bream also a 30 Gallon Baker tank that is not filtered.

Of course they don't come cheap so I want to make the right choice and would love to find a used one.

What should I buy...Bluewater, Super, other?

And what size 30 or 40 ?

Fishing a pontoon so could do either, not really wanting to carry the weight of a 50 Gallon.

I know the guides were faced with the same decision and I trust the opinion of someone who is making a living out of it!

What would you do, again would love to find a used one but they are hard to come by.
 

Robert Eidson

GONetwork Member
Can't beat Ron Vests Super Bait Tank. I have 2 50gallon and love them.

X2 !!!! I have two 30 gallon tanks and as far as I am concern Ron makes the best tank on the market......

They are very hard to get because of supply and demand..... I think both Hammond's and Striper Soup both have them in stock right now...... Hurry they want last long......
 

chad smith

Senior Member
X2 !!!! I have two 30 gallon tanks and as far as I am concern Ron makes the best tank on the market......

They are very hard to get because of supply and demand..... I think both Hammond's and Striper Soup both have them in stock right now...... Hurry they want last long......

What is the price at both hammonds and striper soup?
I'm also looking at the Ron Vest
 

germag

Gone But Not Forgotten
I'm not a guide and am not exactly faced with the same issues as a guide, but here's what I worked out for myself. I located a 30 gal on the Marketplace...it's a 30 Gal Grayline.....that one is for my garage. I see used 30 and 40 gal on the Marketplace about every week to 10 days or so.

Then I got a 20 gal to go in my boat, it's made by Concepts Plastics out of Taccoa (706 827-0036). That 20 gal is about $180 shipped. I can just transfer from one tank to another. Hopefully that's going to work out OK.
 

flip0302

Senior Member
X2 !!!! I have two 30 gallon tanks and as far as I am concern Ron makes the best tank on the market......

They are very hard to get because of supply and demand..... I think both Hammond's and Striper Soup both have them in stock right now...... Hurry they want last long......

Robert, thanks for the repsonse. If you were buying new today, would you stay with a 30 gallon? I would rather stay away form the weight of a 40 if possible.
 

Robert Eidson

GONetwork Member
Robert, thanks for the response. If you were buying new today, would you stay with a 30 gallon? I would rather stay away form the weight of a 40 if possible.

Absolutely !!! I have had 40's and 50's and sold them all. I even had the top of my 50 custom cushion... I can keep a 150 thread fins in my 30 Gallon tank all day during the summer, and more in the cooler months. And a laminate chose to 200 lbs of water if I was using a 50 gallon.... I just don't need the extra weight or the volume of water that the 50 offers...

The 30 super tank is the BEST all around tank there is on the market... I have had many company's offer me their tanks for free to change to thier brand. Ron has never offer me a dime off his tanks and I still use them today and still pay retail.... There are somethings that you just can't short cut and baits tanks are one of them for what I do to make my fulltime living......
 

bigfishheads

Senior Member
If you are shad fishing, a 30 gallon, with water prepped right, can hold lot of bait. What are you going to do with you 20 gal grayline? I have a 20 gal grey line on my jet and it works great and holds lots of bait!!
 

Capt. Clay C

Senior Member
Vest all the way. I have three of them. A 20, 30, and a 60. Go with the thirty unless you keep a lot of big baits then go with the 40.
 

RockyS

Senior Member
Flip, you can't go wrong with any of the Super Bait Tank ( made by Ron Vest). I've got a 40, and love it. After seeing the new ones, I don't like the new lids. It could be fixed back like the old ones real easy though. I just bought a danco venturi to add to mine to make it better. I'm just down the street from you, if you would like to see one before you buy. Or we could meet up and go fishing and you could see how it works first hand. :)
 

fishingga

Senior Member
So I am not a guide but something you may not know about Vest tanks is
you can always make a shorter stand pipe and change a 40 gallon to hold 30 gallons or less as needed. Cut a new stand pipe about 1" shorter for every 10 gallons less water. A 40 is only a few inches more in floor space. For $25 more and if you are like me and have to keep bait sometimes for more than a day or so you will like the extra water volume of a 40. Money well spent for many years of use.
 

flip0302

Senior Member
So I am not a guide but something you may not know about Vest tanks is
you can always make a shorter stand pipe and change a 40 gallon to hold 30 gallons or less as needed. Cut a new stand pipe about 1" shorter for every 10 gallons less water. A 40 is only a few inches more in floor space. For $25 more and if you are like me and have to keep bait sometimes for more than a day or so you will like the extra water volume of a 40. Money well spent for many years of use.

That is good to know! The $25.00 difference between the two was what I was struggling with the most !
Mnay thanks!
 

flip0302

Senior Member
Flip, you can't go wrong with any of the Super Bait Tank ( made by Ron Vest). I've got a 40, and love it. After seeing the new ones, I don't like the new lids. It could be fixed back like the old ones real easy though. I just bought a danco venturi to add to mine to make it better. I'm just down the street from you, if you would like to see one before you buy. Or we could meet up and go fishing and you could see how it works first hand. :)

I may just take you up on that! It will be a couple of weekends before I get back out, gotg a little travelling to do for work and have been overed tickets to the Bama / Michigan game in Dallas, what is a guy to do?
I wish I was more confident on the outcome of that game, kinda like trying t decide on a 30 Gallon ir 40 Gallon!:rofl:
 

Jeff Blair

Senior Member
So I am not a guide but something you may not know about Vest tanks is
you can always make a shorter stand pipe and change a 40 gallon to hold 30 gallons or less as needed. Cut a new stand pipe about 1" shorter for every 10 gallons less water. A 40 is only a few inches more in floor space. For $25 more and if you are like me and have to keep bait sometimes for more than a day or so you will like the extra water volume of a 40. Money well spent for many years of use.

Good info!!!
 

flip0302

Senior Member
I wanted to say thanks to everyone for sharing, that is the second best thing about the forum!
I am leaning toward the 40 Gallon as the option to make a 30 out of it sounds really good. Would most likely use it as 30 as Robert has suggested 99% of the time.

I most likely will make a purchase before the Labor day weekend.

Whats ranks first? The friends that I have made on the board that I most likely would have never come in contact with. :cool:

There is a great group here on the board and for me , its more addicting than my wife is to Facebook!

Fellows, that saying something!
Many thanks again!
 
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