Berkley live bait

 Could someone please tell me if live bait can be purchased in Berkley Marina from the dock.
 In other words, is it boat only or can I walk down and buy a bucket of bait?
 Second question.
 Do you guys think live bait would stay alive in an aerated bucket from Berkley to Alameda? Driving 🚗 that is.

 Thanks
    Nick.

Yes.

No. Not in a 5 gallon bucket with an aerator.

Yes.

No. Not in a 5 gallon bucket with an aerator.

  Thanks D,
 Can it be done? Can live bait be transported by truck?

Yes.

No. Not in a 5 gallon bucket with an aerator.

  Thanks D,
 Can it be done? Can live bait be transported by truck?

Yes it can.  We used to do it all the time on berkeley pier with big containers of saltwater.  Problem is anchovies are even tougher to keep alive in a kayak.  I think I could do maybe a dozen at a time in a bucket at most, and they don't survive well in bait tubes.

You don't need live bait for halibut. They are perfectly fine eating dead bait trolled.

I used to do it with a pier cart, medium sized cooler, two aerators and water changes every half hour or so. No matter what you tell the guy (at least back then), he would always dump way too many anchovies in the cooler. Before I even moved I'd scoop a quarter of them out and throw them in the bay (not back into the dude's net so he can re-sell them). Then I'd wheel everything down to the base of the K dock, remove the few that died already, and do a quick water change. Then I'd make my way to the base of Berkeley pier, remove the dead baits, and do a quick water change. Then I'd get down to wherever I was going to fish and do it all over again, and keep changing out water every 30 - 45 minutes. I've kept two dozen or so very lively all day like that.

They basically need more room to swim around then other baits, so 5 gallons of water in a medium cooler would be better than a full 5 gallon bucket, due to the larger surface area.

Having said all that, there are dudes who pick up anchovies from SF every morning and have the set-ups to get them all the way to Paradise still kicking, so it can be done. Just don't over-load your container initially, and once you get to your destination baby any living ones that are left!

Yes.

No. Not in a 5 gallon bucket with an aerator.

  Thanks D,
 Can it be done? Can live bait be transported by truck?

Yes it can.  We used to do it all the time on berkeley pier with big containers of saltwater.  Problem is anchovies are even tougher to keep alive in a kayak.  I think I could do maybe a dozen at a time in a bucket at most, and they don't survive well in bait tubes.

You don't need live bait for halibut. They are perfectly fine eating dead bait trolled.

Could someone please tell me if live bait can be purchased in Berkley Marina from the dock.
 In other words, is it boat only or can I walk down and buy a bucket of bait?
 Second question.
 Do you guys think live bait would stay alive in an aerated bucket from Berkley to Alameda? Driving 🚗 that is.

 Thanks
    Nick.

I bought them before from the kayak or shore, but their half scoop is ALOT...  On kayak I bagged half & split them w/ 3 other kayakers in bait tube (~a doz each or so), but still alot.
From the shore I got them in wheeled icechest (~12gal) w/ aerators & usually half of them survives to ARW or Paradise before.

I like live baits for Halibut, but I think fresh dead is way better than frozen bait...

I drag mine everywhere in a 20 gallon white garbage can with a marine bubbler and 5ah 12v battery.  Fill it half with water and there is water in the bucket they give you, water changes are important so you have to put a cooler drain at the base.  They last a long time.  I have a live well on the kayak for holding beautiful live bait.  Gotta figure out the dead bait trolling though as an option.  Cheaper and less pressure.....

Catch someshiner perch with a castnet or saiki.  They are real hardy and stay alive a long time.

Excellent topic that I have been pondering recently as well. All the above responses are really good advise.

Live chovies from K dock with 5 gallon bucket and an aerator got me a #50 WSB at Muir beach almost ten years ago. Tsuri and Sharky were there too.

Like Rockhopper said don’t overload your container. Stop and skim off the dead/weak ones for later use as fresh dead or frozen. You should still end up with plenty of lively for the yak. Must have a good bait tank on the boat that recirculates the water. Tubes and caddy’s don’t work in the water.

I mostly catch my own fresh bait now with a sabiki or cast net now but if I lived in the east bay still I’d hit up K dock. Great deal for good bait especially when compared to the cost of tray bait.

-Eliot

Yep.

Don't remember seeing this picture. Sure was a fat Sea Bass, very nice.

Sharky took the picture. Thanks Sharky! We caught many halibut and rockfish/lingcod with the same bait. The WSB was just bycatch I was actually fishing for lings.

Nothing beats the lively’s! 😀

-Eliot

How much does a half scoop run at K Dock?

Catch someshiner perch with a castnet or saiki.  They are real hardy and stay alive a long time.

+1