Reader Tips: Modified Bait Bucket

When you’re retrieving a bucket from over the side to get a fresh bait, it is often difficult to avoid spilling water in the boat.

Here’s a solution:

1) Drill a 3∕16-inch hole in the bottom edge of the bucket.

2) Run a short piece of 3∕16-inch rope through the hole, tie a knot on the inside of the bucket, and then seal the hole around the rope with a sealant.

3) Drill a 3∕16-inch hole in the middle of a section of mop handle or dowel, thread the rope through it, and tie a stopper knot.

Now when you pick up the bucket, grab the handle and use it to tilt the bucket, spilling enough water outside the boat to keep it from running over once the bucket comes over the gunwale.

Roger Harrelson

Georgetown, South Carolina