Review A bucket.

[cap'nhaddock]

Yes, a review of a bucket, as there's no forum for ideas to save you time or temper.

In a post in the species hunt section I gave details of photographing a fish in a container of water, easy enough if you have the container and water.

If on a pier or wall, you can take a bucket and walk to the nearest steps or access point and scoop some out or you can tie the bucket on a rope and dangle it over the side. Then you can spend time swearing as you bounce the bucket around hoping it will eventually tip to catch some water.

You could drill a hole in the rim and bolt a weight to the bucket, then, when it reaches the water surface it will tip, the water will enter the bucket and you can pull it up with no bad words at all and save yourself a walk.




I used a flat sided weight and a plastic number plate nut and bolt but string or wire works OK, or a stout cable tie but the nut and bolt stops the weight moving about and wearing whatever is attaching it to the bucket or cutting into the bucket.



You can use the bucket to lower any small fish back into the water too.

The square bucket fits more neatly into the tackle box than a round one. You can maybe scrounge one from caterers or food factories that get their ingredients in them.

 

[Ianpick]

A good bucket is a beautiful thing.
A weight on the handle will tip it over as well.
I've got a few good ones, the best have the sort of lid that clips on, I think it was originally used for some cooking ingredient, ghee perhaps.
I purloined a Vileda mop bucket a while back, square, sturdy and has a rim around the inside that I've made a bait cutting board to fit. It has a long handle too and I have put a couple of stainless bolts in the rim to hold it upright (almost) so I don't have to bend down too far when picking it up.

 

[Topwater]

A selection of good buckets is indeed a very beautiful thing! That long handle that doesn't tip too far over is something I find essential for pumping lug - a sport all of its own that ruins my back so much that I now have to carry a litter picker (ancient fart mode selected, and all that goes/doesn't go with it). I sometimes think I'm a bit mad but here on TSF I know I'm in good company?

 

[Mr Fish]

Forgive me for asking, but when you throw a bucket into the water to get some, don’t you throw it sideways or out to drag it into the water, ie to naturally pull it over on its side, rather than trying to do it vertically?
That tips it onto its side and then obviously once some water is in it, the weight does the rest.

I can see how the weight method here would help with what appears to be quite a small light bucket though.

 

[cap'nhaddock]

Forgive me for asking, but when you throw a bucket into the water to get some, don’t you throw it sideways or out to drag it into the water, ie to naturally pull it over on its side, rather than trying to do it vertically?
That tips it onto its side and then obviously once some water is in it, the weight does the rest.

I can see how the weight method here would help with what appears to be quite a small light bucket though.

You'd need more rope if it were anything more than a straight drop down. If you are on a busy spot then flinging a bucket around on a long rope isn't going to win you many friends. An exciting ride for the fish when you put them back using the bucket though.

 

[Redneck Dek]

I carry a collapsible camping bucket if I’m using a backpack or a sheep lick tub with a lid?

 

[Mr Fish]

You'd need more rope if it were anything more than a straight drop down. If you are on a busy spot then flinging a bucket around on a long rope isn't going to win you many friends. An exciting ride for the fish when you put them back using the bucket though.

Yea but not a huge amount more, you just need to get the bucket on a bit of a horizontal trajectory.
As for lowering down with a fish, well yes you’d have to do it vertically then, but the bucket would have water in, so the weight should take it over?
Point taken about the busy spot though, but I avoid such places like the plague, so didn’t think of that.

 

[Trampster]

Always take 2 buckets with me fishing, along with a bit of rope. Handy to wash your hands, clean fish if not fishing at water level, and hopefully carry the catch home in! Also good to put a tired fish in to rest & revive for a while before sending him back.

 

[Mr Fish]

Always take 2 buckets with me fishing, along with a bit of rope. Handy to wash your hands, clean fish if not fishing at water level, and hopefully carry the catch home in! Also good to put a tired fish in to rest & revive for a while before sending him back.

And to put on your head and hide need be ?

Must admit I have got out of the habit a bit, partly because most of the buckets I have ended up broken or floated away while I watched on forlornly ???

I refuse to buy the designated ‘fishing buckets’ you see in the tackle shops that cost a tenner or more!

 

[Ianpick]

A selection of good buckets is indeed a very beautiful thing! That long handle that doesn't tip too far over is something I find essential for pumping lug - a sport all of its own that ruins my back so much that I now have to carry a litter picker (ancient fart mode selected, and all that goes/doesn't go with it). I sometimes think I'm a bit mad but here on TSF I know I'm in good company?

I used to use a "sand dog" which I made from a Gratnells tray that I put wheels on. The bucket went in the tray and it was all tied around my waist with a length of cord and a belt.
It doesn't help with the bending bit but it does follow you around all day.
Very little opportunity for pumping here on the Isle of Wight, just a few yellowtails.

I'll have to develop a method for pumping commons, I have managed a few but it's quite difficult.

 

[Topwater]

There's a lass who pumps a fair amount of bait who has what I think is a converted snow sledge set up to follow her about. I often cycle down so a 5l bucket is about as much as I can carry. Re pumping blow lug are you going at them from the keyhole rather than cast? Slack set pump and a just flooding tide I find best

 

[Ianpick]

I started with a sledge but realised that a set of wheels from a discarded baby buggy would be easier.

Experimentation is the key I think.
Blow lug are much more delicate than blacks and will simply burst if sucked up too hard.
The nearest beach to me here has a lot of well spaced casts and most of the time both holes are visible. I did read once that between the two was best. Find the right depth and go very slowly.
I always found that the best time for pumping blcks was slack water and just as it started to flood, 20 mins of frantic pumping to make the best of it.