Reducing stress is the key to keeping fish healthy. It begins before the first fish goes in the live well.

• Fill your live well immediately and turn on the aerator to start building dissolved oxygen in the live-well water.

• Any time of the year, run aerators continuously – not on a timer - to maintain oxygen. Fish in a live well will use oxygen faster than a timer-controlled aerator can replace it!

• In hot weather, when surface water temperatures are above 85ºF, use ice to cool live-well water about 1 OºF.

• Block ice melts slower and provides more even temperatures. One 8-pound block will generally cool the water in a 30-gallon live well for about 3 hours. Carry extra blocks to use later.

• Add non-iodized salt at a rate of 1/3 cup per five gallons of live-well capacity to help reduce stress on the fish.

• Run recirculating aerator rather than pumping in hot surface water – but – replace at least half of the live-well water two or three times per day to remove ammonia. Add additional ice and salt then resume recirculation.