# The Garbo Live Bait Bucket



## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

Just finished building several of them for an upcoming trip and I highly recommend them, although the directions might be a tad complicated for DD 

Garbo, for your info I had to use brass wood screws, #10-24 x 1 1/2", to attach the 3/4" lid. I also used a 3" brass hinge to assemble the two halves along with 1/4-20 x 1" SS Phillips pan head screws and 1/4-20 SS nylon stop nuts. Lid is snug. I also attached a brass screw eye to the front of the lid and am using 10" bungy cords to hold it in place when in the water. Easy on easy off. Also, 3/8" holes in the bucket beginning 4" up from the bottom. All holes filed smooth.

Before I tried this design I just cut the plastic top in half and used a 2" brass hinge with #10-24 x 3/4" SS screws and SS stop nuts and used stainless wire to secure the lids.

Both designs work but I do like the Garbo design better.


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## goinfishing (Sep 10, 2013)

Do you have a picture? I'd like to see it


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

You may as well have just PMd him because the rest of us have no clue what youre talking about without pics.


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

$5 screw on lid.....
12 oz sinker ziptied to bottom to sink it down
Roped through PVC pipe


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

RJ you dont use a safety string to keep your lid from floating away in case it comes off? I know those gamma lids are pretty secure but i still use a short piece of 80lb mono on mine to save it. Just a thought.


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

1BadF350 said:


> RJ you dont use a safety string to keep your lid from floating away in case it comes off? I know those gamma lids are pretty secure but i still use a short piece of 80lb mono on mine to save it. Just a thought.


That's newer lid and havent had the chance to do so yet.
The old black one a blacktip gnawled off to get my pogies


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

Originated from the thread " The Perfect Live bait Bucket ". Search feature leads you right to it. Was up there for all to see but not too many comments and/or interest. Just thought a few folks would like to learn how to make one, especially those who fish from bridges, docks, piers,etc. It's a 5 gal plastic bucket turned into " the perfect live bait bucket ".


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

rjthemetalhead said:


> that's newer lid and havent had the chance to do so yet.
> The old black one a blacktip gnawled off to get my pogies


lol


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## "ReelDeal" (Dec 27, 2014)

Thanks for posting Flathead! Post a couple more pics if you get a chance, I might try to make one of these. 

R/D


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

OK , here ya go. If anybody needs detailed instructions I'll be glad to post them. Garbo gets some of your bait if you run into him.


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## "ReelDeal" (Dec 27, 2014)

Thanks for the pics Flathead! You did a great job on that lid. I read the older post and it seems to be fairly simple to build. Garbo and yourself did a great job explaing how its done. When you DIY it gives you a great sense of pride in your finished product.
RJ's bucket with the screw on lid looks simple also due to the ease of installation! Looks like all you need is a mallet! 
I'm gonna make me one soon!
How did you weight the bottom?

R/D


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## goinfishing (Sep 10, 2013)

Flathead
Thanks for posting pictures! Always helps me to have a visual when reading about this so I appreciate it.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

The screw on lids are awesome. I use them for everything now from quail food to fishing buckets.


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

flathead said:


> OK , here ya go. If anybody needs detailed instructions I'll be glad to post them. Garbo gets some of your bait if you run into him.


Very Cool . . . Post up a step by step tutorial with pics . . . Too good not to share !


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

flathead said:


> Originated from the thread " The Perfect Live bait Bucket "


*http://www.pierandsurf.com/fishing-forum/showthread.php?103043-The-Perfect-Live-Bait-Bucket*


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

flathead said:


> OK , here ya go. If anybody needs detailed instructions I'll be glad to post them. Garbo gets some of your bait if you run into him.
> 
> View attachment 16406
> 
> ...


Nice looking bucket

I would drill a few more holes so ir will drain quicker when your bait bitch is pulling it up.


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## ironman172 (Nov 2, 2013)

I use a screw on lid,from a pool cemical bucket, use a safety hook so it doesn't accidently come off.....drill many more holes with 6in of the bottom undrilled so the bait fish is always in some water

nice bucket


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

OK, hope this helps. One word of caution, when you take your bucket diameter measurement be generous on the loose side. The bucket is full of 3/8" holes so a 1/16" gap at the lid isn't going to hurt anything. Too tight and you will wind up doing what I had to do on my first one, which is a lot of sanding and rasping to get it to fit properly. 

What you will need :

Drill with 1/16" bit, 1/4" bit, 3/8" bit and 1/2" bit(5/8" instead of 1/2" if you are going to use Garbo's 5/8" rope) 
Jig Saw
Phillips screwdriver or drill with Phillips #2 bit( I used screwdriver as it was easier to center and hold the brass screws)
Round file
Nylon rope, either 3/8", 1/2", or 5/8"( the farther it is to water the larger diameter rope you should use) 
Adjustable or 7/16" combo wrenche to tighten the nylon stop nuts
Jar of 10" bungy cords( used on tents, in camping section of Wal-Mart)
6 - 1/4-20 x 1" SS Phillips machine screws
6 - 1/4-20 SS Nylon stop nuts
5 - #10 x 1 1/2" brass wood screws
1 - small brass screw eye
1 - straight edge/ruler or T-square(must be 12")
1 - 2 sq ft section of 3/4" exterior plywood( can buy at Lowes or Home depot, get two lids out of it)


Next, follow Garbo's expert carpenter directions for cutting out your lids :



> Take a measurement of the bucket top to the rim
> 
> Divide by half = the Radius
> 
> ...


Ready to assemble:

Drill 3/8" holes at least 4" up from the bottom all the way around back to the first hole, then alternate between holes all the way around going upward to the rim. I try to make a hole every 4".

Take the round file and file out the burrs on the interior of the bucket. I also do the outside. Keeps bait fish from injuring/scaling themselves.

Place you straight edge across the top of the bucket and mark the bucket rim with a pen/pencil/magic marker(I used magic marker).

Go straight down from those marks, under the rim about 1" and drill the 1/2" hole(5/8" if using a 5/8" rope).

Cut 1/4", 45 degree angle off each pointed edge of your lid sections. After this place your lid sections together and you should have a small triangle on each side that fits perfectly above the 1/2" or 5/8" hole you just drilled in the side of the bucket. Your rope will be tied through this hole.

Place your lid sections together and use your straight edge to draw a center line perpendicular to the straight edges. This is where you will center your brass hinge and brass screw eye.

Center your brass hinge on this line(hinge has three holes so center the middle hole on the line), mark the holes on both lid halves, remove the hinge and drill six 1/4" holes. Decide which side is going to be your top then flip that over and countersink the holes on the underside just a tad. You do this because the 1/4"-20 ss screws don't leave enough thread for the 1/4-20 stop nuts to fully thread on the screws.

Now, mark a spot 1/2-1" from the center edge on your hinge center line for your brass screw eye(should be directly parallel of the center hole of the brass hinge). You can then screw in the brass screw eye.

Next, before assembling your hinge to the lid, take your back section of lid( the one without the brass screw eye) and line it up inside the top of the bucket so the angle cut you made is centered over the 1/2" or 5/8" hole in the side of the bucket .

Begin attaching the lid with the #10 x 1 1/2" brass screws, starting about 1" from your rope hole on one side. Use the 1/16" bit to drill about a 1/8" started hole for each screw. They go in lots easier this way. Next go across the lid 1" from the opposite rope hole and assemble the second screw. The other three are now easier to assemble with the lid attached to each side.You should space them about 4" apart,using all 5 screws completely around the lid.

After assembling the back section you can now assemble the brass hinge to the top, back section first. next assemble the front section.

You are done except for adding the rope. I use 3/8" simply because I use my buckets from a dock that is never more than 10" from the water. From a pier I'd go 1/2" or 5/8". I take about a 3' section and thread the rope from outside to in through the hole in the side, come up and tie a slip knot, cinched with an overhand knot or two, loop through the hole on the opposite side, then tie and overhand in the center section wich leaves a loop to attach teh proper length you will need for your bucket( pier,bridge, or dock, etc.)


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

To the bible...


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## Catch This (Nov 19, 2005)

+1 Move it to the Bible


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

Made several more for this year's trip including a slightly different version especially for mud minnows. Difference, smaller 1/4" holes, 1/2" plywood, #6 x 1 1/4" screws for the lid, 1/2" holes for the rope. made with 5 gal buckets but works lots better with 2 gal buckets,especially if you wade fish inlets and sounds like I do.


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