I left quite a few minnows in my bucket and they all died. It’s basically covered in slime. Any idea how I can get it clean?

Yes.  There are actually several ways to go about remedying the situation; which one would you like to hear?

1.     Hot salt water.  If you have rock salt, this is the best tool to use for this particular method of cleaning out the scum.  Put yourself about a cup of salt in the bottom of the bucket and fill it with piping hot water.  Stir it around, making sure that the rock salt (or standard table salt, if that’s all you’ve got) swishes around and eventually dissolves.  The crystals will sort of scrub the sides.  Then, let it sit and soak for an hour or so before dumping it.  If you’ve still got slime, do it again.  You’ll still have to scrub it with soap and water when you finish, but this should help.

2.     Cold salt water.  Okay, so here’s something even funnier.  Instead of using hot water, fill the bucket with ICE and water, of course adding the salt first.  Just like the salt, the ice being stirred around will act like a scrubber or scraper and help to peel the “guck” off the sides and bottom of the bucket as you stir it around.

3.     Distilled vinegar and salt.  Vinegar is a natural cleaner, and it’s acidic, so it will “eat” the slime off the sides of the tank.  Use a 3:1 ratio (3 cups water, 1 cup vinegar), and dump your salt in, then stir.  Let it sit overnight so the vinegar can work its magic.

Tags: crappie fishing guide, crappie fishing gear, crappie fishing forum, crappie fishing in ohio, crappie fish, crappie fishing in arkansas