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I was recently in the market for a 2nd minnow bucket because my old caged foam bucket sprung a leak. After a good amount of research, I decided to go with the Frabill Insulated Bait Bucket, shown above, for the following reasons.
- This Frabill bucket is a great size for one person
- High quality construction
- The design is well thought out
- It is a reputable product from a reputable company
- Most importantly, It’s VERY affordable
1. A Good Sized Minnow Bucket
The Frabill is a good sized minnow container for a variety of uses. It’s a particularly nice size for a smaller boat, or when fishing from the bank.
At 2.2 gallons, the outer dimensions of the bucket are ideal for being both lightweight and having a small, but also stable footprint.
The bucket actually holds 1.3 gallons when the included foam liner is installed. And, you will want to keep the foam liner in it in order to keep your minnows cool.
This minnow container is big enough to hold enough minnows for one person for a typically outing.
As long as you’re aware that the foam lining cuts down on the capacity of the bucket, you shouldn’t have any surprises. As a comparison, I filled up one of those cheap tapered foam minnow buckets to the very top. Then I dumped it into the Frabill while the foam liner was installed. The capacity was almost exactly the same.
2. Quality Construction
I really like the durable plastic outer shell. It’s much more preferred over solid foam, or metal buckets. Foam buckets break easily, and metal buckets rust, so I try to avoid both of those options.
Having a minnow bucket that won’t rust is especially helpful to me since I also carry this bait bucket to the beach for annual surf fishing trips.
Besides a solid outer shell, the Frabill also has a nice thick foam lining to keep your bait cool for long periods. The foam lining can be easily removed for a thorough cleaning. Or, you can take the foam lining out if you wish to use the bucket without insulation.
The handle is a standard plastic handle that is snapped solidly into place. It appears to be removable if you are so inclined.
Overall, the entire container seems to be really durable in the hand.
3. Well Thought Out Design
The overall design of the bucket is also well thought out, and exceeds what you might expect from a cheap minnow bucket.
Provides Easy Access To Bait
The opening hatch of the Frabill is plenty big enough to easily get a large sized minnow net, or your hand, in and out of it. I’ve had buckets in the past that had a smaller opening that made it cumbersome to retrieve bait.
The flap folds back far enough so that it stays open until you decide to close it. It will not constantly fall back down and close on it’s own with a little wind or wave action.
Great Lid Design
The removable lid has a couple of built in slots. One is great for keeping a minnow net handy. I use the other one for hanging my battery operated aerator on, as shown below. There is also a small hole in the top of the lid to cleanly accept your aerator’s hose.
The well thought out placement of the slots and the aerator hole is such that the aerator use, and lid opening do not interfere with one another.
The Label Speaks Volumes
The label on the bucket states that it has been tested for both freshwater and saltwater use. I certainly can’t see why it wouldn’t work just fine in the salt. I plan to take mine to the beach this year to keep live shrimp with me overnight in Fort Pickens State Park.
The label also brags that the product is made in the U.S.A. In a day and age of many of us trying to move away from cheap Chinese products, this is a welcome surprise.
Speaking of the label, it’s not actually a label (sticker). Instead, it’s molded onto the bucket. So, there will be no irritation of a sticker peeling off over time. I thought that was a nice touch.
4. Solid Reputation
I was a little surprised when I flipped my new Frabill bucket over to see “Plano” stamped on the bottom.
The Frabill bait bucket is a “Plano” bucket!
My Frabill minnow container is actually a Plano minnow bucket. It even has the Plano website stamped on the bottom of the bucket – planomolding.com.
I recently discovered, that apparently, Frabill acquired Plano back in 2012. I actually have an old plastic Plano minnow bucket that I still like and use often. My new Frabill container is set to become a companion to that Plano bait bucket. I’ve always like both Frabill and Plano products, so it’s all good to me!
For the most part, I think Frabill makes really good products. The fact that some of their stuff is made in America, is a nice bonus. Check out Frabill.com for other options that they offer.
5. Very Affordable
Whether you get the Frabill pictured above, or the one that includes an aerator, you won’t find a much better affordable option. It’s made in the USA and it’s a surprisingly cheap minnow bucket.
This minnow container has the best combination of price vs quality of anything I’ve seen. That’s why I bought one.
I recommend you buy the cheaper version without an included aerator, and then buy a bubbler separately.
The reason I chose to get the version without an aerator is because there seemed to be some issues with the Frabill aerator. Since I already felt good about other bubblers I’ve used in the past, I decided to stick with what I know works.
I’m partial to the Baby Bubbles, and other Bubble boxes from marinemetal.com.
Conclusion
There are certainly other nice minnow containers out there, but it’s really hard to beat the Frabill Insulated Bait Bucket if you need a high quality, but cheap minnow bucket.
I usually fish with a partner out of an 18 foot crappie boat, and the Frabill Insulated Bait Bucket works great for that. If you have a different fishing style, you might prefer a different bait container. To find out more about how to pick the right minnow container, check out my other article here – Best Minnow Bucket For Crappie Fishermen.
You can pick up your own Frabill Minnow Bucket from basspro by clicking the picture below.
Happy Fishing,
Augustus
