ARTICLES ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS

Burgess Cooling Aerator

By Leslie Kelly

One of the coolest things I saw at The Fishing Show on planet Houston last month was the new ~twist on the Burgess Aeration System being demonstrated on the boat set up in their booth. If you are a live bait fisherman, you're probably already familiar with the Burgess aerator. It's available in almost every tackle shop on the coast for a very good reason, it's the best mechanical aerator I've ever used. It only draws 1/2 amp. of power so the charge on your battery lasts a lot longer. The unit floats on top of the water unlike submerged aerators. Also, with the intake up out of the water, there is no problem with the intake becoming clogged with floating debris, impeding the aerating action of the unit. The improvement to the system is with the intake where the air is taken into the pump and diffused into the water. The intake air is drawn through several yards of copper tubing laid back and forth, radiator style, covering the bottom of a separate ice chest. This cools the air, which in turn cools the water. With the cooling chest iced down with drinks and/or fish, Harry Burgess reports he can lower the water temperature in the baitwell by as much as 10 degrees. With the addition of chemical additives like Croaker Saver, baitfish can be kept alive for several days. Anyone who has had the experience of watching fifty bucks worth of croakers go belly-up in overheated water will appreciate this new livewell system. Options include a timed circulating pump that will automatically change the water in the baitwell a little at a time, allowing the fish time to become gradually adjusted to the fresh water, lessening stress and shock for the baitfish If you're a live bait fisherman, especially a "croaker soaker," this aeration system can save you a lot of money.

Try Using a Burgess Aerator and Guide Sleeve Along With Your Boats Livewell System

- Vol 8, No. 4 June 1998 By Gene Baker Editor Publisher Gulf Coast Connections

After disconnecting and removing the factory aerator system that came with my boat I was ready to install my new Burgess System. Using clear silicone, a couple of small stainless screws and drilling a small hole to run the wiring from my Burgess aerator to the livewell two-way switch on my boats console, took about a half hour and I was ready to run the Burgess Aerator Systems.

I then went and bought 6 dozen croaker, all of which were purchased alive and kicking, and added them to the boats level which was loaded with about 14 gallons of saltwater. Making sure my Burgess aerator was doing it's job, I headed home with the boat. I hooked my battery charger to the boat battery, setting it on low charge for the night to insure a healthy flow of current to my newly installed Burgess Aerator System.

Up at 5 a.m. and after downing a couple of cups of coffee, I was ready to go fishing. But first I wanted to check on my croaker, and boy! Was I surprised to see there wasn't a single dead corker or even one that looked like it was trying to die. They were all extremely frisky.

I headed for San Luis Pass and hopefully, some nice trouTD.

Keep in mind that up until I launched my boat at San Luis Pass, the croaker had been kept alive all this time with the help of the Burgess aerator and the boats oxygenation (bubble) system. Once I launched the boat I switched from the oxygenation bubbles to the boats live well pump. This created a sauna type action in level while I added fresh bay water.

Well to make a long story short, I caught a total of 7 trout (a couple over 23 inches) and I still had over 2 dozen croaker left when I got back to boat ramp.

As always I returned the 2 dozen plus croaker to the water at the boat ramp as I do with any of my live baits when I am through fishing.

I never lost a single croaker on the trip. Not bad for them being in the livewell for over 14 hours prior to the trip.

With the dog days of summer on the way you may want to think about converting your boats livewell system as I did.

To find out more about this great system call Burgess Marine Products, Inc. at 1-800-749-6945 or (713) 466-5444.

THE LIVE BAIT SEASON

Vol 7, No. 12 - Feb. 1998 By Captain Mike Mosley

We are just around the corner from another live bait season. For numbers of fish, nothing beats a quart of live shrimp and, for a big speck, nothing else compares to a live finfish. It is common knowledge these days that the diets of these fish, as they mature, changes from shrimp to finfish. Each year, more people get turned on to the sport of fishing live croaker for big speckled trout. Be it live shrimp, croaker, finger mullet or finfish, there is no more sure fire way to catch trout than good, healthy, live natural baits.

There are few secrets about live bait fishing. You can pick up what you need in tackle at any sporting goods store. A good guide or an experienced good friend can pretty well show you the ropes in a couple of sessions. If there is any one secret to this sport, it is in keeping the bait fresh and lively. Every year, fishermen spend thousands of dollars on bait that dies in their livewell before they get the benefit of using it. Between over crowding, scalding temperatures and oxygen depletion, their bait dies quickly. I have recently been introduced to a product that solves the problem.

Harry Burgess has over 40 years of experience at fishing the Texas Gulf Coast. During that time, he's tried just about everything anyone else has, trying to keep bait alive. That experience has generated as much frustration for him as it has for the rest of us.

Fortunately, Burgess is in a unique position to actually do something about it. Burgess Manufacturing, Ltd. has been a leading manufacturer of degassers for the oil field industry for well over 20 years. The technology of manufacturing degassers for the separation and removal of gasses from drilling mud was the key to resolving the problem of keeping bait alive. Burgess reversed the process of removing gasses from mud and developed a successful method for adding oxygen to water. The number one cause of bait mortality is oxygen depletion.

An affiliate of the manufacturing company, Burgess Marine Products, Inc. holds patents on this process which thoroughly mixes and drives air into the water. Most aeration systems create air bubbles which rise to the top, allowing the oxygen to escape while your bait is dying in the bottom of the bucket. The design took eight years to develop, but the results are worth it. Using 6, 9 or 12 volt batteries (or solar cells), the system uses such minimal current that batteries typically last three to five times linger. There is no strong current, so the bait spreads out in the container. These compact, self-contained units have no filters to clean, will not clog and do not heat the water. In fact, with this aeration system, your bait will stay lively in 90 degree water.

Burgess Bait Aerators come in two different sizes. The Guides Pro draws 112 amp and discharges 7.5 gallons of water per minute, while the Offshore Pro draws 1 amp and discharges 21 gallons per minute. The Guides Pro will fit in any container up to 90 quarts and the Offshore Pro will handle larger applications. Either will easily circulate and mix the water in your tank or slowly change it our with fresh water. The change is slow enough so as not to shock your expensive bait in any way. Both can double as an emergency bilge pump.

On of the most innovative products I've ever seen is the new Burgess fishin-wagon™. The FishinWagon is a live bait container with the aerator and battery pack holder built in. It has wheels for dry land, it floats for wade fishing and it even features a pair of rod holders. Best of all, it will run for days on eight D Cell batteries. If you want to keep you catch alive, it works equally well on specks , reds, bass or catfish.

Obviously, I'm excited about Burgess Aerator Systems. While I spend most of my time throwing artificials, I like seeing my clients catch big trout too much to be exclusive about it. The main thing I know about this system is that it works. It works far better than anything I have ever used before. You can find Burgess Aerators in most tackle shops. If you have any question, call me. Better yet, book a trip so I can take you to Matagorda Bay and show you first hand. The live bait season will be here sooner than you think.