Purchasing a floating bait pen can have a hefty impact on your wallet. And while I've seen some build-your-own tips online, must of them look a little too complicated for my tastes. So when a repeat Marlin U student asked me to come up with a solution for his dock, I jumped at the chance.

First off I decided that a 50-gallon plastic drum made the perfect barrel for the bait pen. After purchasing one from a local food distributor, I drilled a series of 1/4-inch holes all over the drum to allow water to flow through. This proved to be the most tiresome and time-consuming part of the project.
 
Once I drilled all those holes, I started to figure out the best way to make it float. I flirted with the "pool noodle" approach but decided instead to use rubber bicycle inner tubes. I found that the 24-inch tubes fit the barrel perfectly. I didn't know how many to use but thought that three would work, and they did the job just fine. I attached the three tubes to the barrel with zip ties, using one tie for every foot of tube. 
 
Make sure that you position the tubes with the stems facing out so you can fill them — I had to cut one off after putting it on with the stem facing in.

Walker Holcomb
Maitland, Florida