There was a day that I could be found on a 25 mile venture into Lake of the Woods with a minnow bucket strapped to the front of my ATV splashing me in the face at every bump and snow drift. From a relative view, I’m sure it looked much like a reinactment of Deadliest Catch. Those days are long gone as I beleive I’ve perfected my bait handling pratices, and also managed to stay much drier and hence more productive.
Many companies have tried for years in perfecting storage and transportation solutions for live minnows. Over the years I’ve found a simple solution that has served me well with minimal issues. Simple water jugs from Coleman have doubled as bait containers for me. These jugs can ride anywhere and be beaten fairly badly. Its no longer a question of how tough my container is, but rather how tough is that bait.
One of the hardest things for ice fishermen is figuring out how to keep it from freezing. These jugs are insulated so a 12 hour day on the ice is typically the maximum time spent on the water before freezing is in issue.The other freezing issue is the lid. Theres nothing worse that venturing to your fishing hole and while getting setup, having to fight your way through a frozen bait continer. Just by tapping the edge of these jugs the frozen seal is easily popped loose.
Another issue is the size of the container. I use two sizes of these jugs. The smaller container is used for small crappie minnows or trips where minnow heads are used. The larger container typically holds sucker minnows.
Aeration with these jugs is simple if you wish to do so. Simply open the pour spout and insert your tube through the opening.
With these two different sized jugs, my bait is readily available and its all at a minimal cost of space.
The other product that has saved me time and money is Strikemasters bait pucks. They’re simple, cheap, and durable. They are always found in the front thigh pocket of my bibs. Before a trip for panfish, I just visit the fridge for a reload and I’m on my way. 
Having this simple system creates peace of mind in that its one less thing I need to worry about. If you can’t find or get to your bait, its certainly going to be difficult to do the same with your targeted fish.
So water freezes in that foam. Next time I need to go fishing I have a frozen foam bucket. When ice forms in the foam buckets, the water expands and the foam is surely junked every time. (did it for years and started to wonder if the ETA was going to track me down for the 12 styrofoam buckets I had to throw away 
I thought when they hit the bucket the automatically died 
