Not sure what he was doing, but if you're looking for a solution to keeping shiners cool. Being cheap last year, I didn't purchase a minnow bucket. I have had around for years a 5gal bucket with a thick foam liner built into it. It has a foam lid that goes under the snap-on plastic lid. I used that last year and the water stayed ice cold all day long. I think this bucket was meant to be used as a bucket/cooler combo, but I swear by it for keeping shiners cold and alive! With it being the size of a 5gal it takes up more room but is much less likely to get kicked accidentally.